Jillian Cardarelli adores Elvis Presley – and who could blame her? He’s an iconic figure that forged his generation’s polished rock ‘n roll. Cardarelli first fell in love with the hip-thrusting pop star when she was just five years old, visiting Graceland for the first time one year later. 

Throughout her life, Cardarelli has “visited Graceland more times than I can count over the years,” she admits. “Elvis was such a huge influence in my life and he played a part in why I decided to pursue a music career. He was such a talent, a philanthropist, and he truly embodied the American dream. I’m not sure how you can miss someone you’ve never met, but I do.”

“How is it that I miss somebody that I’ve never met?” she asks in the song’s chorus line. “The years go by but none of us forget / He felt like a friend to me and that’s just what I’d tell him / If I could talk to Elvis.”

“If I Could Talk to Elvis” is an appropriately meditative mid-tempo, finding Cardarelli looking inward as she contemplates exactly how such a force could have affected her life so. Her voice flutters over her words, pouring on shovels full of emotion and raw conviction. “If I could talk to Elvis, I hope he’d have all day / I’d ask him all about Memphis / And that Vegas stage,” she sings. “How’d it feel when he bought his momma that pink Cadillac / Coming from the barefoot start of a Mississippi shack.”

Listen to “If I Could Talk to Elvis” below.

Elvis’ background vocalist Larry Strickland, as part of the Stamps Quartet, joins Cardarelli on the song. It’s quite a delight for long-time Elvis fans, that’s for sure. “When I heard about the song, I was very intrigued because I actually did get to talk with Elvis… often,” says Strickland. “I never really thought much about other folks’ desire to talk with him. Then I heard how good the song is, and I was excited to sing with Jillian on it.”

Cardarelli’s debut single “Rerun” was co-written by Maren Morris, Tina Parol, and Jordan Reynolds – signaling the singer-songwriter has an ear for what makes a great song. Throughout her career, whether she’s written a song or not, she takes great care to only cut songs with which she deeply connects. Her other singles released this year include “Could’ve Been Boy” and “Country Side.”