By Finlay Dalziel
Recently, I have seen a lot of online negativity towards Duran Duran. Much of it is well-deserved – not many bands can get away with their notoriously few instances of fan interaction. Nevertheless, Duran Duran have long been my favourite band, and if you’re reading this, I imagine you agree.
However, I was not lucky enough to grow up during their ‘prime’ – being born in 1999, they were never in the charts or news in a same capacity as in 1983. The question is therefore how they have ensured continued relative commercial success, and a place in my Gen Z heart.
On the one hand, DD occasionally demonstrate a knack for predicting future experiences within their lyrics, allowing them to write consistently relatable songs. My favourite examples are ‘Too Much
Information’ and ‘Mars Meets Venus’. The former, allegedly about “commercialisation of the music industry” (thanks, Wikipedia), applies perfectly to the internet. “I hate to bite the hand that feeds
me / too much information” – the Internet seems to bombard us with facts and info constantly. When I hear “The pressure’s on the screen to sell you things that you don’t need”, Wish.com’s ubiquitous Facebook ads spring to mind.
The latter song, from the much-maligned Pop Trash (I love this album, fight me in the comments 😉 ), speaks to my generation of Tindr-users. Mars Meets Venus lists endless personal characteristics in an almost manic fashion, reminiscent of the dating apps and their endless torrent of people selling themselves with short descriptions and questionable photos.
I could go on – ‘Edge of America’, anyone? Without being political, “I’m just a number on the metal fence / which marks the great divide”, and other similar imagery, is reminiscent of Trump’s America. This lyrical projection onto modern life makes the music more personal and accessible, despite its age.
Stylistically, Duran never fail to keep it fresh. They have always been keen to avoid pigeonholing, their debut being a mishmash of inspirations and styles, quick to shed the New Romantic moniker. The difference in sound between Seven and the Ragged Tiger and Notorious is vast, and likewise between Liberty and The Wedding Album. Indeed, when recommending Duran Duran to friends, I find it difficult to label them as an ‘80’s band’, for many of their best songs (in my humble opinion) came later. This is invaluable for a band that has been around some forty years, for there is always an album to match my mood or current taste, and it will keep them commercially relevant for years to come.
Although such variety is important, it is the content of the music which remains paramount. Duran Duran cover topics and feelings which don’t tend to age, whilst avoiding those that do. To use an example of the latter, take one of the many contemporary albums about the Cold War – Alphaville’s excellent ‘Forever Young’ (well worth a listen!). I find that the themes of nuclear war and the Berlin Wall place the album squarely in the year 1984.
DD, however, for better or for worse, tend to avoid politics. This has seen them come under fire. A recent interview with pioneering English synth group Heaven 17 generated claims that the cover for their famous album, ‘The Luxury Gap’ (which spawned the hit ‘Temptation’), was a direct jab at Duran Duran. Whilst the front displays a sunny tropical vista, the back features an industrial dystopia, in order to highlight the alleged disparity between Duran Duran’s rosy vision of the world seen in their music videos, and the reality of Thatcherite Britain. However, Heaven 17’s heavy criticisms of capitalism and credit cards seem outdated today – politics never ages well.
On the contrary, the optimism DD offer is more relevant than ever. Indeed, although their futuristic lyrics and ever-changing style are important, I would suggest that the key to Duran Duran’s longevity is their ability to craft danceable moments of escapism. In the social media age, politics infiltrates our lives more than ever, and DD’s ability to transport us to the Rio Grande, huge concert stadiums, or clubs, is vital. When I close my eyes and listen to ‘Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)’, I am taken to a place and time I wasn’t even alive for. This timeless
appeal to the need to forget the drudgery of life has ensured Duran Duran are just as appealing, and necessary, now as before.
No fight here. I love Pop Trash and cannot fathom why others dismiss it.I was really interested it your perspective as I don’t know of any other fans who are Gen Z.Us older fans tend to love most the songs that transport us to that past, for most it was a great time, being young and all that.Of course I have favorites from their newer albums, but I think you know what I am trying to say.It would be very interesting to read your reviews of the various albums and I’m curious what other songs ‘jumped out’ at you as especially relevant.
I think your blog is very insightful. For me, listening to DD creates a sort of escapist safe space in our increasingly tribal world. I think some of their lyrics are political, but in an offhand, individualistic and non-intrusive way. Their music isn’t tribal. To like Duran Duran you have to be able to think outside of the box. For example, they don’t fit neatly into the “mainstraim” nor into the “alternative” slot. They are a bit of both and neither. People and things that fall between the cracks like that are often the most interesting. ,