Q-Tip and Demi Lovato's Elton John Tribute Is a Funky Spin on a Classic

Though it'll take three years for him to fully retire, the news that Elton John will be off the stage forever once he finishes up his upcoming world tour is still kind of a bummer. But Elton being Elton e.g. doing the most at all times, he has not one but two cover albums to pay tribute to himself prepped up his sleeve. Revamp, a pop and R&B-oriented album curated by John, and Restoration, a country-centric collection organized by John's songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, are both out on April 6. We have the first video from Revamp on Noisey today and it's for Q-Tip and Demi Lovato's sumptously funky cover of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," the Kikki Dee duet that became John's first UK #1 hit in 1976.

The reimagined, Mark Ronson-ish version is glorious enough with its warm, organic live backing and Q-Tip singing instead of rapping, but the visuals help add some poignance. Inspired by the deathless New York City ballroom scene doc Paris Is Burning, the Hector Dockrill-directed clip follows a group of dancers, including real-life members of London and Paris voguing scenes.

"'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' is such a classic, it's just always been around me," Lovato says in a statement to Noisey. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to work on this. Elton's such an icon, a legend, I'm honoured to be a part of Revamp. He's a trail blazer and he's authentic and true to himself. This version of the song has a more soulful edge, Q-Tip did a great job."

"Elton's influence shows you that the possibilities of music are endless," Q-Tip adds. "He's astute in so many types of music, he does it all and being a hip-hop kid, our whole aesthetic was that everything was up for grabs and that's how he has always been to me. I remember the premiere of 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' with Kiki Dee and seeing it as a kid and loving it. Elton was gracious enough to be part of the last Tribe album, so it was serendipitous and logical to return the favor. Rhythmically, we just wanted to make it a little funkier. He's a master showman, singer, pianist. He's the all-round goods."

You can watch the video for the new version of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" below.