By Mark Savage
BBC Music Correspondent
Pop icon Sir Elton John has scored his eighth UK number one album with his Covid-enforced surprise album The Lockdown Sessions.
Recorded when his farewell tour was postponed by the pandemic, the record features collaborations with Dua Lipa, Stevie Nicks, Gorillaz, and Lil Nas X.
Many duets took place over Zoom, while others took place in the studio under stringent safety regulations.
Sir Elton said he ended up singing with artists “separated by glass screens”.
The album cover even sees the star wearing a bejeweled Elton John face-mask.
Sir Elton, 74, said he enjoyed the experience of being forced “out of his comfort zone” and working with unexpected collaborators.
“I realised there was something weirdly familiar about working like this,” he said in a statement announcing the album.
“At the start of my career, in the late ’60s, I worked as a session musician. Working with different artists during lockdown reminded me of that.
Read more from the BBC here https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-59093500