Some of my earliest childhood music memories are of Culture Club, the ’80s English pop band fronted by the one and only Boy George. I totally loved 1983’s “Karma Chameleon,” even though I was only seven years old. I also remember getting both Kissing to Be Clever and Colour By Numbers on vinyl, too bad I can’t seem to find them anywhere now. What I loved about him (besides his gorgeous voice) was that he was obviously different, and I knew I was different too so I felt a certain kinship with him. Over the years Boy George has without a doubt had his share of messy problems from substance abuse to run-ins with the law but it seems his finally gotten himself back on track (he looks the best he has in years at age 52), and is gearing up to release a brand-new album.
This Is What I Do is Boy George’s first studio album with original material in 18 years, scheduled for an October 28th release (now available for pre-order on iTunes). The album’s lead single, “King Of Everything” is definitely a highly personal track on which Boy George touches upon his demons and the things that dragged him down, but it’s also a hopeful one and if this song is a sign of things to come, I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.
You can listen to the song below, all set to clips and pictures that span his incredible career which has lasted for over three decades now. A few years ago he was supposed to do a show here in Los Angeles but ended up being canceled due to issues with his visa, I really hope that situation has cleared itself up, I would kill to see him perform live, a childhood dream come true! For those of you lucky enough to be in the UK, Boy George will be doing a number of shows in November, all the details can be found here. It’s thrilling to have Boy George back on the music scene, here’s to the next thirty years!
