Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sir Elton John teamed up with singer/songwriter Charlie Puth on their first collaboration “After All.” While the ballad lyrically focuses on the theme of love, it ultimately puts both musicians’ strong vocal capabilities and piano skills at the forefront.
Puth and John could be considered one of the greatest dynamic duos that this year has seen so far. Although their partnership might seem somewhat unlikely at first glance, “After All” lays all of those skepticisms to rest with its unparalleled vocal range.
“After All” was written by John and Puth along with composer Jacob Kasher (Maroon 5, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor). The single follows John’s collab with Dua Lipa, “Cold Heart,” both of which are included on his upcoming album, The Lockdown Sessions.
Throughout the power ballad, the pair’s vocals bounce off of one another until they meet for a climactic vibrato finale that can only be described as breathtaking. After just the first few listens, the chorus easily manages to get stuck in your head in the best way possible.
In an Instagram post, John gave insight into his and Puth’s partnership. “I’m so pleased to release this song with Charlie, who is an amazing musician and a true friend. With ‘After All’, Charlie and I were in the studio, just the two of us,” he says. “I played electric piano and actually wrote the song all the way through and then Charlie wrote the lyrics pretty quickly. We just had an amazing chemistry in the studio and hit it off straight away.”
More recently, John and Puth brought their collab to the stage when they performed at Global Citizen Live in Paris. The performance featured both musicians behind their pianos, giving an almost identical sounding vocal performance to their studio recording. The live version of “After All” is proof of how well both John and Puth genuinely complement one another, illustrating their musical chemistry.
Set to release on Oct. 22, John’s forthcoming album features a plethora of notable collaborations that the musician has been working on during the pandemic. “After All” is just a glimpse of what listeners can expect to hear next month.