Perfume Genius and the Knocks have linked up to cover Bronski Beat's absolute classic "Smalltown Boy." Produced by the Knocks with vocals from Perfume Genius's Mike Hadreas, the cover stays loyal to the original while adding subtle layers of synth and electronic texture, the Knocks having revisited the "Smalltown Boy" master tapes.
"We wanted to really keep it close to the original but just give it a little more of a modern dance floor feel," explained Ben Ruttner from the Knocks in a statement. "Perfume Genius already brings such a cool new element to it, so we just wanted to support his voice as much as possible while giving it a little bit of the Knocks dance pop touch. That main synth sound is so iconic, so we wanted that to be the main star of the show, still."
Hadreas added: "When you're trying to sing an iconic song, you want to make sure that you can do it justice and then also add your own information without fucking with it too much, you know? So, it's a tall order but I was really, really excited."
Bronski Beat's Jimmy Somerville said of the new version: "It's like a beautiful echo coming back after travelling a long and eventful distance."
First released in 1984, Bronski Beat's debut single blew up all over again thanks to the #80sDanceTrend on TikTok, which exposed the hit to a whole new generation of listeners, as well as a recent sync in Love Lies Bleeding. The song returned to the UK Top 100, where it remained throughout the summer.
"I think the song definitely carries meaning in 2024," said JPatt of the Knocks. "That's part of the reason we are doing the rework. The song itself is amazing, but the meaning behind it is what makes it a timeless classic. Even with all the strides the LGBTQI+ community has made in the past 40 years, there are tons of queer folk living in small towns that don't feel seen or supported within those communities. As long as that still exists, this song will always be relevant."
Hadreas added: "I think I always have hope, and I think my experience is that all of my friends in the community do, too. We're good at it. In the face of whatever. In the face of nothing. In the face of a lot. We're good at having hope, and we're good at building it up and finding where it is."
The Knocks and Perfume Genius's version of "Smalltown Boy" also appears on the upcoming 40th anniversary reissue of Bronski Beat's debut album The Age of Consent, out October 18 via London Records.
Check out the cover below.