Even during the ’90s when sales were often a bit choppier (1993’s popular “Wedding Album” aside), they never catered to grunge or alternative trends like other ’80s groups did they retained their stylish image on their own terms.Įven with their continued success, there have been other bumps in the road. The group was certainly a trendsetter back in the day with songs like “Rio” and “The Wild Boys.” While some might accuse them of trendiness - notably by working with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on their underappreciated 2007 album “Red Carpet Massacre” - part of their secret sauce is no doubt the ability to follow their own sense of style while choosing top-notch collaborators like singer Janelle Monáe, bassist Nile Rodgers and, now, producing legend Giorgio Moroder. Four decades after the release of their self-titled debut album, the band is still procuring mass media exposure, headlining major festivals and appearing on an awards show alongside modern pop icons like BTS, The Weeknd and P!nk. 22, with its first song “Invisible” out this past Wednesday. Their newest effort, “Future Past,” arrives Oct. Time has shown that their blend of pop, rock, dance and funk has an enduring appeal that crosses generations, with their last album, 2015’s “Paper Gods,” going Top 10 in America and Top 5 in the U.K. But the band continued pounding out albums and scoring hits, and this Sunday’s live performance at the Billboard Music Awards with Blur’s Graham Coxon proves just how wrong the naysayers were. When Duran Duran jumped onto the global music stage in the early 1980s, critics dismissed them as just another teen boy group, albeit with good musical chops, who were most likely the flavor of the moment. ET/5 PT.By Bryan Reesman, journalist and cultural critic The Billboard Music Awards, hosted for the first time this year by Nick Jonas, will broadcast live on NBC in all time zones from L.A.’s Microsoft Theater on May 23 at 8 p.m.
Their second, “Rio,” is the subject of a just-released book in the 33 1/3 series by Annie Zaleski, also titled “Rio.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of Duran Duran’s first album.
Others on the bill include fellow headliners Liam Gallagher, Snow Patrol and David Guetta, plus Tom Jones, Supergrass, Primal Scream and Sam Fender. “We were gearing up with a lot of shows, like a lot of other artists, and had to put everything on hold.” The keyboard player was doing the interview to promote an ambient side project he is doing with Wendy Bevan, “Astronomia.”īesides Coxon, other collaborators that have been mentioned for the upcoming album include Mark Ronson (who co-produced their previous effort), Erol Alkan, Giorgio Moroder and Lykke Li.ĭuran Duran will be getting its performing sea legs back in preparation for an appearance this September at the Isle of Wight Festival, where they’ll headline the final night of the four-day fest. “Before the pandemic struck, there was a new Duran Duran almost finished,” Nick Rhodes told Vogue in April. The single Duran Duran will be premiering will advance a new album, the band’s first since 2015’s “Paper Gods.”