Today, Sparks has shared “My Devotion,” which is the latest single from their upcoming album, MAD!, that will be out on May 23, through Transgressive Records. Following the ditty “Drowned In A Sea Of Tears,” “My Devotion” is a piece of steady and stately chamber pop for synthesizers, featuring suitably hymnal multi-tracked vocals.
The song takes a wry and timely look at performative adoration in the era of hyper-nationalism and obsessive fandom, whether to a nation, religion, brand or even a sports team. Very few artists have had as much influence on decades of popular music as Sparks, as the duo has moved from the glam-rock of 1974’s hit record, Kimono My House, to the Giorgio Moroder-produced electronic disco of 1979’s No.1 In Heaven, to the sampler opera of 2002’s Lil’ Beethoven.
MAD! finds Ron and Russell examining cultural phenomena such as branded backpacks, tattoos and the hegemony of banter. The satire is never on-the-nose, always retaining enough ambiguity for the listener to fill in the blanks. The exquisitely unusual lexicon and cultural references leap out on every listen.
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