MGMT have returned with “Dancing In Babylon,” a duet with Christine & the Queens that serves as the New York pop duo’s final single before the release of their new album, Loss Of Life, on February 23.
The new song finds its foundation in the sophisti-pop of the ’80s without lazily throwing back to it. Andrew VanWyngarden instantly finds a melodic camaraderie with Chris, their melodies swan-diving comfortably into the pockets left by the other. “Me and Michael” showed how MGMT shined by embracing synthy, unambiguous love ballads, and “Dancing In Babylon” stays in that lane while speeding gloriously forward.
“I always loved MGMT’s multiverse,” Chris said in a press statement, “their freedom and talent, their limpid songwriting and killer soundscapes. Regal, inspiring. When they reached out for this power ballad, I was honored and also excited to dive into their dream, because I have the same all-encompassing approach with my work. MGMT called the collaboration “a prodigious affair (love), requiring everyone involved to operate in six dimensions at once, all while simultaneously making a simple turkey sandwich with Dijon mustard.”
Ray Tintori directs the music video, which places a romance inside of a Edge of Tomorrow-style military that may or may not be the plot of a video game. A performance from MGMT and Chris is intercut along with cameos from actor/director John Cameron Mitchell and Julian Morris, star of Pretty Little Liars.
“We are very proud of this album,” MGMT continued in the statement, “and the fact that it was a relatively painless birth after a lengthy gestation period, and are happy to be releasing this baby into the world with Mom + Pop. Musically speaking, we are running at around 20% adult contemporary and no more than this, please.”
