Although the track "Invisible" was released a little earlier with a corresponding video clip, "Winner" is the actual first single from the Pet Shop Boys forthcoming new album Elysium. The song has been out for a few weeks now but the video has made its debut today and it's probably not what you would be expecting.
The assumption was this track had an obvious Olympic tie-in. The cover art certainly suggests that and there are rumors PSB will perform at the closing ceremonies in London this summer. So I'm sure an Olympic themed music video for the uplifting song was the safe choice. Instead, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have released a video chronicling the London Rollergirls, an all-female roller derby league in the UK, and the efforts of a trans-gender woman trying to fit into the league. Leave it to Pet Shop Boys to not take the easy way out. I applaud the message but as a music video, this falls kind of flat. I'm not a big fan of the dialogue over the music and it's not one that entices me to watch again.
The single, however, has grown on me. No, it's not their strongest lead-off single, but the shining chorus is undeniably catchy, the type of thing this legendary synth-pop duo has been doing for over 30 years now. Elysium is due to be released in the U.S. September 18, 2012 on Astralwerks.
Comments