Chappell Roan Reveals the One Piece of Inspiring Advice Elton John Gave Her amid Her Whirlwind Breakout Year

Chappell Roan found a friend in Elton John.

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the “Rocket Man” singer was named TIME‘s Icon of the Year. In light of the honor, his new friend Roan shared the valuable piece of advice he gave her.

“The advice he gave me was that the songs will come,” Roan, 26, said of John, 77.

She continued, “He thought that he wouldn’t have the ideas, but they were absolutely there. He just had to let them come to him. So that’s a good reminder.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the “Red Wine Supernova” musician praised the “Your Song” artist for his “perfectly, masterfully written songs.”

“That’s what connects them to millions, billions of people,” she added of his tracks.

In June, the “Tiny Dancer” hitmaker shared a photo on Instagram from his pizza party with Roan.

“The BEST evening of pizza and outrageous laughter with the fiercely fabulous @chappellroan,” John captioned the wholesome photo with Roan. “Love her, love her, love her 🚀❤️🌈.”

Meanwhile, in late May, Roan appeared on John’s Rocket Hour show to discuss her success in the music industry and how much he admires her.

“I rang you the other night and said, ‘Listen, I’m not stalking you, but I’m as excited about your album’s success as you are,’” John said. “It’s wonderful to see true talent being recognized.”

During the interview, the “Casual” performer said her rapid rise to fame had been “pretty overwhelming” but “affirming.”

She added, “Pushing through the hard times is worth it.”

Elsewhere in the TIME interview, his “Cold Heart” collaborator Dua Lipa reflected on their work together and expressed her admiration for John.

“When Elton and David called me about the collaboration, for me, it was because of our friendship. And of course, singing alongside one of my musical heroes was a no-brainer,” the “Levitating” hitmaker, said. “His music has been able to soundtrack my life from the very beginning.” 

On his legacy, John said he hopes people remember he “tried to change the world:” “If people remember that we tried to change the world a little bit, we were kind, we tried to help people… And then, apart from that, there was the music.”