Pet Shop Boys, the iconic synth-pop duo made up of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, are releasing a new album called Nonetheless at the end of the month. And today, they've just shared another new track from it.
"Dancing Star" was inspired by the life of Rudolf Nureyev, the ballet dancer who defected from the Soviet Union in 1961. It sounds very much like an '80s-era Pet Shop Boys song, which is a good thing, and you can listen to it below.
Nonetheless, the follow-up to 2020's Hotspot, is Pet Shop Boys' 15th studio album and their first since returning to Parlophone, the label they were signed to between 1985 and 2012.
Tennant and Lowe wrote the songs during lockdown, and they recorded the LP with producer James Ford, who has worked with other big-name artists like Depeche Mode and Blur.
Every track on the record, including the previously released lead single "Loneliness," features an actual orchestra augmenting the duo's usual electronic-based sound.
Pet Shop Boys are releasing their own new album 'Nonetheless' on Friday.
"We wanted this album to be a celebration of the unique and diverse emotions that make us human. From the more dance-orientated tracks to the raw poignancy of the introspective ballads, with their beautiful string arrangements, each track tells a story and contributes to the overall narrative of the album," Pet Shop Boys shared in a statement.
"It was great to work with James Ford, who we think has brought new elements to our music. James has dared to make us a bit more minimal at times and the final result is a record we’re very proud of."
Alongside "Dancing Star," Pet Shop Boys have shared three remixes and two previously unreleased bonus tracks/B-sides, "Sense of Time" and "If Jesus Had a Sister." The remixes included two "Dancing Star" remixes by Solomun and a Superchumbo (Tom Stephan) remix of "Party in the Blitz" featuring Princess Julia.
Nonetheless tracklist:
01 Loneliness
02 Feel
03 Why am I dancing?
04 New London boy
05 Dancing star
06 A new bohemia
07 The schlager hit parade
08 The secret of happiness
09 Bullet for Narcissus
10 Love is the law
Nonetheless is out April 26 via Parlophone. Pre-order it here.
Pet Shop Boys will play several dates in the UK and Ireland for their "Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live" tour.
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On April 22, Pet Shop Boys will join The Guardian's Alexis Petridis for an exclusive early album playback and conversation in London.
In addition to several festival appearances this summer, Pet Shop Boys will play several dates in the UK and Ireland for their "Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live" tour followed by five special shows at London's Royal Opera House in July.
Tour dates:
May 31 Santiago de Compostela, Spain @ O Son do Camiño
June 4 Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro
June 6 Nottingham, UK @ Motorpoint Arena
June 8 Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena
June 9 Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live
June 11 Belfast, UK @ SSE Arena
June 15 Calvià, Spain @ Mallorca Live Festival
June 22 Newport, UK @ Isle of Wight Festival
June 26 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live
June 28 Mannheim, Germany @ SAP Arena
June 29 Hannover, Germany @ ZAG Arena
July 1 Prague, Czech Republic @ O2 Universum
July 3 Warsaw, Poland @ Arena COS Torwar
July 6 Berlin, Germany @ Mercedes Benz Arena
July 13 Barcelona, Spain @ Cruïlla Festival
July 18 Pori, Finland @ Pori Jazz Festival
July 23 London, UK @ Royal Opera House
July 24 London, UK @ Royal Opera House
July 25 London, UK @ Royal Opera House
July 26 London, UK @ Royal Opera House
July 27 London, UK @ Royal Opera House
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