There’s no better time for nostalgia than the holidays, and Cara Delevingne is serving us the best kind: drag nostalgia. The queer model and actress underwent a stunning transformation as Elton John in a remake of the hit “Step Into Christmas” music video.
Related
The storyline was cut amid political battles surrounding trans kids and their involvement in sports.
The remake, which was shared through John’s official YouTube account, starts out with Delevingne stepping first into the icon’s shoes. In a room with a pair of casting agents, she appears almost unrecognizable in costume as John. As the crew frets over missing live reindeer and loose turkeys, she proceeds to give a flawless performance on stage.
On the production side, the video is saturated with a convincing 70s-esque filter, complete with slow zooms and grainy jump cuts that enhance the retro vibe. The video confidently flashes between Elton’s original performance and Delevingne’s remake, showing off the impeccable attention to detail in the recreation.
Culture, unfiltered
Our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.
“Over 50 years after Elton’s performance, the 2024 Step Into Christmas video starring Cara Delevingne finds the video production team frantically trying to get the set ready for his arrival as they attempt to make it ‘Christmassy enough,’” the video description reads.
“Despite the addition of balloons and confetti, chaos reigns as they wrangle an escaped turkey, fail to book a real reindeer and tackle a fan who storms the set, all whilst Cara brilliantly mirrors Elton’s choicest dance moves and iconic facial expressions from the original video.”
In a statement, Elton John revealed that plans for the remake began when he met up with Delevingne at his 2023 Glastonbury show. “We talked about how much we’d love to work together if the right idea came up,” he said. “She’s hilarious to spend time with, we both have quite a self-deprecating sense of humour.
“When someone suggested the idea of her playing me in a riff on the 1973 ‘Step Into Christmas’ video, I just thought it was the perfect opportunity. Thank God Cara thought the same, because it came out great.”
For Delevingne, John is both a friend and an “idol,” one she discovered it was her unconscious desire to play. “To say his music has had a deeply profound effect on me is an understatement,” she said in a statement. “To be asked by him to play him in this recreation was a dream that I didn’t know I had until it happened. Honestly, I wish I could pretend to be Elton every day.
“I hope that Elton may one day return the favour and agree to play me in my not yet developed, written, pitched or funded biopic. Fingers crossed.”
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
