On Christmas Day 2020, Sir Elton John called 30-year-old pop star Ed Sheeran and asked if he would like to collaborate on a holiday song. Sheeran recently broke the news on Dutch radio station NPO Radio 2, that he and the global icon will in fact release a gift that will keep on giving—a Christmas track he describes as “fucking great.”
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During the interview, he clarified that John ringing him on Christmas was not out of the ordinary. In fact, Sheeran shared that the two communicate “almost every single day.”
At the time, John’s holiday track “Step Into Christmas” had charted at No.6. Over the phone, Sheeran recalls John’s proposal: “I’m 74, and I’m still having fucking chart hits, this is great! I want to do another Christmas song, will you do it with me?'”
At first, Sheeran was not keen on the idea. His forthcoming album, =, is slated for release October 29 via Asylum/Atlantic. And John recently announced his collaborative new project, The Lockdown Sessions, which will feature his latest single “Finish Line,” with Stevie Wonder, as well as tracks with Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, and Eddie Vedder. But ultimately, the pair made time to write and record a new anthem to get listeners in the spirit of the season.
“I didn’t feel like it suited me,” Sheeran explained, as reported by NME. “[But] you don’t know if you’ll still be there tomorrow, everything can change overnight. I may not be here tomorrow. Why shouldn’t I grab this opportunity?”
Listen to Sheeran’s interview with NPO Radio, below.
Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for EJAF
