Elton John rockets to top 40 for the first time in 22 years with Dua Lipa

Elton John has rocketed into the American top 40 for the first time since 1999 with help from Dua Lipa and Pnau.

The pop icon's new collaborative single "Cold Heart" — a mashed-up remix featuring portions of his past singles "Rocket Man," "Sacrifice," "Kiss the Bride," and "Where's the Shoorah?" — climbed to No. 32 on this week's Billboard Hot 100, making it the first of John's official singles to cross into the esteemed portion of the chart since his LeAnn Rimes duet "Written in the Stars" hit No. 29 over 22 years ago on March 20, 1999.

Shortly after its release in August, "Cold Heart" became a global smash, peaking at No. 2 in John's native United Kingdom. It dropped as the lead single from the 74-year-old's forthcoming album of collaborations, The Lockdown Sessions, featuring songs he recorded with other artists throughout the last 18 months of quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. Other artists that appear on the studio set include Nicki Minaj, Charlie Puth, Lil Nas X, Rina Sawayama, Miley Cyrus, Years & Years, Brandi Carlile, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, and more.

In addition to the roster of artists that appear on The Lockdown Sessions, John also contributed featured vocals to Lady Gaga's 2020 album Chromatica on the track "Since From Above."

"It was burning a hole on my hard drive… It wasn't actually called 'Since From Above' at the beginning, it was just called 'Elton John' because Elton John was singing on it. It was a more chilled out, piano, acoustic thing. You can still hear that in the verses, and [the final version has] the same chord progression," producer Axwell previously told EW of the track, which John ultimately finished remotely via Skype sessions with the team.

"It wasn't the easiest thing to stay in touch with Elton, because he changes emails, addresses, and time zones," Axwell continued. "This was the perfect opportunity to get somewhere with the song, because I knew Gaga and Elton are good friends. I sent them the track and said, 'It could be a perfect fit!' They liked it, vibed on it, and Gaga added her touch. Gaga didn't have any problem getting ahold of Elton."

John also launched his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour earlier this year, though he later postponed the concerts to 2023 after undergoing surgery to treat an injury he sustained from a fall.

The Lockdown Sessions is out on Oct. 22. Listen to "Cold Heart" above.

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