LISTEN: The subversive queerness of Placebo’s bisexual anthem ‘Nancy Boy’
Emerging at the end of the Britpop era in the late 1990s, Placebo, a British alternative rock band, made a bold statement with their brash, angsty, and sexually ambiguous image.
Fronted by openly bisexual singer Brian Molko, they shattered the norms of the time and infused the spirit of gothic glam into the post-grunge landscape.
Among their repertoire, one song stood out as a manifestation of their identity and vision: the breakthrough single, “Nancy Boy.”“Nancy Boy” encapsulated Placebo’s rejection of Britpop’s machismo and binary ethos while making a strong political statement about the fluidity of sexuality.
Molko fed a desire to confuse and provoke through their image, fashion, and makeup, with the song becoming a perfect soundtrack to their mission.The track itself was a three-minute rush of angry, punk-infused guitar noise, driven by Molko’s quivering vocals.
