“I was so excited to play him, but I was so annoyed at some of the choices he made – like the fact he voted Tory,” says Alexander.
In the phenomenal Channel 4 drama that aired at the start of last year, he played Ritchie, a charming yet complicated aspiring actor who struggles with, then revels in, his sexuality amid the Aids crisis of the 80s. His stardom reached new heights with It’s a Sin. “I didn’t imagine myself doing what I’m doing now, but I’ve definitely discovered myself along the way. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been trying to learn an instrument or write a song,” he says. Growing up, Alexander went through phases of wanting to be a pop star, musician or actor – someone who had a talent, whom others respected. Now that Years & Years is just me, I’m really committed to making it as queer and excellent as possible”. I am so determined to push it to the next level, though.
The success of Night Call (it topped the UK album charts when it was released in January) helped stem those fears, as he says: “I always feel like I’ve got to prove myself no matter what. The pulsating “Starstruck” is about being head over heels “Crave” is a wide-eyed anthem of longing “Make it Out Alive” blends doom with twinkling escapism.įor a brief moment, Alexander wanted to use this tour as a chance to prove he could do it alone – but “not so much any more”. It is an album born from loneliness, designed to bring people together.
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It was all about fantasy.”įantastical and bold, Night Call is full of rave-ready pop anthems about lust, love and physicality. I was having very little sex and very little intimacy, so it was almost like I was playing a character. I felt lost and not very confident when I wrote it. Night Call is a very liberated, good-time album about a good night out. “There will be elements that will really shock people, but it’s never explicit. “It’s definitely a very sexual show,” he says. That New Year’s Eve show, he continues, “was just a practice run” compared with the tour. I’m not going to shut up about being gay, or being sexy either.” I don’t make explicit political statements in my music, but by being who I am, I’m trying to do my own Trojan Horse-style subversion. “They see me saying something about non-binary people on TV, and to them, that’s offensive. “179 people complained I was too sexy!” he tweeted a few days later.Īlexander says those complaints were “typical” of the kind of knee-jerk criticism that every LGTBQ+ person has to endure. Apparently, seeing Alexander perform emotional, pulsating pop with Kylie Minogue and the Pet Shop Boys was too much for some people. There are no plans to tone things down – even after the BBC’s Big New Years & Years Eve Party drew official complaints. “It’s definitely going to be a spectacle,” he says. He has already nailed one death-defying magic trick, and one week before the tour kicks off, has decided he might try to learn another. That excitement, that lust for life, and the jubilance of the music remains.įor the Night Call tour, Alexander has been trying to challenge himself. “ has been an Olly endeavour and we’ve decided that Years & Years will continue as an Olly solo project,” read the statement. Then in 2021, it was announced that founding members Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen would also be leaving. They were down to three members by the time they released their glitzy 2015 chart-topping debut album Communion (including breakout singles “Desire” and “King”), which was followed in 2018 by the dance-pop party of Palo Santo. Back then, they were an indie-leaning electro-pop five-piece. Years & Years have been going for more than a decade now – but are very different to when they formed in 2010. “This must be what ‘experience’ feels like.” I just have this faith that everything will work out in the end.” He takes a second.
I’m used to freaking out and knowing that nothing makes sense until the last minute. “Almost every day I think to myself, ‘What have I got myself in for?’” he says via video call from his rehearsal space. If you couldn’t tell, this era of Years & Years is pure pop star. The leg pain is not helped by the massive, thigh-high boots he will wear on stage and the fact he has been running on a treadmill while singing to improve his stamina – a lesson he learnt from Beyoncé. “It’s a very thigh-heavy show,” he says with a laugh. All yesterday, he was in rehearsals for Years & Years’ Night Call tour, and he is feeling it this morning.
Olly Alexander has been suffering for his art.