EJ: You have to bring the world together as a musician, that’s your job. I really believe that as a musician you travel and see for yourself. I was not treated badly anywhere. I mean, yeah, I’ve played in Arab countries where people said, ‘You should not be here because you’re gay,’ but the audience was great. I was so upset when the UK left Europe because, you know, we need to get more together than to drift apart. I believe in it a lot. It was such a colossal mistake.
RS: I actually haven’t traveled that much yet because this is my first record and I couldn’t tour in it. But my version of travel is social media. I get messages from people in Kuala Lumpur, from people in Turkey. I have fans who have LGBTQ in countries where it is illegal. It’s nice to know that the music resonates with people. And not necessarily people from the community or people for whom I meant the song, you know? This is what I want to do. What they say about entering a space is what I try to do with music by giving a little interest in areas other than heterosexual love. I feel the pressure to write heterosexual love songs. Like, I just can not really. I tried.
EJ: Initially, my co-worker, Bernie Taupin, wrote songs that I knew about women and that did not bother me. But once he’s sexually known who I am, you can take any of our songs written after about 1974, and that may apply to a man or woman. Because I know I’m going to sing on stage, ‘Oh, Mary, I love you so much.’ That would be crazy.
RS: Although you, Elton, are obviously so theatrical. Gaga, so theater. The songwriting is like a musical. I love Disney songs. I love theater songs. Songs that really get a story and sometimes you have to make the decision to go that way. Many people do not want it. They want to stay subtle.
EJ: Rina’s written kind of musical spectacle with ‘Sawayama’. The album is fantastic when you hear it, but if you see it perform, it will take on a different dimension.
RS: I fantasize about it every day. It’s so dramatic. I’m not playing stadiums, but I’m still going to change three outfits because the songs have different personalities and I must each have a different character. Some songs have choreography. With ‘Chosen Family’ I’m going to play acoustic guitar. I want it to be a moment with, you know, candles and lighters in the air. And I want to talk to the audience a little bit. Because it’s not about me. It’s about how people feel, you know? I hate performances where it’s about the artist. It’s so boring. I want people to feel connected to each other. I want people to feel strong.