| "Dancing Star" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byPet Shop Boys | ||||
| from the albumNonetheless | ||||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | 3 April 2024 (2024-04-03) | |||
| Recorded | 2023 | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 3:01 | |||
| Label | x2 | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | James Ford | |||
| Pet Shop Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Dancing Star" onYouTube | ||||
"Dancing Star" (stylised in sentence case) is a song by Englishsynth-pop duoPet Shop Boys from their fifteenth studio album,Nonetheless (2024). It was released on 3 April 2024 as the album's second single.
The song was written byNeil Tennant andChris Lowe. It tells the story of preeminent dancerRudolf Nureyev, who defected from the Soviet Union in the 1960s and became a star withThe Royal Ballet.[1] The lyrics open with the mention of theAmalfi Coast where Nureyev had bought theGallo Lungo island and spent the final years of his life. The song also alludes to the dancer'sbisexuality.[2]
The track has sounds of waves and seagulls from Lowe's original demo about the beach.[3]
"Dancing Star" was released digitally on 3 April 2024 as the second single preceding the duo's albumNonetheless. The song entered the top 40 on the UK and German download charts. Following the single's CD release on 5 May 2024,[1] the song reached number one on the UK singles sales chart.
"Dancing Star" received positive feedback from music publications, with critics describing it as "sublime",[4] "euphoric",[5] and one of the standouts onNonetheless.[6] John Murphy ofMusicOMH described it as "a banger – instantly catchy and with a melody that nods toMadonna's "Holiday"."[7] Other reviewers also noted similarities to the duo's 1988 hit "Domino Dancing".[8][9]
Themusic video was directed by Luke Halls Studio and includes historic footage of Nureyev dancing.[10]
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Downloads (GfK Entertainment)[13] | 39 |
| UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[14] | 34 |
| UK Singles Sales (Official Charts Company)[15] | 1 |
| UK Physical Singles (Official Charts Company)[16] | 1 |