The evolution of Darren Hayes continues to flourish with the release of the iconic artist’s new album Homosexual, his first in over 10 years. The album is available to buy and stream here. Current single All You Pretty Things can be listened to here.
The phenomenal album was entirely written, performed and produced by Darren Hayes over the past two years from his base of Los Angeles. Speaking of the record, Darren beautifully describes the thinking behind the title and more:
“I named my album ‘Homosexual’ for a variety of reasons. The most obvious, is that I’m a gay man who grew up in an era when that word was used to shame and vilify people like me, so I wanted to reclaim it. I’m also a recording artist who came up in an era where being openly gay was frowned upon and I experienced first-hand, the attempted erasure of my true identity from the marketing department of a major record label. But perhaps the most important reason I chose this title is that in 2022 I’m living in a time and in a country where the freedoms of LGBTQI+ people are more at risk than they’ve ever been.
So on the front cover of my album, I’m proudly lounging upon my version of a stairway to heaven. Blazoned across me, in the brightest hot pink neon, is a word the 11-year-old me used to be terrified of. I lounge proudly underneath the electric buzz of this symbol, this term that used to be used to denigrate people like me. Now it’s my word. Now it means whatever I want it to mean. If you haven’t worked it out yet, I think it means something magical, amazing, unique and essential.
My name is Darren Hayes. And I’m a proud Homosexual”.
The record follows in the tradition of true break-away solo projects, as Hayes explains, “This feels like my first solo record in some ways because it’s the first time I’ve been able to sit down in the studio with drum machines and synthesizers and create a body of work completely on my own. That process brought me back to my teen experience of listening to albums like ‘Faith’ by George Michael or ’Sign O The Times’ by Prince. I wanted to convey that same feeling of real intimacy and complete artistic control and artistic freedom. Having been away from the world for 10 years, doing this seemed like the only thing I hadn’t done yet in my career and the feeling of rebellious emancipation was something that I was desperate to experience in both my personal and public life”.
The album is available on multiple formats including a 14-track digital version, and 13-track CD, standard double vinyl and signed, limited, deluxe double vinyl. The standard vinyl features turquoise coloured vinyl and inner sleeves with unique artwork. The signed deluxe double vinyl is strictly limited to 1000 and has peach coloured vinyl, a gatefold cover with unique artwork and an 8-page lyric booklet. The Album can be purchased / streamed now here.
The album features the stunning, emotive single, All You Pretty Things, which sees Darren paying tribute to not only some of the LGBTQI+ pioneers but also those who sadly lost their lives in the awful shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando Florida in 2016. The single followed three tasters to the album in the form of the strikingly personal Let’s Try Being In Love, Do You Remember? and Poison Blood.
Darren will also be heading out on his Do You Remember? UK tour next year. The tour celebrates 25 years of Savage Garden, Darren’s well-established solo career and more. Ticket sales went so well that extra dates were announced, pre-sales sold out in a matter of minutes and Birmingham, London and Manchester are sold out. To purchase tickets, visit www.gigsandtours.com, www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.darrenhayes.com.
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