LISTEN: This ’80s pop gem by Tiffany was an anthem for young gays pining away
Tiffany song that makes us want an Orange Julius real bad!We all remember the teenage ’80s pop sensation who toured malls across America before capturing our hearts (and the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100) with “I Think We’re Alone Now.”The thumping and suggestive dance track has long outlived the era of Radio Shack and Waldenbooks, with syncs in Ted and The Umbrella Academy, not to mention remixes in gay clubs around the world.But the synthy anthem, which poked fun at the “prohibition of teenage sex,” wasn’t Tiffany’s only contribution to the gay lexicon, nor was it even her first single.
Before the California-born singer had us second-guessing dark corners, her heart was bleeding over a boy in “Danny.”While the dramatic and kick-drum heavy bop never received a music video and failed to chart, its haunting production and wizened lyrics will still resonate with anyone who’s crushed on a prideful man like Danny.
Much like “I Think We’re Alone Now,” which spoke to a generation of queer teens “trying to get away into the night,” Tiffany’s desperate plea to a boy on “Danny” also struck a chord with closeted young gay men who harbored secret, school-age crushes.
Just look at the material: “If we don’t look back / On the price we pay / Well that’s all I ask / ’Cause we’ll never make it this way.” We know closeted yearning when we see it!
