Olly Alexander on his “anti-‘Brat’ summer” and ’80s-inspired new album ‘Polari’
Olly Alexander has spoken to NME about the vibe of his upcoming album ‘Polari’, inspired by the likes of Kate Bush and Pet Shop Boys. Watch our interview below.
The former Eurovision entrant and Years & Years frontman was speaking to NME from the red carpet from the MTV EMAs on Sunday (November 10). The awards were held in Manchester, a much-loved spot for the singer.
“My favourite thing about partying in Manchester is all the gays that are here – all the queer people,” said Alexander. “Canal Street, The Northern Quarter… I feel like people are just friendlier generally in Manchester and up North.”
Last month saw Alexander share ‘Cupid’s Bow’ from upcoming solo LP ‘Polari’ – the first album release since abandoning the Years & Years moniker.
“I’m just so excited to be putting more music out,” he told NME. “Because it’s under my own name, it feels very special to me. I’m just very grateful that I’m doing it. It’s gone down pretty well. I don’t know; I never know – but the fans have been very nice.”
He continued: “I was very inspired making ‘Polari’ by a lot of music from the ‘80s like Erasure, The Pet Shop Boys, Kate Bush. I’m hoping that the music from ‘Polari’ sits in that world.”
Asked about his favourite albums from 2024, Alexander replied: “I really think ‘Brat’ was amazing. Charli [XCX] is such a genius. I really loved [Beyoncé’s] ‘Cowboy Carter’ as well, plus [Sabrina Carpenter‘s] ‘Short N’ Sweet’.”
And did have he also have a legendary ‘Brat’ summer?
“No, I did have a ‘Brat’ summer at all! I had the anti-‘Brat’ summer,” Alexander replied. “It was a lot of being at home with my cats and not going outside, but I liked it.”
“Created alongside Danny L Harle (Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, Caroline Polachek), ‘Polari’ is set for release on February 7, 2025, and you can pre-order/pre-save here.
Alexander has also announced that the project is set to hit the road next year. Check out the ‘Up Close and Polari’ tour dates below, with tickets available here.
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
1 – Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre
2 – Birmingham, Town Hall
3 – Glasgow, Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom
4 – Manchester,| Manchester Factory International, Aviva Studios
6 – Bristol, Bristol Beacon
7 – London, The London Palladium
The post Olly Alexander on his “anti-‘Brat’ summer” and ’80s-inspired new album ‘Polari’ appeared first on NME.
Andrew Trendell
NME
