Coming off the very potent punch of his last single, “Superhero” — and, as careful readers will note, that song was described as like “being punched in the face… IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE” — everyone’s favorite boy robot, Simon Curtis, has released his new single, “Flesh.”
“Flesh” is dark and glitchy and probably the sexiest thing that he’s ever done, as an artist. (As a person, the sexiest thing Simon Curtis has ever done is exist, because, well, if you had seen him prowl around a dingy nightclub in Brooklyn at 4 a.m. like I did on one very memorable night in April, you’d quickly realize that no one will ever be quite as sexy as Simon.)
The song has shades of Britney’s “Inside Out,” and also evokes the grimy industrial fuck-the-pain-away melancholy of Darren Hayes’ The Tension and the Spark (“I Like the Way,” in particular), before exploding into a thunderous house track just shy of the three-minute mark, a shift which injects the song with a very different kind of energy.
As a sonic experience, it’s much more innovative than “Superhero,” which was fairly straightforward by comparison. “Flesh” takes risks, with the explicit sexuality of its lyrics, with the processed falsetto vocals, with the sheer shameless sleaziness of the production — and Simon’s willingness to take those risks (as assisted by longtime producer Jeff “Jadion” Wells, whose work here is as excellent as it’s ever been) makes the song one of the more exciting things I’ve heard this year. If it’s any indication of what to expect from his forthcoming album RA, then those of us who have been following his career for years will have much to celebrate.
Basically, the song is fucking amazing, and if you haven’t bought it on iTunes yet, please take the opportunity to do so now.
“Flesh” was released on May 31. (iTunes)