You may have noticed EQ Music Blog went on a break from transmissions last week (some much-needed maintenance and tweaking from behind the scenes needed, to be carried out.) Rather like one of our favourite pop bands Years & Years who took some time out from the public gaze, we are both pleased to be back today continuing what we love doing the most, sharing new music. While we’ve been undergoing a bit of a blog site M.O.T., Olly, Emre and Mikey of Years & Years gave the world an introduction to their sophomore album, in the form of new single “Sanctify“. Deeming this a category one type of pop emergency, I wasn’t going to allow the bands latest monster cut to miss out on receiving its dose of EQ Music Blog praise.
Since debut album “Communion” sent the London synth-pop trio stratospheric, the glitzy disco bop “Meteorite” from the movie “Bridget Jones’s Baby” is the only new material we have heard from the band. On Wednesday 7th, March after a series of brief video trailers, Years & Years gave us what we’ve been waiting for, a gleaming new single which revealed slight tweaks to the bands signature soulful, electronic sound. Premiering, as the Hottest Record in the World with Annie Mac on Radio One, “Sanctify” ushered in a new era driven by a strong visual concept and an electronically sonic undercurrent.
Speaking about the track on a YouTube clip, Olly explained that all the videos in the upcoming album campaign feature a fantasy world called Palo Santo. The singer commented, “Sanctify” is the first window to the world, and is a place similar to the world we have now, but like a parallel universe.” I think the actor in Olly, relishes the opportunity to dive right into a running theme or concept within his work. The production and budget, is obviously, a step up from three years ago. However, Olly’s contemporary dance routines remain, at the centre of attention and he uses the artistic medium to maximise the creative expression while bringing about a fully immersive, visual kind of experience.
The single is definitely, a bop and seamlessly eases us into the next chapter of Years & Years but you also are left with the feeling, that we are being teased with a little snippet of what’s in the full-tank making up album number two. I’m quietly confident single number three will be the pinnacle of, where the follow-up, long player is striving to go, and we will have the next “King“.
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