Elton John and 20 Famous Friends Reunite for Ultimate Zoom Call

Following the release of his latest album ‘The Lockdown Sessions’, Elton John’s Rocket Entertainment Group, partnered with AKQA, to create ‘The Ultimate Zoom Call’ featuring 20 of the biggest names in music, who each featured on the album.

Elton John, hosting the wonderfully warm seasonal video call, welcomes his peers into the chat with appearances from global superstars Dua Lipa, Damon Albarn, Stevie Wonder, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Stevie Nicks and Young Thug, to name a few. Filled with all the idiosyncrasies that have come to characterise how we’ve all communicated over the last two years, the artists discuss the launch of the album and thank Elton for the opportunity to collaborate with him on the project. There’s also a surprise guest who joins the call a little late.

The 16-track album was recorded remotely over the last year and a half while the artists were in lockdown. The idea for the Zoom call was inspired by Elton’s husband David Furnish after living through 12 months of video calls to stay connected.

The video is a celebration of the way that people continue to work, interact and create music in the most challenging of circumstances. Elton explains: “The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one‐off projects kept cropping up. Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before”. The call highlights that when faced with challenges we can find ways to overcome them.

Stevie Wonder says: “If there’s anything that’s going to make a difference in the world, connected with love, is music. We do it from our hearts, we do it from our experiences and we share those emotions with you, the people”. The sentiment of this message epitomises the intent of the campaign and the album, to offer some relief from the challenges faced throughout the pandemic.

Sam Kelly, chief marketing officer AKQA said: "Collaborating with Sir Elton John, and some of the biggest names in the music industry was a dream brief. These last two years have been challenging, and those challenges force new ways of thinking. I've never seen so much energy and creativity on one video call." 

The Ultimate Zoom call can be viewed on Elton John’s YouTube channel and across his social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok.