Listen to Elton John and Brandi Carlile’s brand new ‘anthem for young gay kids’

Elton John and Brandi Carlile have collaborated on a self-professed LGBTQ+ anthem for young kids called Swing for the Fences.

The track, which was shared on Wednesday (5 March), is the first to be revealed from the duo’s collaborative new album, Who Believes in Angels?, which was announced last month.

Speaking about the latest track, Carlile said Swing For The Fences is a “little gem I took into the studio with me,” which instantly became a hit with both of the pop icons.

“I’m a gay woman, Elton’s a gay man and we both have families, and our dreams have come true,” she said. “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!”

The uplifting lyrics include lines like: “Beautiful you / They got nothing on you / Yeah, I’m talking to you” and “It’s a long game and they’re gonna tell you it’s not / They’re high-five dodgers / And baby, they don’t deserve you.” You can listen to the full song below.

Sir Elton John, meanwhile, said that upon recording the track, he felt that he had “crystallised where the album was going.”

“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,” he said. “After our initial difficulties, all the uncertainties started to dissipate when this song came together. It just sounded great.”

The initial difficulties reportedly included Elton John telling Brandi Carlile to “f**k off” and smashing an iPad.

The album is being developed by producer Andrew Wyatt and John’s long-time collaborator, Bernie Taupin.

“Between the four of us, what went down in the studio is pretty magical,” John said to Variety. And you know, I don’t wanna let cats out of the bag, but you ain’t heard nothing yet. You have heard absolutely f***ing nothing. There’s something coming your way which is gonna blow your a** off.”

The 77-year-old organised several collaborations with a huge variety of global artists during the COVID-19 pandemic with The Lockdown Sessions.

The album, which received rave reviews, featured guest stars including Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, Rina Sawayama, Gorillaz, and many more.

The song, Never Too Late, received an Oscar-nomination thanks to its feature in the 2024 documentary of the same name which details John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour to mark his tour retirement.

Elton John and Brandi Carlile’s latest studio album, featuring 10 tracks, drops on 4 April.