Sam Fender releases new song with Elton John, one day after Mercury prize win

John plays twinkling piano part in new song Talk to You, and says he truly loves' the Geordie singer-songwriter

Sam Fender has released a new song with Elton John entitled Talk to You, the day after winning the 2025 Mercury prize for his album People Watching.

It features a twinkling piano line laid out by John, amid Fender's full-bodied guitar-led songwriting. Fender sings on the chorus Just wanna talk to you / Wanna talk with my best friend / Wanna let go of everything that I carry", and has said the song is about: the end of a long relationship - about the regret, the mistakes and the lessons that come with it. It's that feeling of losing your best friend, and coming to terms with that. I was playing around with the riff and thought, What I need is a really good pianist', and then, Hmmm, I wonder who I can call?' And of course, who better than Elton John?"