Elton John found himself with a lot of free time while inside. Rather than taking up crocheting as a pastime or purchasing a Peloton bike like so many others at the time, John chose the greatest way he could to get to know some of today’s top musicians: by collaborating through Zoom. His album The Lockdown Sessions, a 16-track genre-spanning project including today’s greatest musicians, was born as a result.
To ring in the holidays and celebrate the success of The Lockdown Sessions, which debuted at No. 1 in the UK, John reopened Zoom and convened all of his colleagues for the “Ultimate Zoom” call. Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Rina Sawayama, Eddie Vedder, SG Lewis, Charlie Puth, Brandie Carlile, Damon Albarn, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, and Young Thug were among the first to join the call.
The 4-minute video was both a celebration of the album and a reminder of all the little frustrations of virtual calls like WiFi issues or distracting noises in the background. According to press materials, the video is meant as a “celebration of the way that Zoom has enabled people to continue to work, interact and create music in the most challenging of circumstances.”
