On Friday, John joined the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to honor Bernie Taupin, his longtime songwriting partner and close friend. New music from Elton John is coming out! The 76-year-old music artist honored Bernie Taupin, a longstanding collaborator on songs, with an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. John disclosed in his speech that the team, who have collaborated on music for more than 50 years, had recently wrapped up a new record. In fan-recorded video from the event, John told the crowd, “We’ve just finished an album in Los Angeles, which is going to surprise the s— out of you.” Then, making fun of his profanity, he said, “Oops, I can’t say that.” Regarding his next album, John remarked, “It’s full of youth and vitality, and it’s absolutely wonderful.” “After 56 years of dating, it’s a great place to be.”
John concluded his address by calling Taupin “one of the finest lyric writers of all time.” He went on to say that he discovers new meanings in Taupin’s songs every time he performs them. John said, “He’s always been generous, and when I’ve crossed out lines or verses, he’s just gone with the flow and trusted me.” “And our friendship has benefited from that trust.” The majority of John’s successes, including “Rocket Man,” “Honky Cat,” “Crocodile Rock,” and “Daniel,” were co-written by Taupin, 73, who also alluded at a new project back in May when he talked about being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Then, Taupin told Rolling Stone, “We’ve got some plans laid that can’t really be discussed right now.” Taupin said to PEOPLE in September that he and John would “definitely make another record.” “That is undeniable,” he declared. “He’s not going to fade to black just because he’s not on the road. He will continue to be highly involved in other endeavors.
