Elton John and Brandi Carlile Are Ready to ‘Swing for the Fences’

Elton John and Brandi Carlile have teased another song from their upcoming collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels? “Swing for the Fences” is a buoyant pop-rock moment from the pair of musical legends and friends.

On the anthemic rock track, the pair offers up a slice of hope and encouragement. “Go on and swing for the fences/Take a shot at the moon,” they sing on the catchy hook. In the vein of the album’s split nature between their two styles, the song is one of the more Carlile-led tracks.

“’Swing For The Fences’ was a little gem I took into the studio with me,” Carlile explained in a statement. “I’m a gay woman, Elton’s a gay man, and we both have families, and our dreams have come true. I was thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to write an anthem for young gay kids out there that calls them into a bigger, more elegant, more fabulous life?’ Just like ‘Go, go! don’t let anything hold you back!’.”

John added that the song was key in the creation of the album overall. “When we recorded Swing For The Fences, it was the moment that crystallized where the album was going,” he said in a statement. “It was hard to get to that point, but we knew we had to rise to the occasion, and we all just felt this massive sense of joy and euphoria. After our initial difficulties, all the uncertainties started to dissipate when this song came together. It just sounded great.”

Carlile and John worked on their new album with Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt. They began working on the album back in October 2023 and are backed by an all-star band that includes Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Pino Pallodino (Nine Inch Nails), and Josh Klinghoffer (Pearl Jam, Beck).

“This record was one of the toughest I’ve ever made, but it was also one of the greatest musical experiences of my life,” John said in a press release. “It has given me a place where I know I can move forward. Who Believes In Angels? feels like going into another era, and I’m pushing the door open to come into the future.”