Andrew Watt Talks About Elton John and Compares Him to Beethoven: Insights on His Unique Creative Style

Elton John and Andrew Watt in March 2025 in West Hollywood, Calif.
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Andrew Watt Reflects on Working with Elton John

Andrew Watt has shared insights about his experience collaborating with music legend Elton John on the new album, Who Believes in Angels?, which features Brandi Carlile and was released in April. The Grammy-winning producer describes his time in the studio with John as both challenging and rewarding.

Watt, 35, draws a parallel between John, 78, and classical greats like Mozart and Beethoven. "[He’s] a little more like Beethoven, I would say, and when he’s writing, he’s extremely volatile," he remarked in an interview. John, known for his intense creative process, has openly discussed his temper in the past.

In creating music, Watt notes that he had to adapt to John’s unique style. “My job is to read the room, and if you’re in Elton’s eye line as he’s writing, you’re in the f—ing lion’s den,” he explained. He would position himself nearby to respond quickly when John called for him, though he also aimed to stay out of the artist’s direct line of sight.

Watt emphasized the distinctive method John employs when crafting songs, a process shaped by his longstanding partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin. “He takes [a lyric], puts it up on the piano, reads it, sees a movie scene in his head, and then scores the movie,” Watt elaborated. “And then as he’s scoring the movie, he starts singing the words, fitting them into the chords and coming up with melodies based on the words and the phonetics of the words.”

Elton John and Andrew Watt in New York City in April 2024.

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Watt recalled the atmosphere in the studio, particularly as John emerged from his retirement tour. "He was exhausted. He was doubting himself. He was very self-conscious, very insecure at times, and we helped lift him up," Watt reflected. He added that witnessing John’s transformation throughout the project was magical: “When he got through it all, he was so proud, and it was a really, really special time. I’ll never forget.”

Ultimately, he remarked on their creative synergy, stating, “We were capturing lightning in a bottle every day.”