British pop god Olly Alexander kicks off the new year in style with the unveiling of his latest single ‘When We Kiss’ – a super relatable pop bop that focuses on the push-pull of a relationship fraught with “tension, lust, need, desire” and multiple complexities rooted in nagging questions over the future.
Taken from the singers forthcoming new album ‘Polari’, and produced by Danny L Harle (Charli XCX) and Finn Keane (Bree Runway, Rita Ora), the arresting track is described as being a song that’s “as much about pain as it is about love”.
Commenting on his latest release, Olly says: “‘When We Kiss’ is an epic love song about a difficult moment in a relationship, when you don’t know whether you should break up or if you should stay together forever. I wanted this song to reflect those conflicted feelings, all the pain and ecstasy of loving someone. I believe heartbreak and synthesizers are made for each other and I had the best time making this with my Polari partner Danny L Harle. Our aim was to take the listener on a rapturous journey of heartfelt emotion, from anguish to euphoria and back again.”
Watch the Colin Solal Cardo (Robyn, Griff) directed music video for ‘When We Kiss’ below:
Due for release next month, ‘Polari’ – Olly Alexander’s first studio album under his own name – sees the the multi-faceted singer/songwriter explore themes of “desire, intimacy, voyeurism and fate” all wrapped up in a pounding club soundscape.
Crafted alongside writer and producer Danny L Harle, the record takes as its primary inspiration the (almost) lost art of Polari. Originating around Europe and the Romani community as early as the 1600s, this coded slang became in effect a secret language for homosexuals and the stigmatised during the twentieth century.
Featuring the singles ‘Cupid’s Bow’ the album’s punchy title track and ‘Archangel’ the LP promises to be one of THE pop albums of the year!
To support and celebrate the projects release, Olly will embark upon the Up Close and Polari Tour this spring. Check out the full list of dates below:
19.03.25 || Luxembourg || den Atelier
20.03.25 || Frankfurt || Zoom
21.03.25 || Cologne || Live Music Hall
23.03.25 || Paris || La Cigale
24.03.25 || Brussels || Cirque Royal
26.03.25 || Berlin || Metropol
27.03.25 || Warsaw || Palladium
29.03.25 || Zurich || Komplex 457
30.03.25 || Utrecht || TivoliVredenburg
01.04.25 || Dublin || 3Olympia Theatre
02.04.25 || Birmingham || Town Hall
03.04.25 || Glasgow || Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
04.04.25 || Manchester || Manchester Factory International, Aviva Studios
06.04.25 || Bristol || Bristol Beacon
07.04.25 || London || The London Palladium
‘Polari’ is available to download / stream here
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