“Beautiful James”. That’s the title of the new song of Placebo, their first single in five years, when they released “Jesus’ Son” (2016). The famous Brit-rockers made a statement, which accompanied the release: “It is with some poignancy then that new single Beautiful James arrives, born into a world that is as divided as it has ever been. Against the backdrop of splintering global relations, unchallenged online abuse and widespread fear among the narrow-minded of what they cannot understand, Beautiful James brings with it a message of defiance that seeks to normalize and celebrate non-heteronormative relationships in song. Created through the glaze of insomnia, the band turned their creative process on its head in order to bring Beautiful James to life. It meant approaching their work together in a new way, which began first with photographic imagery and a song title that evoked a certain feeling – long before any music was written. The resulting song is as powerful as it is tender – a resolutely defiant and ultimately necessary piece of art”.
Placebo announced in May 2021 that their eighth studio album had been completed, and was being “primed for release”. However, there have been no announcements of a title, tracklist or release date for the forthcoming album.
