Sir Elton John has invited Kiwi musicians Benee and Matiu Walters from Six60 to join him on his Apple Music show 'Rocket Hour' this week.
The 'Tiny Dancer' hitmaker was recently in New Zealand for his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, where in between performances and recovering from a 'walking pneumonia' diagnosis, he caught up with the two local artists.
John described 20-year-old singer/songwriter Benee as "an amazing young artist" who "writes really brilliantly".
"That’s a great gift to be able to write your own stuff," he added.
John called Benee's latest track 'Supalonely' a "smash record," advising her record label to put it out as a single.
Meanwhile, the music legend confessed he was "crazy about" Kiwi band Six60, raving about their hit 'Please Don't Go' as a song he "loves to death" and highlighting their record-breaking sold out Western Springs show in 2018.
The highest praise for Aotearoa's musical scene was reserved for '80s band Split Enz, however, who John described as "out of this world".
"When I first saw Split Enz, I thought they were one of the most amazing things I've ever seen," he said.
The full 'Rocket Hour' episode features tracks from Benee, Six60, Lorde and a host of other local and international acts, and will be available on Apple Music from Sunday.
