Dancing Star (song)

Last updated

"Dancing Star"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Nonetheless
B-side
  • "Sense of Time"
  • "If Jesus Had a Sister"
Released3 April 2024 (2024-04-03)
Recorded2023
Genre Synth-pop
Length3:01
Label x2
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) James Ford
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Loneliness"
(2024)		"Dancing Star"
(2024)		"A New Bohemia"
(2024)
Music video
"Dancing Star" on YouTube

"Dancing Star" (stylised in sentence case) is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their fifteenth studio album, Nonetheless (2024). It was released on 3 April 2024 as the album's second single.

Contents

Background and composition

The song was written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. It tells the story of preeminent dancer Rudolf Nureyev, who defected from the Soviet Union in the 1960s and became a star with The Royal Ballet. [1] The lyrics open with the mention of the Amalfi Coast where Nureyev had bought the Gallo Lungo island and spent the final years of his life. The song also alludes to the dancer's bisexuality. [2]

The track has sounds of waves and seagulls from Lowe's original demo about the beach. [3]

Release

"Dancing Star" was released digitally on 3 April 2024 as the second single preceding the duo's album Nonetheless . The song entered the top 40 on the UK and German download charts. Following the single's CD release on 5 May 2024, [1] the song reached number one on the UK singles sales chart.

Critical reception

"Dancing Star" received positive feedback from music publications, with critics describing it as "sublime", [4] "euphoric", [5] and one of the standouts on Nonetheless. [6] John Murphy of MusicOMH described it as "a banger – instantly catchy and with a melody that nods to Madonna's "Holiday"." [7] Other reviewers also noted similarities to the duo's 1988 hit "Domino Dancing". [8] [9]

Music video

The music video was directed by Luke Halls Studio and includes historic footage of Nureyev dancing. [10]

Track listings

  1. "Dancing Star" – 3:01
  2. "Sense of Time" – 4:09
  3. "If Jesus Had a Sister" – 4:11
  4. "Dancing Star" (Solomun Extended Remix) – 5:20
  5. "Party in the Blitz" (Superchumbo Remix) – 4:36
  6. "Dancing Star" (Solomun Remix) – 3:32

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Dancing Star"
Chart (2024)Peak
position
German Singles Downloads (GfK Entertainment) [13] 39
UK Singles Downloads (OCC) [14] 34
UK Singles Sales (Official Charts Company) [15] 1
UK Physical Singles (Official Charts Company) [16] 1

References

  1. 1 2 "Dancing Star". petshopboys.co.uk. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  2. ↑ Nicolette Feiler-Thull (27 April 2024). "Pet Shop Boys über neues Album: "Uns unserer Freiheit bewusst werden"". Heute (in German). Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  3. ↑ Diament, Robert and Tovey, Russell (hosts) (25 April 2024). Talk Art, season 21, ep. 5: Pet Shop Boys (podcast). Event occurs at 57:40.
  4. ↑ Robin Murray (4 April 2024). "Pet Shop Boys' 'Dancing Star' Is An Ode To Rudolf Nureyev". Clash . Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  5. ↑ Gary Ryan (25 April 2024). "Pet Shop Boys – Nonetheless review: still setting pop's benchmark". NME . Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Ruby Brown (28 May 2024). "Album Review: Pet Shop Boys – Nonetheless". York Calling. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  7. ↑ John Murphy (25 April 2024). "Pet Shop Boys – Nonetheless". MusicOMH . Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  8. ↑ Graeme R (4 May 2024). "Album Review: Pet Shop Boys – Nonetheless". Renowned for Sound . Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  9. ↑ Laura Snapes (5 December 2024). "Pet Shop Boys: Nonetheless (Expanded Edition) Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Dancing Star, an ode to Rudolf Nureyev by the Pet Shop Boys". The Rudolf Nureyev Foundation. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  11. ↑ "Dancing star - Single by Pet Shop Boys". Spotify . Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  12. ↑ "Dancing star CD Single". petshopboys.co.uk. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  13. ↑ "Offizielle Download Charts Single - Musik Charts" (in German). MTV Germany. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  14. ↑ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  15. ↑ "Official Singles Sales Chart on 10/5/2024". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  16. ↑ "Official Physical Singles Chart on 10/5/2024". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 26 June 2025.
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