| Posh Pop | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 August 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2020–2021 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 41:44 | |||
| Label | Demon | |||
| Producer | Simon Darlow | |||
| Toyah chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Posh Pop | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |   [1] |
| Classic Pop | [2] |
| Retro Pop | [3] |
Posh Pop is a 2021 studio album by British singer Toyah Willcox, released by Demon Records.
The album was written by Toyah and her longtime collaborator Simon Darlow who also produced the material. [4] Willcox's husband Robert Fripp performs guitar under the alias Bobby Willcox. [5] The album was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic and its working title was Outside of Culture. [6] Every song on the album was accompanied by a music video filmed by Toyah herself during the 2021 spring lockdown, filmed largely in her Pershore house as well as the nearby Pershore Abbey. [7]
The opening track, "Levitate", originally called "Gravity", is "about potential, the future, letting go of the past and moving on, (...) about the unification of all of us". [8] "Zoom Zoom" took its origin in co-writer Simon Darlow's extensive use of the teleconferencing software Zoom and Toyah's claim that "we're all being watched and that every one of our ideas has purpose and is now being hunted by market people who want to market things back to us". [9]
The inspiration behind "The Bride Will Return" was Israa al Seblani, a bride caught mid-wedding during the 2020 Beirut explosion, who went viral following the incident. Willcox said that the "song is very much to celebrate the beauty of the brides around the world, who've not been able to have their weddings during lockdown". [7]
"Space Dance" was inspired by Darlow's dream to be an astronaut and was originally called "Space Man". [10]
Willcox has described "Barefoot on Mars" as "a song about invisible love and addressing something from our past that needs communicating and contact with" and explained that it refers to the complicated relationship with her mother and her passing. [11]
"Summer of Love" is an anti-war protest song referring to the original 1967 Summer of Love. Willcox said that in the song she "wanted to question reality [and] everything we have within the modern world, (...) that we're all being told and sold a dream. (...) Within Hinduism everything is believed to be the big dream, that this is where we come to change ourselves, it's not actual reality. (...) By joining together and being united perhaps we can bring a positive change and build that new world and that better future". [12]
Talking about "Monkeys", Toyah explained that it is about "us needing leadership [and] having to vote for leaders who then go off the rails, [about] quite old world leaders who are despots, who are not using democracy and at the same time are causing world poverty". [13]
"Take Me Home" was described by Toyah as a sequel to "Danced". [5] The song tells about dangers to Earth ecology and possible space colonization, but also about the power of love and unity of people. [14]
Posh Pop was originally slated for a late July 2021 release, but was then pushed back by a month. It was preceded by the release of three singles: "Levitate", "Zoom Zoom", and "Summer of Love". The album debuted and peaked at no. 22 on the UK Albums Chart becoming Toyah's highest-charting album since 1982. [15] It also reached no. 6 on the UK Albums Sales Chart [16] and no.1 on the Independent Albums Chart. Willcox promoted the album with the Posh Pop Tour, running from September 2021 to March 2022. [17]
All tracks are written by Toyah Willcox and Simon Darlow. [18]
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [19] | 8 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [20] | 22 |
| UK Vinyl Albums [21] | 9 |
| UK Independent Albums [22] | 1 |
Toyah Ann Willcox is an English singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter. In a career spanning more than 40 years, she has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, written two books, appeared in over 40 stage plays and 10 feature films, and voiced and presented numerous television shows.
Sheep Farming in Barnet is the debut studio album by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1979 by Safari Records.
The Blue Meaning is the second studio album by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1980 by Safari Records. It reached the Top 40 on the UK Albums Chart.
Anthem is a studio album by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1981 by Safari Records. It was the band's most successful album, reaching number 2 in the UK Albums Chart and featuring the Top 10 singles "It's a Mystery" and "I Want to Be Free". The album was certified gold in 1981 for selling more than 100,000 copies in the UK.
The Changeling is a studio album by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1982 by Safari Records. The album peaked at number 6 in the UK where it was certified silver for sales exceeding 60,000 copies. It included the Top 40 single "Brave New World".
Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! is a live album by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1980 by Safari Records.
Love Is the Law is the fifth studio album by British new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released in 1983 by Safari Records. It reached number 28 in the UK Albums Chart and included the Top 40 hit single "Rebel Run". It was the last album to be released by the band before singer Willcox embarked on a solo career and retained 'Toyah' as her stage name.
Minx is an album by English singer Toyah Willcox, released in 1985 by Portrait Records. It was her first album as a solo artist and spawned the moderate hit "Don't Fall in Love ".
Desire is the second solo studio album by English singer Toyah Willcox, released in 1987 by E.G. Records.
Ophelia's Shadow is the fourth solo studio album by the British singer Toyah Willcox, released in 1991 by E.G. Records. Some musicians playing on this album have been members of King Crimson at a certain moment, people like Robert Fripp, Gordon Haskell, Keith Tippett and Trey Gunn.
Take the Leap! is a studio album by the British singer Toyah Willcox, first released as Leap! in 1993 by Pony Canyon. It consists of new tracks as well as re-recordings of older songs from Toyah the band's repertoire.
"Bird in Flight" is a song by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released as a single in 1980 by Safari Records.
"Ieya" is a song by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox. It was first released as a single in 1980 by Safari Records to promote the album The Blue Meaning. It was re-recorded and re-issued in 1982, and met with minor chart success in the UK.
"Brave New World" is a song by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released as a single in 1982 by Safari Records. It promoted Toyah's 1982 studio album The Changeling and was a Top 40 chart success in the UK.
"Rebel Run" is a song by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox. It was released in 1983 to promote the album Love Is the Law and was a Top 30 chart success in the UK.
"The Vow" is a song by the English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox. It was released in 1983 to promote the album Love Is the Law.
Looking Back is a studio album by the British singer Toyah Willcox, released in 1995. It is a collection of re-recordings of songs from her back catalogue, mostly classic hits from the Toyah band repertoire. The material was originally conceived as part of a double album Toyah Classics slated for release in March 1995. The two sets would eventually be released individually, with Looking Back as an 'electric' accompaniment to The Acoustic Album, released the following year. The album has never been re-released digitally.
"Latex Messiah (Viva la Rebel in You)" is a song by the British rock singer Toyah Willcox, released in 2007.
"Don't Fall in Love (I Said)" is a song by British singer Toyah Willcox, released as the lead single from her album Minx in 1985 by Portrait Records. It was a top 40 chart success in the UK and Ireland.
"It's a Mystery" is a song by English new wave band Toyah, fronted by Toyah Willcox, released as a single in 1981 by Safari Records. The song was a hit in the UK where it peaked in the Top 5 in the charts as the lead track on the EP Four from Toyah.