LONDON (AP) — Chicken Kiev, AI-generated press releases and the annoyance of fan selfies while performing — there was a lot on the minds of the Pet Shop Boys as the iconic British duo prepared to release a new album. Their 15th studio album, “Nonetheless,” comes Friday — 40 years (and 50 million record sales) after Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe rose to fame with the single “West End Girls.” Bands of any longevity — especially such a long one — are often asked the cliche: “How do you stay relevant?” For them, it’s about never trying to be cool. “That’s something a lot of people try and do, to be somehow cool, which is therefore completely uncool, because it’s trying too hard,” Tennant told The Associated Press recently. “So we have just followed our own instincts.” “We’ll always be relevant in our world,” Lowe added, laughing. A testament of that relevance? Classic Pet Shop Boys hits were used as plot points in two cult movies last year: a karaoke scene in “Saltburn” featuring “Rent” and a key Christmas scene in “All of Us Strangers” soundtracked by “Always on My Mind.” |
China Claims 5th Straight Women's Title at Table Tennis Team WorldsChina Reaches Quarterfinals at Women's Volleyball Worlds with StraightChina Focus: China Steps up Protecting Vulnerable Groups amid COVIDEthnic Minority Group in China's Heilongjiang Welcomes Upcoming Chinese Lunar New YearChina Reaches First Women's Basketball World Cup Semifinals in 28 YearsFarmers Busy with Agricultural Activities on Cold Dew Across ChinaChina Issues Guideline to Strengthen Conservation of Water, SoilChina Actively Optimizes COVIDChina's ShenzhouChina Gears up for Graduate School Entrance Exam