Last Man Dancing

Last updated

Last Man Dancing
Jake Shears - Last Man Dancing.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 2, 2023 (2023-06-02)
Genre
Length50:03
Label
  • Boys Keep Swinging
  • Mute
Producer
Jake Shears chronology
Jake Shears
(2018)
Last Man Dancing
(2023)
Singles from Last Man Dancing
  1. "Too Much Music"
    Released: February 2, 2023
  2. "Devil Came Down the Dance Floor"
    Released: March 23, 2023
  3. "I Used to Be in Love"
    Released: April 19, 2023
  4. "Last Man Dancing"
    Released: May 23, 2023

Last Man Dancing is the second studio album by American singer Jake Shears, released on June 2, 2023, through Boys Keep Swinging and Mute Records. It includes collaborations with Kylie Minogue, Le Chev, Amber Martin and Big Freedia, and contributions from Jane Fonda and Iggy Pop. [4] It was preceded by the release of four singles, including "Too Much Music", released alongside the album announcement on February 2. [4] [5]

Contents

Background

The album began with and was built around Shears's and Kylie Minogue's collaboration "Voices", which was recorded in 2018. At the time Shears had "nowhere for it to go" as he was "making a southern, Honky-tonk record"—his self-titled debut album, and Minogue was making Golden . [3] Shears stated that another of his inspirations was the fact that "intimacy is missing from nightlife. The only way to replace that is to do it yourself. That's where [his] head was at with this record." [6] Shears announced the album on February 2, 2023. [4]

The album's first single, "Too Much Music", received heavy rotation on BBC Radio 2 and Shears performed in several media outlets. It charted on the component Singles Sales and Singles Download charts at number 27. [7] The album debuted and peaked at number 18 on the Official Album Charts and entered the top ten in several component independent charts.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 84/100 [8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Line of Best Fit 8/10 [9]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Last Man Dancing received a score of 84 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [8] Heather Phares of AllMusic called it Shears's return to "dance music old and new", writing that he "still finds ways to make club-oriented music that's equally catchy and innovative" and that its "immaculately crafted tracks offer an impressive amount of range" as well as an "abundance of style and imagination". [1] Writing for NME , Gary Ryan opined that it is Shears's "most cohesive attempt to merge th[e] two identities" of "an artist who straddles both the mainstream and the margins", noting that it is also "pure escapism and his most effortless-sounding set since bursting out of the traps nearly 20 years ago". [10]

Like Phares, Michael Hubbard of musicOMH noted the album's two distinct halves, on both of which he felt Shears "offers his hand and guides us expertly through a hedonistic kaleidoscope of disco-pop homage, gay icons, convivial singalongs and, most surprisingly, an outrageously slapping run of bona fide future club classics of his own". Hubbard concluded by calling the album an "essential, repeatable work". [2] Reviewing the album for The Line of Best Fit , David Cobbald described it as "a party to escape to when life gets a little bit too much, and it delivers on its mission statement with abundance", including both "slick disco production" in its first half and "deeper electronic sounds" with "each song blend[ing] seamlessly into the next as though it's being mixed by a DJ at the house party" in its second. [9]

Track listing

Last Man Dancing track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Too Much Music"
  • Blackinton
  • Oliver
4:38
2."Do the Television"
  • Blackinton
  • Oliver
4:38
3."Voices" (featuring Kylie Minogue)
  • Blackinton
  • Oliver
4:26
4."I Used to Be in Love"
Ridha3:28
5."Really Big Deal"
  • Jake Shears
  • Blackinton
2:52
6."Last Man Dancing"
  • Sellards
  • Cheever
  • Ridha
  • Le Chev
  • Ridha [a]
4:51
7."8 Ball" (featuring Le Chev)
  • Sellards
  • Cheever
  • Ridha
  • Le Chev
  • Ridha
4:30
8."Devil Came Down the Dance Floor" (featuring Amber Martin)
  • Sellards
  • Cheever
  • Amber Martin
  • Ridha
  • Le Chev
  • Ridha
3:44
9."Mess of Me"
  • Sellards
  • Ridha
Ridha4:14
10."Doses" (featuring Big Freedia)Ridha2:54
11."Radio Eyes"
  • Sellards
  • Cheever
  • Ridha
  • Ridha
  • Blackinton [a]
5:29
12."Diamonds Don't Burn"
  • Sellards
  • Cheever
Le Chev4:19
Total length:50:03

Note

Last Man Dancing (Digital "Devilishly Delicious Deluxe Dance Floor Edition")
No.TitleLength
13."Meltdown"2:53
14."Do the Television" (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs' Primetime Mix)5:05
15."Too Much Music" (Lauer Remix)4:35
16."I Used To Be In Love" (YAME Remix)6:26
17."Meltdown" (Crush Club 12" Extended Mix)5:43
18."Last Man Dancing" (Hifi Sean Remix)3:04
19."Too Much Music" (The Reflex Revision)7:06
Total length:84:55

Last Man Dancing Remixes EP

Several remixes from Last Man Dancing tracks and singles were released between April and September 2023. On October 13, Shears released an eight track EP containing all of them via Mute Records. [12] All releases contained pictures of his late dog Toby (Nov. 2007-Mar. 2023) in the set for the album's artwork photoshoot. Remixers include album collaborators Big Freedia and Le Chev plus other guests such as Hifi Sean, YAME, Lauer, Erol Alkan and The Reflex.

No.TitleLength
1."Doses" (Erol Alkan Rework)5:39
2."Last Man Dancing" (Hifi Sean Cosmic Disco Mix)3:04
3."I Used to Be in Love" (YAME Remix)6:26
4."Too Much Music" (Lauer Remix)4:35
5."I Used to Be in Love" (Le Chev Remix)5:33
6."Too Much Music" (The Reflex Revision)7:06
7."Doses" (Erol Alkan Rework Dub)5:39
8."Last Man Dancing" (Hifi Sean Cosmic Disco Dub)6:52
Total length:44:56

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Last Man Dancing
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [13] 197
Scottish Albums (OCC) [14] 6
UK Albums (OCC) [15] 18
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [16] 4

Related Research Articles

<i>Fever</i> (Kylie Minogue album) 2001 studio album by Kylie Minogue

Fever is the eighth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 1 October 2001 internationally by Parlophone and later launched in the United States on 26 February 2002 by Capitol Records. Minogue worked with writers and producers such as Cathy Dennis, Rob Davis, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, TommyD, Tom Nichols, Pascal Gabriel and others to create a disco and Europop-influenced dance-pop and nu-disco album. Other musical influences of the album range from synth-pop to club music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Disco Needs You</span> 2001 single by Kylie Minogue

"Your Disco Needs You" is a song by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, taken from her seventh studio album Light Years (2000). The song was written by Minogue, Guy Chambers and Robbie Williams and produced by Chambers and Steve Power. Lyrically, "Your Disco Needs You" talks about the power of disco music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love at First Sight (Kylie Minogue song)</span> 2002 single by Kylie Minogue

"Love at First Sight" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her eighth studio album, Fever (2001). It was released as the third single from Fever on 3 June 2002. The song, which was written by Minogue, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Ash Howes and Martin Harrington, is unrelated to the song of the same name from Minogue's debut studio album, Kylie (1988). Musically, "Love at First Sight" is a dance-pop and nu-disco song which, lyrically, describes the singer falling and believing in love at first sight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Shears</span> American singer (born 1978)

Jason Sellards, known professionally by the stage name Jake Shears, is an American musician. He is best known as the co-lead vocalist of New York City pop-rock band Scissor Sisters, who achieved considerable chart success in the 2000s before their indefinite hiatus in 2012. Since 2017, Shears has pursued a solo career; he released his debut solo studio album, Jake Shears, in August 2018 and his second album Last Man Dancing on June 2, 2023. In addition to his solo career, Shears has collaborated with several artists and made his Broadway debut in Kinky Boots in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Believe in You (Kylie Minogue song)</span> 2004 single by Kylie Minogue

"I Believe in You" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her ninth greatest hits compilation, Ultimate Kylie (2004). It was written by Minogue alongside its producers Jake Shears and Babydaddy. It was released as the lead single from Ultimate Kylie on 29 November 2004, by Parlophone. "I Believe in You" is a pop and Euro disco song in which Minogue proclaims there are many things in which she does not believe, but that she does believe in her lover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slow (Kylie Minogue song)</span> 2003 single by Kylie Minogue

"Slow" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her ninth studio album, Body Language (2003). It was released as the lead single from the album by Festival Mushroom Records and Parlophone on 3 November 2003. The song was written by Minogue, Dan Carey, Emilíana Torrini, and produced by Carey, Torrini, and Sunnyroads. "Slow" is an electropop and synth-pop song in which Minogue invites a man to "slow down" and dance with her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confide in Me</span> 1994 single by Kylie Minogue

"Confide in Me" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her self-titled fifth studio album (1994). It was released as the album's lead single on 29 August 1994 by Deconstruction, Imago, and Mushroom Records. The track was written by Steve Anderson, Dave Seaman, and Owain Barton, whilst production was handled by British trio Brothers in Rhythm. It was recorded in London, United Kingdom at DMC and Sarm West Studios. Musically, it is a pop song that incorporates elements of indie music, dance-pop, and Middle Eastern instrumentation such as strings and percussion, whilst the lyrical content talks about Minogue's earnest of seduction and manipulating people to confide into her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giving You Up</span> 2005 single by Kylie Minogue

"Giving You Up" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her third greatest hits album Ultimate Kylie (2004). The song was first released as the album's second and final single on 28 March 2005. It was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Lisa Cowling, Paul Woods, Nick Coler, and Minogue, while production was by Higgins and Xenomania. The song is a dance-pop track, which features instrumentation of synthesizers and keyboards. The track was her last solo single before she was diagnosed with breast cancer two months later; her next single was "2 Hearts" in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Blooded Woman</span> 2004 single by Kylie Minogue

"Red Blooded Woman" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her ninth studio album, Body Language (2003). Written by Johnny Douglas and Karen Poole and produced by the former, it is a hip hop and synth-pop track containing a vocoded "Boy! Boy!" hook and backing vocals from a choir, and was released by Parlophone as the second single from the album on 1 March 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowboy Style</span> 1998 single by Kylie Minogue

"Cowboy Style" is a song recorded by Australian singer and songwriter Kylie Minogue, for her sixth studio album Impossible Princess (1997). The song was released as the fourth and final single on 5 October 1998 through Mushroom Records. Minogue wrote the track with Steve Anderson and Dave Seaman while Brothers in Rhythm produced it. Backed by guitars, synthesisers and drum instruments, "Cowboy Style" is a Celtic pop track in which Minogue sings about her relationship with her then-boyfriend, French director Stephane Sednaoui. Critical response to "Cowboy Style" was positive, with praise driven to Minogue's songwriting and the song's composition; some critics highlighted it as a career stand-out track. Released in Australia and New Zealand, the song charted at number 39 on the Australian Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Do I Have to Do</span> 1991 single by Kylie Minogue

"What Do I Have to Do" is a song performed by Australian singer-songwriter Kylie Minogue from her third studio album, Rhythm of Love (1990). The song was written and produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman. Originally, the song was planned to be released after the single "Better the Devil You Know", but instead "Step Back in Time" was released and this was released as the third single on 21 January 1991 by PWL and Mushroom. The song received positive reviews from most music critics, who thought the song was an instant rave classic. Its music video was directed by Dave Hogan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shocked (song)</span> 1991 single by Kylie Minogue

"Shocked" is a song by Australian singer Kylie Minogue from her third studio album, Rhythm of Love (1990). Written and produced by Stock Aitken and Waterman, "Shocked" was released as the album's fourth and final single in May 1991 by Mushroom and PWL. The song later appeared on most of Minogue's major compilations including Greatest Hits (1992), Ultimate Kylie (2004) and Step Back In Time: The Definitive Collection (2019). The DNA 7-inch mix of the song also includes a rap in the bridge by Jazzi P.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)</span> 1992 single by Kylie Minogue

"What Kind of Fool (Heard All That Before)" is a song recorded by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue, released as the lead single from her first greatest hits album Greatest Hits (1992). The song was written by Mike Stock, Minogue and Pete Waterman, and produced by Stock and Waterman.

<i>X</i> (Kylie Minogue album) 2007 studio album by Kylie Minogue

X is the tenth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. EMI Music Japan released it first in Japan on 21 November 2007, before its release in Australia by Warner Music Australia two days later. The album was released in the United Kingdom by Parlophone on 26 November 2007, and in the United States by Capitol and Astralwerks on 1 April 2008. Work on the album began in July 2006, following Minogue's gradual recovery from breast cancer. After finishing Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour in early 2007, she returned to the studio to complete the album, with the help from many producers including Bloodshy & Avant, Calvin Harris, Greg Kurstin, and Freemasons.

<i>Aphrodite</i> (Kylie Minogue album) 2010 studio album by Kylie Minogue

Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. It was released on 30 June 2010 by Parlophone. In 2009, Minogue began working with British electronic music producer Stuart Price, who served as the executive producer of the album. The two collaborated with various producers and writers on the album, including Jake Shears, Calvin Harris, Sebastian Ingrosso and Pascal Gabriel. Aphrodite follows a musical approach similar to Minogue's previous albums and is primarily a dance-pop and disco-pop record. It draws influences from various dance-based genres including electropop, club and rave music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Better than Today</span> 2010 single by Kylie Minogue

"Better Than Today" is a song recorded by Australian singer Kylie Minogue for her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite (2010). The track was originally written and produced by Nerina Pallot and Andy Chatterley for Pallot's 2009 extended play, Buckminster Fuller EP. It was re-recorded by Minogue in 2009, and received additional production by Stuart Price. Musically, "Better Than Today" is a dance-pop song that emulates other styles using guitars, synthesizers and drum programming.

<i>Magic Hour</i> (Scissor Sisters album) 2012 studio album by Scissor Sisters

Magic Hour is the fourth and final studio album by American band Scissor Sisters, released on May 25, 2012, by Polydor Records. The first single from the album was initially "Shady Love" but was later replaced by "Only the Horses", co-produced by recording artist and DJ Calvin Harris, which entered and peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Other Boys</span> 2015 single by Nervo featuring Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears and Nile Rodgers

"The Other Boys" is a song performed by Australian twin sisters Nervo featuring Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears and Nile Rodgers. It is included on Nervo's debut studio album, Collateral. The remix single was released on 23 October 2015.

<i>Jake Shears</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Jake Shears

Jake Shears is the self-titled debut solo album by Jake Shears, released on August 10, 2018. "Creep City" serves as the album's lead single.

<i>Disco</i> (Kylie Minogue album) 2020 studio album by Kylie Minogue

Disco is the fifteenth studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. BMG Rights Management and Minogue's company Darenote released it on 6 November 2020 in both digital and physical formats. After finishing her campaign with her previous album Golden (2018), Minogue was inspired by a Studio 54-esque section on her Golden Tour to create a disco-themed album. Early sessions began in 2019-2020, but were temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread lockdowns. As a result, Minogue continued to work on the album remotely from London, using GarageBand and Logic Pro for the first time.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Phares, Heather. "Jake Shears – Last Man Dancing Album Review". AllMusic . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Hubbard, Michael (June 1, 2023). "Jake Shears – Last Man Dancing". musicOMH . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Wratten, Marcus (June 3, 2023). "Jake Shears on Kylie, manic parties and why he 'doesn't care' about making queer music". PinkNews . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Stickler, Jon (February 2, 2023). "Jake Shears Announces New Album 'Last Man Dancing' Featuring Kylie Minogue, Big Freedia And More". Stereoboard. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  5. "Needle on the Record: Jake Shears, Nakane, EBTG and more". OutInPerth . June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  6. Segalov, Michael (June 2, 2023). "Jake Shears on life after Scissor Sisters: 'I was put on Earth to show people a great time'". The Guardian . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  7. "JAKE SHEARS songs and albums". Official Charts. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Last Man Dancing by Jake Shears Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Cobbald, David (June 2, 2023). "Jake Shears: Last Man Dancing review". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Ryan, Gary (June 2, 2023). "Jake Shears – Last Man Dancing review: Scissor Sister hosts the ultimate house party". NME . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  11. Dixon, Louisa (June 2, 2023). "Jake Shears - Last Man Dancing". DIY . Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  12. "JAKE SHEARS ANNOUNCES LAST MAN DANCING REMIX EP". Mute Records. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  13. "Ultratop.be – Jake Shears – Last Man Dancing" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  14. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  15. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  16. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2023.