Elton John Joins Rina Sawayama's LGBTQ+ Anthem 'Chosen Family'

Update 4/14/21: Rina Sawayama and Elton John's epic collaboration for "Chosen Family" has officially dropped! 

Watch the two perform the track in the video below! 

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The song "Chosen Family," Rina Sawayama's anthem dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community, is getting an update from a living legend.

Announced today on social media, the rising singer-songwriter announced Elton John would be joining the track on April 14 in a new release. 

"LIVING IN A DREAM," she said on Instagram, accompanied by a series of crying emojis. "I love u @eltonjohn and loved reworking this track with u in the studio, can’t wait for the world to hear and cry."

Sawayama shared a photoshoot with John for T Magazine. "My fave shoot EVER, and as the cover says our friendship helped me so much this year. thank u for talking about my music even before the album came out and then featuring on 'Chosen Family' with me. it’s been so special. read the feature in my stories and get the print issue out this weekend!!!"

Last year after Sawayama's critically acclaimed debut album dropped, John called it his favorite album of 2020 on his podcast. In the T Magazine interview, John gushes about the album even more, saying it "just blew me away. I had to call her up and tell her how brilliant it was. I mean, it was Led Zeppelin meets Prince meets a couple of things that referenced Madonna. I think her songs 'Bad Friend' and 'Chosen Family' Madonna would have killed for. It was so many musical influences, but done in her own way, so it didn’t feel like pastiche."

The two talked a bit about the recording of 'Chosen Family' as well: 

"EJ: The lyrical content is so beautiful. There were so many brutal things going on in the world when the record came out, especially in America, and yet it made me feel as if all would be OK. I would sing it around the house and I changed the lyrics to 'frozen family.' I sang with my kids in the morning, 'You’re my frozen family/ just a tiny little fish finger.'

RS: I was so flattered because I asked Elton if any of the lyrics or melodies should actually be changed. And it was always, 'No, I love it just the way it is.'

EJ: 'Chosen Family' is like a hymn. You can hear it being performed by a gospel choir.

RS: It’s funny because I went to a Church of England high school in London where we sang hymns every Monday morning, so that makes some sense. But yes, I really wanted to write a genuine song, something about celebration. And something specific to the queer community. The people who look after each other so much when they’ve gone through so much themselves — the whole song is meant to be a message from a safe space. My friends are basically all queer and I’m from the community. The stories I hear from them, about being kicked out of home for being gay, for example, or not being able to come out to their parents, even at 28 — a lot of trauma and real stories went into it. It’s so close to my heart. And while it’s specific to the community, it was also interesting when someone straight was like, 'Oh, I can imagine this playing at a wedding.' I guess chosen family can mean that as well."

We can't wait to hear how the song turns out!