LONDON (AP) 鈥� Chicken Kiev, AI-generated press releases and the annoyance of fan selfies while performing 鈥� there was a lot on the minds of the Pet Shop Boys as the iconic British duo prepared to release a
Their 鈥� 40 years (and 50 million record sales) after Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe rose to fame with the single 鈥淲est End Girls.鈥� Bands of any longevity 鈥� especially such a long one 鈥� are often asked the cliche: 鈥淗ow do you stay relevant?鈥� For them, it's about never trying to be cool.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something a lot of people try and do, to be somehow cool, which is therefore completely uncool, because it鈥檚 trying too hard,鈥� Tennant told The Associated Press recently. 鈥淪o we have just followed our own instincts.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檒l always be relevant in our world,鈥� Lowe added, laughing.
A testament of Classic Pet Shop Boys hits were used as plot points in two cult movies last year: a karaoke scene featuring 鈥淩ent鈥� and a key Christmas scene in soundtracked by 鈥淎lways on My Mind.鈥�
This is worlds away from Hollywood past, where, Tennant says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Sin鈥� was always overused for the young guy walking into a gay club 鈥渞educing us to this sort of cliche of gay disco.鈥�
鈥淣辞苍别迟丑别濒别蝉蝉鈥� despite being written in the U.K. during the coronavirus pandemic, when most people
鈥淲ell, the weather was nice, wasn鈥檛 it?鈥� Lowe jokes.
鈥淚t was a very productive time,鈥� Tennant adds, noting that the cancellation of their tour eased the pressure.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 why it sounds in a way quite optimistic, because life was different. It was a different sort of life with no pressure, apart from not trying to catch the virus,鈥� he says.
The first single, 鈥淟oneliness,鈥� addresses but was written as a positive message. Another lockdown-themed track, 鈥淲hy Am I Dancing?鈥� was Tennant asking himself: 鈥淲hy are you enjoying this situation of being by yourself so much so that you can actually dance?鈥�
鈥淎nd I鈥檓 probably cooking at the same time,鈥� he is quick to add.
鈥淐ooking and dancing, now that鈥檚 a little podcast idea, isn鈥檛 it?鈥� Lowe jokes.
And while Lowe says he鈥檇 be popping a ready-made pie in the oven, Tennant would be making dal, brown rice and vegetables or
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a good story for that,鈥� Tennant says, looking to his bandmate.
鈥淚 wrote to (U.K. supermarket) Marks & Spencer鈥� asking them to change the spelling of chicken Kiev to chicken Kyiv because of the war,鈥� Lowe says. They did eventually change it.
Despite living through big changes in the way music is consumed, the band remain philosophical. Despite new ways of listening and discovering music, 鈥渕usic is still music.鈥�
And when it comes while Lowe says it has helped him discover a lot of new music, both hate the app鈥檚 recommendations.
鈥淲ith us, The Pet Shop Boys, it will say, 鈥業f you like this, you might like Duran Duran,鈥� so it thinks you鈥檙e all '80s,鈥� Tennant explains. 鈥淎nd if you鈥檙e us you say: 鈥榊ou might like Years and Years electronic pop music or Kraftwerk from before us.鈥欌��
鈥淪ometimes they might just think, 鈥榃ell you鈥檙e gay so you might like Boy George because he鈥檚 gay as well.鈥� It鈥檚 very, very stupid,鈥� he says.
Pet Shop Boys will perform five special performances at London鈥檚 Royal Opera House in July, but please don鈥檛 run to the front of the stage and then turn your back for a selfie.
鈥淚 just deliberately move out the way. Sorry to be a spoilsport but I find it really, really rude,鈥� Tennant says.
Cellphone users aren鈥檛 all bad for business though.
鈥淵ou now know when something is working because all the phones come out,鈥� Tennant explains.
鈥淐igarette lighters are replaced with phones for a ballad it looks really quite gorgeous, it鈥檚 really quite moving,鈥� he adds.
is but the band doesn't have any plans to use it anytime soon 鈥� well, at least not in its music.
When their publicist called for a quote on the album for a press release, they which described the album as 鈥渁 celebration of the unique and diverse emotions that make us human.鈥� They went with it.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great quote鈥� Tennant admits. 鈥淲e sort of agree with it. We normally make some flippant remark, whereas ChatGPT gave us this very earnest description which is actually accurate.鈥�
Louise Dixon, The Associated Press
