Some might’ve used the COVID-19 lockdown as a time of self-reflection or decided to pick up a new hobby. Elton John, however, elected to make new connections and associates in the music realm. 

Per its name, The Lockdown Sessions album by John is an accumulation of songs that the rock singer recorded while in the midst of the pandemic that quaked the world. John was in the middle of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour when he suddenly had to abandon his tour; this was not the way he was wishing to slip out of the music world.

Instead, John used all the pent-up energy he didn’t use on tour to write and record new music with a plethora of well-known artists all over the music genre spectrum.

For me, when I think of John as a singer, I think of his song, “Tiny Dancer.” It’s a classic song full of beautiful piano chimes and sway-worthy lyrics that I feel embodies his style of music. 

However, with this album, John really broke out my perception of his music “type.” 

From the futuristic sounds he experimented with alongside Dua Lipa, to the soulful beats he busted out with Stevie Wonder, it became continuously harder for me to place John in any musical category at all. 

At times, it seemed that John was the guest of the songs he sang with the other artists he collaborated with; that’s how different each song was and proved how much he curated his voice to fit the style of the people he collaborated with.

I don’t really know how John intended intended for his album to come across, but I thought it was a smart way for him to keep from being typecast into one musical genre, such as rock—the one he’s been associated with for most of his music career. 

Because of the comprehensive variety of musical masterpieces, it’s hard for me to say which song is my favorite—they all seem to stand alone in terms of style and there are elements that I like about each song.

I am, however, a fan of Dua Lipa, so the song he collaborated with her on, “Cold Heart,” does stand out as one of my top picks. The music trio, PNAU, also contributes a few notes in the song, but I really liked how Lipa and John’s vocals blended in the futuristic tone of the song. 

Another track that stood out to me was “Stolen Car” sung by John and Stevie Nicks. The song starts out with a smooth piano course as most Elton John songs do, but then Nicks’ voice is introduced, and it seems to give the song new life. 

The lyrics themself in the song are some I really enjoyed listening to the meaning of. The tune and vocals actually remind me of a song that might be included in a Mamma Mia! movie which, in my opinion, is not a bad thing. 

I was surprised at how many artists I actually knew of that were included in the album. Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Surfaces, Charlie Puth, Gorillaz, Rina Sawayama, Years & Years, Miley Cyrus, WATT, Stevie Wonder, and Eddie Vedder are just a handful of the well-known artists that took part in The Lockdown Sessions album.

If any of the artists featured in The Lockdown Album strike a chord with you, I can almost guarantee there will be a song in the collection that you can say you enjoyed no matter the genre or style.