Breaking away from the restraints and, as he describes, the ‘controlling image’ of a major label at the beginning of his career, Hayes’ path of self-discovery and reclamation of his truth has been one that fans have been able to see flourish in recent years. With Homosexual, Hayes is reclaiming a word that was used to shame and vilify. Now, fans and industry alike are introduced to the Darren Hayes who has always been there – yet here, he is at his most vulnerable, most engaging, and most vital.Through each of the 14 tracks on Homosexual, Hayes is in confession mode, revisiting his painful teenage years, examining his relationship to his sexuality and reclaiming the experience of surviving a violent childhood and bullying; ridding himself of shame through the lens of queer joy. There’s a deliberate nostalgic musical nod to the safety of the pre-2000’s dance floors and queer sub-cultures that were the soundtrack to his personal coming out story. It’s also a deeply personal insight into relationships at mid-life, set against a musical backdrop of synth wave and post-disco. “I named my album ‘Homosexual’ for a variety of reasons,” shares Hayes. “The most obvious is that I’m a gay man who grew up in an era when that word was used to shame and vilify people like me, so I wanted to reclaim it. I’m also a recording artist who came up in an era where being openly gay was frowned upon and I experienced firsthand, the attempted erasure of my true identity from the marketing department of a major record label. But perhaps the most important reason I chose this title is that in 2022, I’m living in a time and in a country where the freedoms of LGBTQI+ people are more at risk than they’ve ever been. Moments like the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in Florida, or the constant attacks on trans people, have made it clear to me that now is the time to be as loud as possible about who I am. So on the front cover of my album, I’m proudly lounging upon my version of a stairway to heaven. Emblazoned across me, in the brightest hot pink neon, is a word the 11 year old me used to be terrified of. I lounge proudly underneath the electric buzz of this symbol, this term that used to be used to denigrate people like me. Now it’s my word. Now it means whatever I want it to mean. If you haven’t worked it out yet, I think it means something magical, amazing, unique and essential. My name is Darren Hayes. And I’m a proud Homosexual.”
Hayes first introduced the music off Homosexual with the release of the vibrant club banger “Do You Remember?” and the effervescent “Let’s Try Being In Love”. Elsewhere on the album is the deeply personal single and music video “Poison Blood” articulating Hayes’ experience with depression and suicide, and “All You Pretty Things,” his tribute to the 49 lives lost in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida and his love letter to the LGBTQ community and its pioneers, past and present, responsible for the freedoms we have today, calling for us to celebrate the memory of the lives lost through dance. PRESS HERE to watch the music video for “All You Pretty Things.” Through nostalgic, feel-good dance-pop, the Australian singer is reclaiming his time on his terms, inspiring listeners to do the same and live authentically. Full track listing for Homosexual below. In addition to the three new shows for North America, the multi-award winning songwriter and performer will return to Australian and UK stages for the first time in over a decade in January and February 2023 with his ‘Do You Remember?’ Tour – 25 Years Of Savage Garden, Solo Hits And More. For more information and ticket info, visit www.darrenhayes.com.
Homosexual marks a dynamic new era for Hayes both sonically and artistically as he celebrates his 20th year as a solo recording artist as well as the 25th anniversary of Savage Garden’s acclaimed debut, self-titled album. Savage Garden (Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones) rose to fame in the late 90s courtesy of their hits “Truly Madly Deeply,”“I Knew I Loved You,” and “I Want You.” Since its release in 1997, their self-titled debut album has been certified 12x Platinum in Australia, 7x Platinum in the US, and Diamond in Canada. They are one of only two Australian bands to have ever had two #1 singles in the US and are the reigning record-holders for the longest number of weeks on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay charts in the US for their singles “I Knew I Loved You” (124 weeks) and “Truly, Madly, Deeply” (123 weeks). Savage Garden, whose official YouTube channel has amassed nearly 900 million views, is Australia’s biggest and most successful musical duo.
Homosexual Track Listing
- Let’s Try Being In Love
- Do You Remember?
- A Little Death
- Poison Blood
- Hey Matt
- Homosexual (Act One)
- Music Video
- Euphoric Equation
- Nocturnal Animal
- Feels Like It’s Over
- All You Pretty Things
- We Are Alchemists
Darren Hayes North American Tour Dates
Wednesday, April 12 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
Thursday, April 13 – New York, NY @ The Town Hall
Saturday, April 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern