“I Just Broke Down and Cried for 45 Minutes — And It’s All on Film.” That’s what Elton John said after a single chorus brought him to his knees in the studio. While recording When This Old World Is Done With Me, a haunting new ballad written by his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, something shifted. The lyrics hit too close — not just as a musician, but as a father, a husband, a man who’s lived so much and is now thinking about how much time is left. What started as a regular studio session turned into a raw, emotional unraveling — tears, doubt, even a meltdown caught on camera. But from the ashes came a rebirth. Against the odds, battling health issues and the weight of legacy, Elton says his upcoming album Who Believes in Angels? is the best thing he’s made in over 40 years. Sometimes the most powerful art comes when you least expect it — when you’re cracked wide open.

Introduction

At 78 years old, Sir Elton John still channels profound emotion into his music—and this time, it struck a particularly deep chord.

While recording his latest album Who Believes in Angels?, the legendary artist was overcome with tears for a full 45 minutes as he sang “When This Old World Is Done With Me.” Penned by longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, the song tapped into Elton’s reflections on growing older, his enduring legacy, and his own mortality.

“I reached the chorus and completely fell apart,” Elton revealed on the SmartLess podcast. “You start wondering how much time you have left, thinking about your children, your partner… I just cried and cried—and it’s all caught on camera.”

This unguarded moment appears in the short film Elton John: Never Too Late, which premiered last October. Producer and co-writer Brandi Carlile witnessed the breakdown firsthand. “It was raw, human, even a little uncomfortable—and that vulnerability is exactly what makes it so powerful,” she said.

The path to completing this album wasn’t without obstacles. Despite decades of triumphs, Elton admitted he nearly shelved the project. “I was in a dark place mentally—I had more doubt than ever before,” he told BBC Radio 2. Frustration boiled over in the studio, leading to a dramatic exit: he slammed down his headphones and labeled the session “a fucking nightmare.”

Yet through that vulnerability—and with the steadfast support of Bernie Taupin, Brandi Carlile, and producer Andrew Watt—the album came to life. Elton now hails Who Believes in Angels? as his finest work in forty years. “Without their belief and collaboration, it simply wouldn’t exist,” he acknowledged. “All the anxiety ultimately created something magical.”

Now, having concluded his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour and weathered health scares and vision loss, Elton’s message is clearer than ever: the most affecting art blossoms when you dare to expose your fragility.