Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’ turns 40 with new reworked version of the gay classic
A post shared by Bronski Beat (@bronskibeatofficial)Before “Born This Way” and “Vogue”, for gays of a certain age there was Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy.”Released on May 25th, 1984, the haunting electro-pop track became an instant gay anthem of LGBTQ+ liberation as it detailed the experience of many queers who left their repressive towns for life in the big city.The video features Bronski Beat lead singer Jimmy Somerville in a semi-autobiographical role as the young man who faces oppression and violence in his small town and eventually finds his tribe as he embarks on a bigger life in London.Subscribe to our newsletter for your front-row seat to all things entertainment with a sprinkle of everything else queer.In the ’80s, the LGBTQ+ community was often still largely silenced and marginalized, but a few poignant moments in pop music marked a shift within queer culture.To celebrate the iconic single and video’s 40th anniversary, London Records has released a new reworked version by London-based DJ and producer ABSOLUTE (a.k.a.
Ant McGinley), known for his past remixes of Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam” and Fever Ray’s “Shiver.”The reworked single is set to the original video and is as powerful as ever.Following the release of the new version, ABSOLUTE shared a poignant message of getting to put his mark on a classic song that is important to so many.“What a very emotional honor to rework one of the greatest tracks of all time, Smalltown Boy,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
