Placebo has issued a defiant message, through its first single in five years, as the band seeks to normalise and celebrate non-heteronormative relationships.
When they embarked on producing the tender, powerful ‘Beautiful James’, Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal began the process from a unique angle: first with a photograph and a song title that evoked a certain feeling – long before any music was written.
Speaking about what they hoped the single would achieve, Molko said:
“If the song serves to irritate the squares and the uptight, so gleefully be it. But it remains imperative for me that each listener discovers their own personal story within it – I really don’t want to tell you how to feel.”
‘Beautiful James’ is not a polemic or an invitation to begin a conversation with the haters. It is a statement of fact of the lived experience of many millions of people.
Why not listen to the single here?
2 replies on “Pop provocateurs Placebo serenade ‘Beautiful James’”
Love the article and love Placebo’s new song. So glad they are back!
Thank you! 25 years they have been going now. The mind boggles.