The article highlights Elton John’s rock-oriented work and his collaborations with heavier modern acts, challenging his image as primarily a ballad and soundtrack artist. It focuses particularly on his praise for Miley Cyrus, whom he described as “one of the best rock musicians out there” after working with her on a version of Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’.

It also references John’s energetic songs, including ‘Grey Seal’ and ‘I’m Still Standing’, alongside collaborations with Alice in Chains and Queens of the Stone Age. The Metallica recording was made remotely with producer Andrew Watt and featured cellist Yo-Yo Ma, while Cyrus’s rock credentials are linked to her stylistic shift towards the harder-edged sound of albums such as Plastic Hearts.