Learn to Fly (Surfaces & Elton John song)

Last updated
"Learn to Fly"
LearntoFlySurfacesEltonJohn.png
Single by Surfaces & Elton John
ReleasedJune 12, 2020
Length3:29
Label TenThousand Projects
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Surfaces singles chronology
"Sunday Best"
(2020)
"Learn to Fly"
(2020)
"Sail Away"
(2020)
Elton John singles chronology
"Sine from Above"
(2020)
"Learn to Fly"
(2020)
"The Pink Phantom"
(2020)

"Learn to Fly" is a song by American music group Surfaces and English singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer Elton John. The song was released as a digital download on June 12, 2020 by TenThousand Projects. [1] The song was written and produced by Colin Padalecki and Forrest Frank.

Contents

Background

When talking about the collaboration, Elton John tweeted: "When the guys first sent me the song, I just loved it. It was an honour to lend my vocals and some piano." [2] In a statement, Surfaces said: "'Learn To Fly' is a song we started writing months ago right after putting the finishing touches on our third album Horizons. After recording the demo, it was floating around and got into the hands of Elton who wanted to be a part of the track. After a series of Zoom studio sessions, we were able to record together from quarantine. Working with Elton felt like the idea of winning a Grammy. He was so passionate and driven and we couldn’t have wished for a more effortless collaboration. We hope this song will spread love in a time when the world could really use some and inspire people to open up their hearts." [3]

Music video

A music video to accompany the release of "Learn to Fly" was released onto YouTube on June 24, 2020. [4] The duo teamed up with director and illustrator Ivan Dixon, who also helmed the visuals for "Bloom". The video was produced by Sean Zwan from Studio Showoff. The animated video shows the three artists as singing pilots, who fly an airplane around the globe and encourage their passengers to maintain a positive outlook on life, even when the going gets tough. [5]

Charts

Chart (2020)Peak
position
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan) [6] 11
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [7] 14

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabel
United StatesJune 12, 2020 [1] TenThousand Projects

Related Research Articles

"That's What Friends Are For" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. It was first recorded in 1982 by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the film Night Shift, but it is better known for the 1985 cover version by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder. This recording, billed as being by "Dionne & Friends", was released as a charity single for AIDS research and prevention. It was a massive hit, becoming the number-one single of 1986 in the United States, and winning the Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Song of the Year. It raised over $3 million for its cause.

Learn to Fly 1999 single by Foo Fighters

"Learn to Fly" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It was released as the lead single from their third studio album There Is Nothing Left to Lose (1999), on September 18, 1999. It was the band's first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100, as well as their second-highest charting song on the Hot 100, peaking at number 19. It also peaked within the top 40 in Australia, Canada, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland and the United Kingdom. The song's music video won Best Short Form Video award at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000.

Can You Feel the Love Tonight Song from Disneys The Lion King

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King composed by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. It was described by Don Hahn, Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff as having "the most diverse history" in the film. It was a chart hit in the UK, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, and achieved even more success in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a number-one hit in Canada and France. At the 67th Academy Awards in March 1995 it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The same year the song also won Elton John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The Carters Musical duo Beyoncé and Jay-Z

The Carters are an American musical duo composed of married artists Beyoncé and Jay-Z. They released their first album as the Carters, Everything Is Love, on June 16, 2018. Before formally naming their collaboration, the duo performed together on two world tours, On the Run Tour (2014) and OTR II (2018), and released a number of collaborations. In 2019 the album was certified gold in US.

Missing You (Brandy, Gladys Knight, Tamia, and Chaka Khan song) 1996 single by Brandy, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Tamia

"Missing You" is a song recorded by American singers Brandy, Gladys Knight, Tamia and Chaka Khan in 1996. The song was used to promote the 1996 motion picture Set It Off. It was written and produced by Gordon Chambers and Barry Eastmond and released as the lead single from the soundtrack album of the movie on August 6, 1996 through Elektra Records.

Im Still Standing 1983 single by Elton John

"I'm Still Standing" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, from Elton's Platinum-certified 1983 album, Too Low for Zero.

I Want Love 2001 single by Elton John

"I Want Love" is a 2001 song by Elton John, co-written with Bernie Taupin. It was released as a single from his Songs from the West Coast album.

Benny Blanco American record producer from Virginia

Benjamin Joseph Levin, known professionally as Benny Blanco, is an American record producer, DJ, songwriter, and record executive. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also a five-time BMI Songwriter of the Year award winner and 2017 iHeartRadio Producer of the Year award winner.

The A Team (Ed Sheeran song) 2011 single written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran

"The A Team" is the debut solo single by English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. It was released as a digital download in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2011, serving as the lead single from his debut album, + (2011). "The A Team" is a folk ballad with lyrics that speak of a prostitute addicted to crack cocaine, a Class A drug. It was written after Sheeran visited a homeless shelter and heard some of the stories of the lives people had been living. He wrote the song following a last-minute performance at an event for the homeless. The chorus of "The A Team" was also used by Sheeran in the track "Little Lady", which features Mikill Pane. "Little Lady" is available on the EP No. 5 Collaborations Project.

Janelle Monáe discography

American singer Janelle Monáe has released three studio albums, four extended plays, twenty singles and eighteen music videos. Monáe debuted with an EP, Metropolis: Suite I , which had a modest commercial impact, peaking at number 115 on the Billboard charts in the United States. In 2010, Monáe released her debut studio album, The ArchAndroid, through Bad Boy Records; it is a concept album sequel to her first EP. The album was nominated at the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album and peaked the number 17 on the Billboard 200. In March 2012, "We Are Young", a song by the band fun. on which Monáe makes a guest appearance, reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100, her first appearance in the chart. Monáe released her second album, The Electric Lady, on September 10, 2013, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200 and producing four singles. Her third album, Dirty Computer, was released on April 27, 2018. In December 2018, the album received a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year.

Hozier (musician) Irish musician

Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, known professionally as Hozier, is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician. He had his international breakthrough after releasing his debut single "Take Me to Church", which has been certified multi-platinum in several countries, including the US, the UK, and Canada. Hozier's music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues genres, often using religious, allegorical, and literary themes in his work.

Twenty One Pilots discography

American band Twenty One Pilots have released 5 studio albums, 1 live album, 10 extended plays, 20 singles and 27 music videos. The band was formed in 2009 and currently consists of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun. After two self-released albums, Twenty One Pilots in 2009 and Regional at Best in 2011, they were signed by Fueled by Ramen in 2012, which released their following studio albums, as well as Blurryface Live, a three-LP, tri-gatefold picture disc vinyl.

Highly Suspect

Highly Suspect is an American rock band from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The band consists of twin brothers Rich and Ryan Meyer, Johnny Stevens, and Matt Kofos. After starting as a bar cover band, they relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where they recorded The Worst Humans EP with producer Joel Hamilton. The band's first studio album, Mister Asylum, was released on July 17, 2015, earning Highly Suspect a nomination for Best Rock Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. The song "Lydia" was also nominated for Best Rock Song. Their second studio album, The Boy Who Died Wolf, was released on November 18, 2016. Two singles have been released from the album, "My Name Is Human", which topped the Billboard US Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and "Little One", which peaked at number 2 on the same chart. Highly Suspect's third studio album, MCID, was released on November 1, 2019.

Ella Mai English singer

Ella Mai Howell is an English singer and songwriter. Her singing career began at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute in London in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of The X Factor. In 2015, she uploaded a four-track solo EP of originals to SoundCloud titled Troubled, and was discovered on social media by American record producer Mustard and signed with his record label, 10 Summers Records.

Dean Lewis Australian singer-songwriter

Dean Lewis is an Australian singer-songwriter and is best known for his 2016 single "Waves", which was certified 7× Platinum in Australia in 2020, and his 2018 single "Be Alright", which reached number one in Australia and was certified platinum within four weeks of release, eventually reaching 10x Platinum in Australia. Lewis released his debut studio album A Place We Knew on 22 March 2019.

Ruel (singer) Australian singer-songwriter

Ruel Vincent van Dijk, known mononymously as Ruel, is a British-Australian singer and songwriter from Sydney, best known for his singles "Don't Tell Me", "Younger", "As Long As You Care" and "Painkiller". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2018 he won the award for Breakthrough Artist for his single "Dazed & Confused".

Lil Nas X American rapper, singer, and songwriter

Montero Lamar Hill, known as Lil Nas X, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single "Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popularity on the micro-platform app TikTok in early 2019 before climbing music charts internationally and becoming diamond certified by November of that same year.

Racks in the Middle

"Racks in the Middle" is a song by American rapper Nipsey Hussle featuring American rapper Roddy Ricch and record producer Hit-Boy, released on February 15, 2019, through All Money In and Atlantic Records. It is the last single Hussle released during his lifetime, as he was shot dead on March 31, 2019. The song received nominations for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, winning the latter. The award marked Hussle's first Grammy win, with his family and his partner Lauren London accepting the award on his behalf.

Lonely (Diplo song) 2019 single by Diplo and Jonas Brothers

"Lonely" is a song by American record producer Diplo and group Jonas Brothers. It was released through Mad Decent and Columbia Records as the lead single from the former's second studio album, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil, on September 27, 2019. The music video was released alongside the song.

Surfaces is an American music group based out of College Station, Texas. It currently consists of vocalists/guitarists Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki. Their music is a blend of jazz, soul, pop, hip hop, reggae, and calypso. They have released three studio albums. Their first independent studio album, Surf, was released in 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 "Learn To Fly - Single by Surfaces & Elton John". Apple Music . Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  2. "For Surfaces, Working With Elton John on 'Learn to Fly' Was 'Like Winning a Grammy'". Billboard. June 18, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  3. "Watch the Video For Surfaces and Elton John's Sunny Collab 'Learn to Fly'". Billboard. June 25, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  4. "Surfaces, Elton John - Learn To Fly (Official Music Video)". YouTube . Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  5. "Watch The Cheery Video For 'Learn To Fly' From Surfaces And Elton John". udiscovermusic.com. June 26, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  6. "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas Chart". Billboard Japan. June 29, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  7. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 22, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.