Nonetheless | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 26 April 2024 | |||
Length | 43:53 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | James Ford | |||
Pet Shop Boys chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Nonetheless | ||||
|
Nonetheless is the fifteenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 26 April 2024 through the band's own label x2 and Parlophone. It was produced by James Ford and mostly recorded at his East London studio. [4] The band's first album for Parlophone since Elysium in 2012, its four-year gap with Hotspot (2020) marks their longest period between studio albums to date. It was preceded by the single "Loneliness", released alongside the album announcement. [5]
Nonetheless was composed during the COVID-19 lockdowns, when Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant were isolated at their respective homes. At Lowe's suggestion, Tennant learned to program with GarageBand, and the duo sent songs back and forth to each other. [6] They found it refreshing to write for pleasure rather than to meet a deadline; Lowe remarked that he didn't realise they were making an album until Tennant sent his proposed tracklist. [7] [8] The album title makes reference to their circumstances: "Nonetheless! We've carried on and done this." [6]
In a statement, Pet Shop Boys expressed that they wanted the album, both its dance tracks and ballads, "to be a celebration of the unique and diverse emotions that make us human", and called the 10 tracks "the strongest indicators of where we are today". They also said that producer James Ford had "dared" them to make their "sometimes quite complicated" demos more minimal in arrangement. [9] Ford replaced the soft-synths with analog synthesizers, and every track has an orchestra "filling out the sound and bringing out the emotions in songs," according to Tennant. [10]
The album was released on 26 April 2024 in a variety of formats, including digitally, and physically on Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos, CD and multiple variants of coloured vinyl. The 2-CD and double white vinyl editions include a four-track EP titled Furthermore, featuring new recordings of "Heart", "Being Boring", "Always on My Mind" and "It's a Sin". [11]
"Loneliness" debuted on 31 January 2024 as a preview of the album. It was the last song written for Nonetheless, inspired by the lockdown. Tennant described it as "an up sounding song with a lyric that starts off sad, but it turns around at the end." [12] Alasdair McLellan directed the video, following a closeted young man leading a double life in 1992 Sheffield. [13] Bonus tracks: "Party in the Blitz" and "Through You (extended mix)". [14]
"Dancing Star" was released on 5 April in the lead-up to the album's release. 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. [15] The video, directed by Luke Halls Studio, includes historic footage of Nureyev dancing. [16] The track has sounds of waves and seagulls from Lowe's original demo about the beach. [17] Bonus tracks: "Sense of Time", "If Jesus Had and Sister", "Dancing Star" remixes by Solomun, and "Party in the Blitz" remix by Superchumbo. [15]
"A New Bohemia", released on 4 June, expresses nostalgia for being part of a creative scene. Lowe's demo was titled "Avant Garde", and Tennant's lyrics were inspired in part by an exhibit about Les Petites Bon-Bons, a group of gay conceptual artists in the 1970s. [18] [19] The video was filmed in Margate and features locals including Tracey Emin and Russell Tovey, [20] and it was directed by Andrew Haigh, who used the Pet Shop Boys' Christmas 1987 Top of the Pops performance of "Always on My Mind" in his film All of Us Strangers . [21] Bonus tracks: "It's Not a Crime" and "I've Got Plans (Involving You)" (both written in 1982); "A New Bohemia" demo and remix by Alex Metric. [22]
"Feel" came out on 20 August, with a video directed by Corbin Shaw and Rawtape. [23] The song had been offered to Brandon Flowers for his 2010 debut album; the reworked version on Nonetheless is about visiting a loved one in prison, inspired by a biography on George Blake. [24] Bonus tracks: "Everybody Will Dance", with a Superchumbo remix; a Floorplan remix of "Loneliness"; and a German version of "Schlager-Hitparade" sung by Lowe, accompanied by a self-made video. [25] [26]
"New London Boy" was released on 7 November as a double A-side with a cover version of "All the Young Dudes" by David Bowie. A separate remixes single was also issued. In keeping with the theme of "New London Boy", the cover photos are of Tennant and Lowe around the time they came to London, in 1972 and 1981 respectively. [27] Slava Mogutin directed a video of "All the Young Dudes". [28] The remix artists are Boy Harsher, Richard X, and I. Jordan. Additional bonus tracks: "Beauty Has Laid Siege to the City" and "Clean Air Hybrid Electric Bus". [27]
Nonetheless debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, selling 22,419 units its first week. It is the Pet Shop Boys highest-charting album since the compilation album Alternative reached number two in 1995. [29] In the U.S., Nonetheless was the first Pet Shop Boys album to fail to chart on the Billboard 200, although it reached number 14 on the Top Album Sales chart and number three on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart. [30]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10 [31] |
Metacritic | 81/100 [32] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Clash | 8/10 [33] |
The Independent | [34] |
The Line of Best Fit | 8/10 [35] |
Mojo | [36] |
MusicOMH | [37] |
NME | [38] |
Nonetheless received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on ten critics' reviews, which the website categorised as "universal acclaim". [32] Victoria Segal of Mojo wrote that the album "shows the duo pulling themselves up to full songwriting height, not just forging on, but flourishing". [36] Mat Smith of Clash called Nonetheless "an utterly brilliant, dependably polished listen" and one of "the best moments" by the duo. [33] Reviewing the album for NME , Gary Ryan described it as "peppered with richly-drawn characters, and esoteric cultural references" and a "lush, impressive collection that upholds their status as pop greats". [38]
The Independent 's Helen Brown felt that the album "maintains the band's strict quality control without any notable change in sonic style" but "proves that the Pets have still got the brains, still got the hooks". [34] John Murphy of MusicOMH said that it "both sounds very like Pet Shop Boys while also managing to grow and evolve their sound" and observed "a huge streak of melancholy and reflection running through the record". [37] Simon Heavisides of The Line of Best Fit concluded that Nonetheless "feels airy and welcoming" unlike the Pet Shop Boys' recent albums and "resonates emotionally in ways that befit elder statesmen who can look to the future while comfortably acknowledging the past". [35]
All tracks are written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Loneliness" | 5:38 |
2. | "Feel" | 5:02 |
3. | "Why Am I Dancing?" | 3:32 |
4. | "New London Boy" | 4:52 |
5. | "Dancing Star" | 3:01 |
6. | "A New Bohemia" | 4:00 |
7. | "The Schlager Hit Parade" | 3:28 |
8. | "The Secret of Happiness" | 5:25 |
9. | "Bullet for Narcissus" | 3:50 |
10. | "Love Is the Law" | 5:02 |
Total length: | 43:56 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Heart (New Version)" | 3:57 |
2. | "Being Boring (New Version)" | 5:52 |
3. | "Always on My Mind (New Version)" (Wayne Carson, Mark James, Johnny Christopher) | 4:20 |
4. | "It's a Sin (New Version)" | 4:37 |
Total length: | 18:47 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
5. | "Clean Air Hybrid Electric Bus" | 3:03 |
Total length: | 21:50 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Nonetheless. [39]
Pet Shop Boys
Vocals, programming, keyboards, guitar
Additional vocals
Orchestra
Elysian Collective
Technical
Artwork
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [40] | 3 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [41] | 3 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [42] | 10 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [43] | 4 |
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [44] | 3 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [45] | 16 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [46] | 35 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [47] | 20 |
French Albums (SNEP) [48] | 24 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [49] | 3 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [50] | 8 |
Irish Albums (OCC) [51] | 13 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [52] | 49 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [53] | 27 |
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) [54] | 30 |
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [55] | 30 |
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [56] | 57 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [57] | 22 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [58] | 1 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [59] | 7 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [60] | 39 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [61] | 2 |
UK Albums (OCC) [62] | 2 |
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [63] | 14 |
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [64] | 3 |
Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music history in the 1999 edition of The Guinness Book of Records. They are known for commercially successful pop songs with 'highbrow' influences from classical music, opera, film, fashion and literature.
Release is the eighth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 1 April 2002 by Parlophone. It was recorded between 2000 — 2001, near fully written & produced by the duo, with the exception of the song "London" having been co-written and produced by Chris Zippel. The album produced three singles: "Home and Dry", "I Get Along", and "London", the latter of which was only released in continental Europe. It reached number seven on the UK Albums Chart and received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.
Christopher Sean Lowe is an English musician, singer and songwriter, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Neil Tennant in 1981.
Very is the fifth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 27 September 1993 by Parlophone, nearly three years after the duo's previous studio album, Behaviour, and following the compilation album Discography: The Complete Singles Collection. It is the only Pet Shop Boys album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, and it produced two top ten singles, "Can You Forgive Her?" and "Go West". Very exhibits one of many turning points the Pet Shop Boys would make to their music, shifting from the subdued electronic pop of Behaviour to richly instrumented dance arrangements. The content and lyrics led to Very being called their "coming-out" album, since it was during this time that Neil Tennant had publicly discussed his long-rumoured homosexuality.
Alternative is a compilation album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 7 August 1995 by Parlophone.
Please is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 24 March 1986 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI America Records in the United States. According to the duo, the album's title was chosen so that people had to go into a record shop and say "Can I have the Pet Shop Boys album, 'Please'?". Please spawned four singles: "West End Girls", "Opportunities ", "Suburbia", and "Love Comes Quickly"; "West End Girls" reached number one in both the UK and the US.
Actually is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 7 September 1987 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI Manhattan in North America. According to Neil Tennant and music historian Wayne Studer, Actually loosely critiques Thatcherism, the political zeitgeist of the 1980s, and was recorded in anticipation of Margaret Thatcher's re-election.
Behaviour is the fourth studio album by the English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 22 October 1990 by Parlophone. A Japanese special edition included a bonus mini CD, exclusive artwork and printed lyrics in a white velvet-like box.
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their debut studio album, Please (1986). It was released as a single in 1985 and re-recorded and reissued in 1986, gaining greater popularity in both the United Kingdom and United States with its second release, reaching number 11 on the UK Singles Chart and number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. After the song was featured in a Super Bowl ad in February 2021, it re-entered the charts, claiming the number one spot on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Songs.
"Paninaro" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, originally a B-side to the 1986 single "Suburbia". In 1995, a re-recording titled "Paninaro '95" was released to a wider market, to promote the duo's B-side compilation album Alternative, though only the original version was included on the compilation.
"Yesterday, When I Was Mad" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the fifth and final single from their fifth studio album, Very (1993), on 29 August 1994 by Parlophone. The single, both written and produced by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and number four on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. The song was remixed by Jam & Spoon for its single release, among other things removing a compression effect applied to Tennant's voice during the verses. Its music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh. One of the B-sides is a cover of the Noël Coward song "If Love Were All".
Yes is the tenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 18 March 2009 by Parlophone. The album was recorded throughout 2008 and was produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Xenomania also co-wrote three of the tracks. Guitarist Johnny Marr and string arranger Owen Pallett appear as well. "Love Etc." was released on 16 March 2009 as the album's lead single.
The Most Incredible Thing is the score for the 2011 ballet of the same name, based on the eponymous 1870 fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It contains music written and performed by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. The album was released on 14 March 2011 by Parlophone.
Format is a double-disc compilation album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. The album consists of B-sides from various singles released from 1996 to 2009. It is their second B-sides album after Alternative (1995), which collected B-sides from the time of their first version of "Opportunities " (1985) to "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" (1994).
Elysium is the eleventh studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Released on 5 September 2012, it was the duo's last album with Parlophone for the next 12 years. The album was recorded in 2012 in Los Angeles and produced by Andrew Dawson and Pet Shop Boys.
Electric is the twelfth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 14 July 2013 on the duo's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was the duo's first album since their departure from Parlophone.
Super is the thirteenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 1 April 2016 on the band's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was released digitally and on physical formats including vinyl and compact disc. The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Lead single "The Pop Kids" reached number one on the UK Physical Singles Chart and narrowly missed out on the top 100 of the main chart.
Inner Sanctum is the third live album and video by English duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 12 April 2019 by the duo's label x2. It was recorded in July 2018 during the band's four-day Inner Sanctum residency at the Royal Opera House in London as part of the Super Tour. The show was designed by Es Devlin and directed by David Barnard, and released on DVD, Blu-ray and CD. The DVD/Blu-ray and CD release also includes a recording of the duo playing at Rock in Rio on 17 September 2017.
Hotspot is the fourteenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 24 January 2020 by the band's own label x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was supported by the singles "Dreamland" featuring Years & Years, which was released on 25 October 2019, and "Burning the Heather", which was released alongside the album announcement on 13 December 2019. The duo planned a tour of the UK and Europe in support of the album in mid-2020, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The album charted in numerous countries, reaching number three on the album charts in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.