A Reverent, Soul-Stirring Duet About Hope, Legacy, and the Invisible Angels in Our Lives
When “Who Believes in Angels?” appeared in early 2025, it was not merely another single — it was the title track and emotional centrepiece of a remarkable collaborative album by two of the most deeply expressive voices in modern music: Elton John and Brandi Carlile. Though the song itself is part of a larger artistic statement, its unveiling marked a moment of intergenerational communion — a moment when listeners of a certain age could feel both the weight of memory and the lightness of renewed spirit in the same breath.
Released as the lead and eponymous song ahead of the full album’s arrival on April 4, 2025, Who Believes in Angels? became part of a larger work that debuted at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 while claiming the No. 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart, giving Elton his tenth UK chart-topping album and Brandi her first in that market.
This song — and the album that surrounds it — did not arrive as idle nostalgia but as a living, breathing testament to what music can mean in the deep autumn of a long career and the vibrant middle of another. Both artists recorded the album together in just about twenty days at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, a creative sprint that brought them face-to-face with their fears, hopes, and the very core of what makes art meaningful.
Thematically, “Who Believes in Angels?” reveals itself as a song of both inquiry and gratitude. Its lyrics pose a simple-seeming question — “Who believes in angels?” — but what it really asks is whether we can still believe in love, in kindness, in the invisible forces that carry us through loss, doubt, and the mundane moments of our everyday lives. Written with input from both Elton and Brandi, and anchored in the seasoned lyricism of Bernie Taupin, the song unfolds like a gospel whisper crossed with a pop reflection, echoing the emotional layering Elton has perfected over half a century.
For long-time listeners, the song feels like meeting an old friend at dusk: familiar, comforting, and slightly tinged with melancholy. Brandi’s lyrical empathy brings a contemporary intensity, while Elton’s piano and vocal phrasing ground the track in a tradition that many of us first learned to love decades ago. There is a wistfulness in the melody — a sense that these two voices know too well how fragile joy can be and how resilient the human spirit must be to endure.
Behind the scenes, the creation of Who Believes in Angels? was as meaningful as the music itself. Elton, at 78, has spoken openly about confronting his own mortality and legacy during the recording process, particularly on other emotionally charged tracks on the album. Moments like these — where a lyric brought him to tears — infused the music with a sincerity that transcends mere performance.
Brandi Carlile, already a celebrated artist in her own right, has described working with Elton as both challenging and life-affirming — an experience that pushed her to expand her own expressive palette while honoring the timeless craftsmanship of songwriting. Their partnership on this song feels like a dialogue between generations: one seasoned by decades of triumph and trial, and the other fearlessly forward-looking yet deeply respectful of tradition.
In the broader narrative of their collaboration, “Who Believes in Angels?” stands out not just as a beautiful and haunting song, but as a symbolic heart to an album that bridges past and present. To hear it is to be reminded of the power of music to touch the places in us that time forgets, to summon memories both joyful and bittersweet, and to ask — gently, earnestly — whether we still believe in the unseen hand that lifts us when our own strength falters.
This song, like the artists who brought it to life, asks us to remember that belief — in each other, in beauty, in connection — remains one of the most enduring and enchanting gifts of all.