Songwriter Bernie Taupin to release first solo album in nearly 40 years

Bernie Taupin’s The Sea Has No Mercy is due October 23, 2026, on Vertigo Records/MCA Nashville, according to his October 22 Billboard interview. It is his first solo album in nearly 40 years and the first album he has written entirely himself, taking on both the lyrics and melodies.

Taupin is best known as Elton John’s songwriting partner and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. He said the new songs grew from the two years he spent writing his 2023 memoir, Scattershot, alongside work on a forthcoming documentary.

Writing the words and melodies

Taupin said he wanted the songs to portray his past, present and possible future, and believed writing alone kept them connected. He repeatedly returned to the compositions, particularly their melodies. The subjects range from the place where he grew up, recalled in “Old Church Road,” to his thoughts about mortality.

Frank Liddell produced the album, which was recorded at Liddell’s home. Taupin said he brought the producer lyrics for songs he had already composed in his head and asked for an atmospheric record that would not fit neatly into rock, pop or country. He credited the home setting with giving him an environment where the people involved understood what he wanted to express.

A planned return to public performance

Taupin is scheduled to make his Grand Ole Opry debut on November 7, backed by The Tennessee Stone Cutters, the musicians who accompany him on the album. Billboard reports that the appearance would be his first public musical performance in nearly 30 years.