Elton John and Brandi Carlile, longtime friends and collaborators, reunited on stage as musical guests for the April 5, 2025, episode of Saturday Night Live. Known for their acclaimed careers and past collaborations, the duo performed songs from their newly released joint album Who Believes in Angels? during John’s return to the show after more than a decade.
Here’s what happened during their performance and the details behind their latest musical partnership.
Elton John returns to SNL with Brandi Carlile
Elton John and Brandi Carlile performed as musical guests on Saturday Night Live on April 5, 2025, with Jack Black as host.
They performed “Little Richard’s Bible” and “Who Believes in Angels?” from their newly released collaborative album Who Believes in Angels?, which debuted on April 4, 2025.
John played piano and Carlile played guitar during their first performance, set against a neon-lit backdrop with their names displayed. Later in the episode, they returned to perform the album’s title track. John appeared on SNL for the first time in over a decade, having last performed and hosted in 2011, after debuting on the show in 1982.
Carlile made her third SNL appearance, following performances in October 2021 and December 2022. She and John created Who Believes in Angels? with Bernie Taupin and producer Andrew Watt. The album includes “Swing for the Fences,” “Never Too Late,” and the title track.
John stated to Billboard, “As my Farewell tour came to an end, I knew I wanted to make a new album with Brandi, I wanted to shift gears and do something different from anything I’d done before.” He added, “Creating Who Believes in Angels? was challenging, and I had a lot of self-doubt, but alongside Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt, we ended up writing 10 songs in 20 days.”
John recently revealed he lost vision in his right eye due to an infection contracted in the south of France. He shared details of his health in an interview with Good Morning America.
John and Carlile first connected in 2009, when Carlile asked him to play piano on her song “Caroline.” Reflecting on their latest collaboration, John told Zane Lowe, “I needed her talent, her energy, her humor and her brilliant lyrics.”
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on ComingSoon.net.
