Elton John the performer might have strong ties to a specific era and genre, but his opinion of who he would consider “the best band out there at the moment” proves that Elton John as a music lover is beholden to no one time period, style, or genre. The “Rocket Man” singer has loudly sung the praises of countless contemporary artists who shot to fame decades after John made his own big break.
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According to John, music aficionados need not look any further than Dublin, Ireland, to discover the hottest band right now.
Who Elton John Considers Today’s “Best Band”
Elton John established his whole career on being eccentric, flexible, and hard to pin down. His rock, pop, and ballad chops are virtually unmatched, having contributed some of the most iconic songs of all time to the modern popular music canon. So, it’s unsurprising that John would appreciate a band that maintains a similarly chameleon-esque feel to their craft: Fontaines D.C.
Grian Chatten, lead singer of the Irish post-punk group, spoke with John on an episode of his Apple Music Rocket Hour show, and the famous host didn’t hold back his true feelings. “For me, you’re the best band out there at the moment,” John said.
“I’ve watched you grow from album to album,” he continued. “[You] have been the band that has progressed musically, lyrically, live, every single album. They’ve changed their sound. Having watched you at Glastonbury, having heard the new album, you’ve just grown every album in such a big way. It’s called Romance. It’s a brilliant record.”
The “Tiny Dancer” Singer Predicts Big Success Ahead
Fontaines D.C. has released four albums at the time of this writing. Starting with their debut, Dogrel, in 2019, the post-punk band has also put out A Hero’s Death (2020), Skinty Fia (2022), and now Romance, which they released on August 23, 2024. For Elton John, Romance will be the album that propels the Irish band from underground popularity to full-on mainstream success.
“I just think this is the album that breaks you through to the act that you always promised to be, from a popularity standpoint,” John said. “The music is just so great. Every song, you can imagine watching it live. “In The Modern World” [the fifth track of Romance], I think it’s just one of your best songs you’ve ever written. Seriously, there’s no track that you want to skip. That’s very hard to say because I skip a lot on records.”
“I’m just so proud of watching you. You found your voice. It’s great to see something grow creatively. A lot of bands make two records, and they just stagnate. You don’t. I can’t really say that of any other band at the moment except for your lot.”
Coming from an EGOT, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, this is certainly no small praise for a band carving out their niche in the rock world, and we don’t doubt Elton John’s props are just some of many that Fontaines D.C. will enjoy as their career progresses.
Photo by ENRIC FONTCUBERTA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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