Olly Alexander has announced his upcoming album ‘Polari’ with new single ‘Cupid’s Bow’.
READ MORE: Years & Years – ‘Night Call’ review: escapism rules on Olly Alexander’s solo debut
Created alongside Danny L Harle (Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Caroline Polachek), ‘Polari’ draws from the earliest innovators in electro-pop, charting desire, voyeurism and fate. The album is set for release on February 7, 2025, and you can pre-order/pre-save here.
It marks the Years & Years frontman’s first album release under his own name, with its title providing the direction at the heart of the record.
“Polari’ was a coded slang that emerged around the 1600s. It was used by stigmatised groups and is considered by some the lost language of gay men. The ‘Dizzy‘ singer first came across the term when he came out, and found it deeply resonated when he played Richie in It’s A Sin.
Olly Alexander’s ‘Polari’ artwork. CREDIT: Press
‘Polari’ tracklist:
‘Polari’
‘Cupid’s Bow’
‘I Know’
‘Shadow Of Love’
‘Make Me A Man’
‘Dizzy’
‘Archangel’
‘Miss You So Much’
‘When We Kiss’
‘Whisper’
‘Beautiful’
‘Heal You’
‘Language’
Translating literally as “to talk”, the term Polari became a creative north star throughout the album’s creation, with Alexander continually returning to themes of sexuality, self and belonging.
With Alexander crafting the audio-visual world of ‘Polari’, fans can expect references to gods, cowboys, and music industry executives as well as an aesthetic inspired by filmmaker and gay rights activist Derek Jarman.
Listen to Olly Alexander’s ‘Cupid’s Bow’ below.
Alexander has also announced that the project is set to hit the road next year. The ‘Up Close and Polari’ tour will see him play shows across the UK and Europe next spring.
The tour, which kicks off in mid-March will include stops in Luxembourg, Cologne, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Dublin, Manchester, Bristol, London and more. Tickets go up on general sale on October 18 at 10am local time.
Olly Alexander’s ‘Up Close and Polari Tour’ UK and Europe dates are:
March
19 – Luxembourg, den Atelier
20 – Frankfurt, Zoom
21 – Cologne, Live Music Hall
23 – Paris, La Cigale
24 – Brussels, Cirque Royal
26 – Berlin, Metropol
27 – Warsaw, Palladium
29 – Zurich,Komplex 457
30 – Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg
April
01 – Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre
02 – Birmingham, Town Hall
03 – Glasgow, Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
04 – Manchester,| Manchester Factory International, Aviva Studios
06 – Bristol, Bristol Beacon
07 – London, The London Palladium
Earlier this year, Alexander confirmed he had abandoned the Years & Years moniker. During a show at Luton’s Stockwood Park, his first performance following competing in Eurovision, he revealed it was officially also his first show under his own name.
“Listen, listen, I don’t know have to tell you how good it feels to be back in the UK, doing a show – do you know what this is my first ever show as Olly Alexander,” he said. “I used to be in Years & Years, I used to be Years & Years and now I’m just me.”
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