SUPER
The Pet Shop Boys album "Super" is their thirteenth studio album, released on
April 1, 2016, on their own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was
recorded in 2015–2016, primarily in Los Angeles, with production by Stuart
Price, continuing the collaboration that began with their previous album Electric (2013). The duo wrote 25 songs
during the creative period, mainly in London and Berlin, ultimately selecting
11 for the album, with a strong emphasis on upbeat electronic dance tracks. The
album is described by Neil Tennant as their "most 'up' record" and
aims to be an evolution of the energetic dance vibe of Electric – essentially “even more electric.”
Recording and Production
Produced entirely by Stuart Price, Super features purely electronic
instrumentation with no traditional instruments, embracing a contemporary
synth-pop and dance music style that incorporates modern electronic textures
and house influences. Recording took place in Price's Los Angeles studio, with
mixing and additional programming handled by him as well. This album forms the
middle part of a trilogy alongside Electric
and Hotspot (2020). The artwork,
designed by Mark Farrow, uses vibrant color variations on the circle motif for
different formats and streaming platforms, projecting a fresh and bold visual
identity.
Happiness
An upbeat, optimistic opener featuring robust synths,
house-influenced beats, and a catchy melody reflecting the album’s theme of
pursuit of joy.
The Pop Kids
Inspired by 1990s club culture and nostalgia, narrating stories of
youth, community, and transformation set over driving synths and euphoric
production.
Twenty-Something
Incorporates reggaeton influences inspired by experiences in
Bogota, blending Latin rhythms with synth-pop production, thematically
portraying the anxieties and uncertainties of young professionals.
Groovy
A catchy, dancefloor-friendly track with funky electronic rhythms
and a playful, flirtatious vibe.
The Dictator Decides
Features sharp, punchy synths and politically tinged lyrics
reflecting contemporary events; the production is aggressive and dynamic.
Pazzo!
An experimental interlude created from repurposed sounds and
samples, offering a brief but intense sonic excursion (“Pazzo” means “crazy” in
Italian).
Inner Sanctum
Imagines the atmosphere of Berlin’s Berghain club, characterized
by deep, hypnotic beats and hypnotic synth layers, evoking a sense of exclusive
nightlife spirituality.
Undertow
Smooth and sensual with atmospheric electronics, enriched by
additional vocals from Jessica Freedman.
Sad Robot World
Inspired by a visit to a Volkswagen plant, the track explores
themes of mechanization and alienation over a mechanical, rhythmic bed of
synths and electronic beats.
Say It to Me
A straightforward, dance-oriented song that combines slick synths
with a compelling groove and direct lyrics.
Burn
A dramatic, synth-heavy closer with emotional weight, layered
production, and themes of destruction and renewal.
Into Thin Air
Pet
Shop Boys seem to imbue this exceedingly romantic notion with something more.
It's this escapist fantasy elevated to near-mystical levels, expressing a
desire to get away from a too often ugly reality, even if that escape is to
nirvanic oblivion.
Interesting Information
·
The album was teased
through an innovative campaign including anonymous posters, street ads, and
social media that asked “What is Super?”
·
The Pet Shop Boys also
performed a residency at the Royal Opera House to showcase the album live.
·
Super includes songs that are inspired by travel experiences, social
commentary, and nocturnal club culture, blending Pet Shop Boys’ sharp lyrical
wit with invigorating dance music.
·
The album debuted at
number three on the UK Albums Chart and reached number one on Billboard’s Top
Dance/Electronic Albums, with the lead single “The Pop Kids” topping the
Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
Summary
Super is considered one of the duo’s most upbeat and
electronically concentrated albums, continuing their successful collaboration
with Stuart Price. It blends euphoric dancefloor energy with smart, often
nostalgic lyrics, articulating a sophisticated celebration of youth, club
culture, and modern life while retaining classic Pet Shop Boys melodic and
lyrical craftsmanship.
Final thoughts….
As with the album “Electric” this album was produced
by Stuart Price and the results are pretty much the same, several unlistenable
tracks on this album “Happiness”, “The Pop Kids” (the track itself is alright
but the production on Neil’s vocals is horrendous), “Groovy” and “Pazzo”, on
the plus side “The Dictator Decides” is an outstanding track and wouldn’t have
been out of place on the album “Introspective”, definitely should have been a
single. Whether another producer would have made this a better album I’m not
sure.
TRACK RATINGS
Each track on
the album is scored on the following basis, an excellent tracks scores 3
points, a good track scores 2 points, an ok track scores 1 point and an awful
track, scores no points, the total is added up and divided by the maximum
number of points that would be available and then times that by 100 to get your
overall score. For example if an album
scores 20 points and there are 10 tracks on the album, that means it can
achieve a maximum score of 30, so divide 20 by 30 and times it by 100, it gives
you a figure of 66.66, which is the final score rating for the album, in this
case you would round it up to 67, if it was 66.33, you would round it down to
66. In the event there is a tie, the album with the most tracks rated at 3
ranks as higher.
Happiness 0
The Pop Kids 0
Twenty-Something 2
Groovy 0
The Dictator Decides 3
Pazzo 0
Inner Sanctum 2
Undertow 2
Sad Robot World 1
Say It To Me 1
Burn 2
Into Thin Air 1
Score 14
FINAL ALBUM RATING 39
Current Album Chart
1. Actually - 80
(6 Tracks Rated As 3)
2. Please - 80
(5 Tracks Rated As 3)
3. Introspective
- 78
4. Fundamental -
77
5. Yes - 76
6. Behaviour - 73
7. Very - 69
8. Release - 57
9. Elysium - 50
10. Bilingual - 47
11. Nightlife - 42
12. Super - 39
13. Electric - 30
