Joshua Radin Finds a Dream Duet Partner in Maddie Poppe: 'It's Like My Soul Is Eating Cheesecake' (Exclusive)

The two paired up for 'Neverland Version 2' off the musician's upcoming album and will be touring together this fall

Joshua Radin always believed that his dreamy song "Neverland" was meant to be a conversation between two voices. The accomplished singer/songwriter just didn't know whose voice that other voice could be.

That is, until he heard the voice of Maddie Poppe.

"We have a couple of mutual friends, and I knew I loved her voice," explains Radin, 49, to PEOPLE. "I heard her for the first time when she was out touring with Ingrid [Michaelson]. So, when I got an email saying Maddie wanted to record, I was excited. I just wanted her to understand that I appreciated her talent."

"I didn't even have to hear the song to know that I wanted to do a duet with him," laughs Poppe, 25, during an interview with PEOPLE. "It was definitely the cherry on top when ['Neverland'] was a great song."

Premiering exclusively with PEOPLE, the story told in the lyrics of "Neverland" is one up for major interpretation on the listener's part.

"When I wrote it, it had nothing to do with romance," says Radin of "Neverland ft. Maddie Poppe," which will be featured on Radin's upcoming release, though the world will tell me so, vol. 2, on Aug. 4. "I could say exactly what I wrote it about, but I also don't want to necessarily ruin what the song will ultimately mean to others."

Indeed, the song's journey will surely take shape, even while Poppe and Radin have yet to meet in person, as Poppe ended up recording her part in a studio in Nashville while Radin was overseas.

"It's one thing if you can sit and work out something in a studio with someone and try a bunch of things, but when you're not and you're far apart, you basically that ‘I want you to trust your instincts,” says Radin, who has tallied north of 1 billion streams, moved 1 million-plus albums worldwide and earned the adoration of his No. 1 fan, Ellen DeGeneres. "I just told Maddie to do what you feel. And obviously, she did such an amazing job with that."

Related: Maddie Poppe Reflects on What Made Her Change Everything: 'I Needed to Love What I Was Putting Out'

In fact, once the duet was mixed, Radin says he was left feeling as if his solo version of the song shouldn't even come out. "I just think this version is so much better," he admits. "When I got her part back and I heard her singing the second verse on her own, the first thing I thought of was, 'It's like my soul's eating cheesecake.'"

He lets out a huge laugh, but the adoration is real.

"Her voice is very unique," Radin continues. "There are so many people that can sing. I mean, I walk down the street and I hear people busking on the street, and I'm always like, 'Wow.' But then, there's certain people that have a tone of their voice that's more unique. And that's what I love about her voice."

Luckily, the two will finally meet this fall, as Poppe plans to join Radin on part of his 27-date U.S. tour which will take him from coast-to-coast this fall.

"I'm imagining she will be willing to sing ('Neverland') with me in front of people," Radin tells PEOPLE with a laugh. "I'm in Stockholm right now. It just seems so far away, like being back in America and being on a bus with friends and playing live shows because I've been off tour for about a month and a half now just enjoying Europe in the summer."

"The folksy singer-songwriter genre has always been a big influence for me," adds Poppe, who won her season of American Idol in 2018. "This genre is what initially inspired me to be an artist and write my own music. So to be able to share the stage with Joshua is a dream come true."

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