At 78, Sir Elton John continues to pour raw emotion into his music — and this time, it hit even harder.

During the recording of his latest album Who Believes in Angels?, the music icon was overcome with emotion and wept for 45 minutes while performing the track When This Old World Is Done With Me. The song, written by long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, stirred something deeply personal as Elton reflected on the realities of aging, legacy, and his own mortality.

“I got to the chorus and just broke down,” he shared on the Smartless podcast. “You think, how much time is left? You think about your kids, your partner… I just cried and cried — and it’s all on film.”

The raw moment was captured in the short documentary Elton John: Never Too Late, released last October. Collaborator Brandi Carlile, who worked closely on the album, witnessed the emotional spiral firsthand. “It was real, it was human, even a bit uncomfortable — and that’s what makes it powerful,” she said.

The journey to this album wasn’t smooth. Despite a half-century of global success, Elton admitted this record almost didn’t happen. “I was in a dark place mentally. I had more doubt than I’ve ever had,” he told BBC Radio 2. A moment of frustration even led to a dramatic studio walkout, slamming down headphones and declaring the session “a f***ing nightmare.”

Yet, through vulnerability and collaboration with Brandi, Bernie, and producer Andrew Watt, Who Believes in Angels? emerged as what Elton calls his finest work in four decades. “Without them, it wouldn’t have been made,” he said. “But all that anxiety… it led to magic.”

Now, as he embraces life post-farewell tour — having battled vision loss and health scares — Elton’s message is louder and clearer than ever: the most powerful music comes when you’re unafraid to be fragile.