Sam Fender has released “Talk to You,” a new track featuring Elton John on piano, just days after winning the 2025 Mercury Prize for his third album, People Watching. The song will appear on the album’s deluxe edition, out December 5 via Capitol Records.
The collaboration came together during the original album sessions at British Grove Studios. “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?” Fender said. He reached out to John, a longtime supporter, who agreed to contribute.
“Sam called to say he’d written a song with a piano riff that he thought would sound great with me playing it,” John said. “I couldn’t resist. It was so much fun playing it for him.”
Producer Marcus Dravs worked on the track, which Fender initially cut from the standard album despite having “basically a whole other album’s worth of stuff.”
The song deals with the end of a long relationship. “It’s about the regret, the mistakes and the lessons that come with it,” Fender said in a statement. “About losing your best friend and coming to terms with that.”
The lyrics reference a seven-year relationship that ended after infidelity, with lines like “I cheated, and it’s over” and “I don’t deserve to talk to you.” The chorus centers on the plea: “Just wanna talk to you / Wanna talk with my best friend.”
People Watching won the Mercury Prize earlier this week, with judges praising its blend of “heartland rock with the realities of everyday life and the importance of community.”
The deluxe edition of People Watching is available for pre-order now.