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Music legend Elton John returned to the spotlight on Saturday night as ITV aired An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile, a behind-the-scenes music special that gave fans a rare look at the making of his new album Who Believes in Angels. But while many were ready to celebrate the Rocket Man's latest artistic chapter, the show sparked an unexpected wave of confusion and criticism online, all centred around one person: Brandi Carlile.
The special, filmed at London’s prestigious Palladium, followed Elton and acclaimed American singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile as they performed tracks from their new collaborative record. Hosted by actor and comedian Dan Levy, the programme offered unprecedented access to the recording process, the first time Elton John has ever allowed cameras to capture the highs and lows of creating an album.
However, it wasn’t long before social media lit up with one recurring theme: “Who is Brandi Carlile?”
Within minutes of the programme starting, Twitter/X was awash with puzzled viewers. “Never ever heard of Brandi Carlile #EltonJohn,” wrote one user. Another echoed: “Whose this woman? I’ve never heard of her. #EltonJohn.” A third simply declared the show "an absolute car crash" while expressing disbelief over the pairing.
For many UK viewers unfamiliar with Carlile’s Grammy-winning work in the U.S., the collaboration appeared to come out of nowhere. Despite being a critical darling in folk and Americana circles and a frequent performer at high-profile events such as the Grammy Awards and Joni Mitchell tributes, her name and music remain under the radar for some British audiences.
But not everyone was baffled by her presence. Fans of the singer came to her defence, praising the programme for highlighting her powerhouse vocals and emotive performance style. “Brandi’s voice is stunning. Love this. Love the album,” one viewer wrote. Another added, “It makes me sad how few people know who Brandi Carlile is. I was raised on her music, she’s great.”
The documentary-style special didn’t shy away from showing the emotional weight behind the album. In a candid moment, Elton admitted he found the process "painful," saying: “I was exhausted, I had a lot of doubt. I was a nightmare. Angry, I was tired, I was irritable.”
Carlile added that the authenticity of the footage was due in part to forgetting the cameras were there. “It’s really authentic and just a little bizarre,” she said.
A particularly poignant scene showed Elton breaking down in the studio after completing a vocal take. “To achieve what I wanted to achieve, I had to really work through the pain,” he shared. “I just lost it. Being emotional on the record, whether it was being angry or crying , I haven’t been that for years and years and years.”
Despite the early backlash, An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile gave audiences a deeply personal look at two artists pushing each other creatively. For some, it was a misfire. For others, it was a powerful and raw insight into the magic, and madness, of making music.
An Evening with Elton John and Brandi Carlile is available to stream now on ITVX.
