In an announcement made in an interview with British magazine Music Week, David Furnish, Sir Elton John’s husband and manager, stated the music legend could still continue performing in the Metaverse long after he retires from touring.
“That’s going to be a big new market for music discovery,” said Furnish.
The 75-year-old — born Reginald Dwight — is saying goodbye to the road after the conclusion of his lengthy ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour next July.
“We’re looking at it closely but carefully. Elton’s been a bit like an avatar his entire life, throwing things on and off, changing and moving forward,” added Furnish.
To achieve this the artist has a five-year plan in place to bring his music to future generations, while careful consideration is being given to how the music legend can appear in the virtual reality (VR) sphere.
With the Metaverse a place the younger generation can grasp, the good news is that 50 percent of his back catalogue is consumed by those aged 18 to 35.
“It’s hard to get all the data you want from the streaming companies, but Spotify in particular, 58% of Elton’s music is now consumed by 18–35-year-olds. That is absolutely what we wanted and what we hoped for,” Furnish went on. “It’s why Elton always said he appreciated the opportunity with ‘The Lion King’, it’s why we did something like ‘Gnomeo And Juliet’ 10 years ago, to keep the songs in his catalogue alive and introduce them to a new generation.”
With artists younger artists like Travis Scott, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber already taking advantage of the Metaverse, Sir Elton John’s shift in strategy may just be the catalyst for other legacy acts to follow.
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