Michelle Visage is truly living the STEPS stan-tasy.
While most of us might know her best (or, at least, most frequently) as RuPaul‘s green-averse right-hand as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race for the past decade, others will remember – certainly thanks to the roast episodes in particular – that Michelle was also briefly part of a girl group called Seduction in the late ’80s-to-early ’90s. (Watch this medley!) She also commands an entirely capable voice – her “Silent Night” rendition! – and can certainly hold her own in pop star mode.
That brings us to the present day (April 1): a collaboration with STEPS in the form of “Heartbreak in This City.”. And no, it’s no April Fool’s Day joke.
Born after pitching the idea to work together after an Instagram Live interview to promote their latest album What the Future Holds last year, the collaboration also marks STEPS’ first…ever, after over two decades strong in the game.
It’s also now the official first taste of the group’s What The Future Holds Pt. 2, an entirely new follow-up to STEPS’ 2020 studio album, due out on September 10. (Shakira‘s Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 & 2 are shaking.)
After releasing the song in February, the troupe just dropped the accompanying music video on Thursday (April 1), along with the exciting album news. (More on that in a moment.)
Sadly, due to COVID restrictions, the legendary Lisa Scott-Lee was forced to shoot her parts closer to home in Dubai (a very Totally Scott-Lee kind of storyline), which resulted in Michelle stepping in to form a full fivesome at the video’s main shoot at Heartbreak HQ in Manchester.
But distance can’t hold a dance routine down: the general gist is that Special Agent Visage is sent by Special Agent Scott-Lee to Heartbreak HQ (passcode: 5, 6, 7, 8 – we love a REFERENCE!) in order to, uh, detect instances in heartbreaks in this city.
While I don’t quite understand the exact science or nature of their work, I have to imagine the scene looked quite similar while the scientists ran clinical trials for the coronavirus vaccine. Or perhaps this is all part of the fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ScottLeeVision. Who can be sure?
It goes without saying that the agents operating in the headquarters – H, Lee, Faye and Claire – all look fantastic as ever in their Serious Researcher mode, providing Fifth Harmony–as-construction-workers levels of scientific competence.
As the guest star, Michelle certainly steals the show again and again, especially with her new, chic signature silver streak that’s carried across several seasons of Drag Race at this point. She more than holds her own when it comes down to cranking out the choreography. She’s also loving every moment of it: “Michelle From Steps has arrived!” she declared.
It’s all very fun, fabulous and very much looking camp right in the eye.
And there’s still so much more to come from the 11-track album, including a song called “Take Me For a Ride” from the co-writers of classics like “One for Sorrow” and “Deeper Shade of Blue,” as well as “A Hundred Years of Winter,” an “icy electronic anthem” from the legendary Darren Hayes. (!) Plus, a second CD of remixes and acoustic versions!
STEPS got us through the pandemic in 2020 with their unexpectedly timely, anxiety-riddled anthem – which means, according to my own calculations, they’re also the only ones who can get us out.
