Popular ’80s pop rockers Duran Duran are still alive and kicking. The band just dropped a new single, What Are the Chances, in advance of Paper Gods (out September 18), the band’s 14th studio album and first in five years.
“It really goes back to that strange early Duran mix: the hard-edged pop, coexisting with this dark, weird, experimental side,” said bassist John Taylor on the new record in a press release.
The new record also features some intriguing guests including Janelle Monae, former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, Canadian pop singer Kiesza (not to be confused with Kesha), as well as Lindsay Lohan. Yes, that Lindsay Lohan.
The new wave vets certainly keep their pop roots in mind on the new record, but don’t expect all of it to be happy. “It’s great to be able to lift people’s spirits — and your own — with a strong shot of pure pop, but the world we live in isn’t all just made of that stuff, so it seems natural to me that we have kept one foot in the darker, more Gothic side of life,” explained keyboardist Nick Rhodes. “We found a whole new level of inspiration on this album.
Mark Ronson, the creative brain behind Uptown Funk, one of the biggest anthems of the year, Chic’s Nile Rodgers, and British pop star Mr. Hudson co-produced and co-wrote two tracks — Pressure Off and Only in Dreams.
After a stint of music festivals this summer, the band is set to tour across the U.S. and the United Kingdon this fall.
