Sir Elton John could have a future in the metaverse

Virgin Radio

11 Aug 2022, 13:20

Elton John onstage with green sunglasses and a white suit

Credit Getty

Sir Elton John could continue his career virtually after he retires from touring.

He's currently finishing off his incredible 'Farewell Yellow Brick Road' tour, which will end in July 2023.

That's not the end though for Elton, as it turns out there is a five-year plan in place.

Apparently consideration is being made for ways Sir Elton can appear in the virtual reality (VR) sphere.

His husband and manager David Furnish told Music Week about the potential of the metaverse: “That’s going to be a big new market for music discovery.

“We’re looking at it closely but carefully. Elton’s been a bit like an avatar his entire life, throwing things on and off, changing and moving forward.”

As it stands, more than 50 per cent of his back catalogue is consumed by those aged 18 to 35.

His duet with Dua Lipa called 'Cold Heart', introduced him to a whole new generation.

The song gave him the impressive achievement of having a top 10 song in "six different decades".

David commented: “It’s hard to get all the data you want from the streaming companies, but Spotify in particular, 58% of Elton’s music is now consumed by 18-35-year-olds. That is absolutely what we wanted and what we hoped for.

"It’s why Elton always said he appreciated the opportunity with 'The Lion King', it’s why we did something like 'Gnomeo And Juliet' 10 years ago, to keep the songs in his catalogue alive and introduce them to a new generation.”

He is also working with Britney Spears for a new duet, 'Hold Me Closer'.

A new Disney+ documentary, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', is coming soon too.

David said: “Disney+ has 138 million subscribers, it gives you an opportunity to reach a wide audience and mark an important milestone for Elton and the industry.“

I don’t think there will ever be another Elton John. The closing of the narrative will be Elton walking off stage and saying farewell to touring in North America.”

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