Hana

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Ellis-Bextor and Mercury-nominated solo star, producer and Libertines collaborator Harcourt have previously worked together on 2014’s ‘Wanderlust’ and 2016’s ‘Familia’. The singer told NME that she was drawn to working with Harcourt because he was “the real deal”. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{

I also lost my step-dad not long after that, so there is grief in there – but it’s also about how grief is the other half of love. It’s about the legacy of wanting to carry on and live your best life in their name. It’s all woven in there. Oh, and there’s also a song about aliens.” On the over-arching themes of the record, Ellis-Bextor said: “I started writing it in 2020 just before the world tilted. I was going on a trip with my mum and my eldest boy to Tokyo, and I’d never been. It started off with the idea of somewhere I was visiting and what I thought it would be like. That became a really nice landscape to go to in my mind during the times we couldn’t travel anywhere. No matter what mood I’m at the beginning, I’m always in a the same certain mood at the end. That’s what makes a good song – if it casts the same magic.” Oh golly, either answer to that question is extraordinary – we’re either alone or we’re not alone,” she replied. “The song is this fantasy of aliens who have been watching us for ages and have seen what a state we’ve gotten ourselves into. They look around and say, ‘We can save some of you, we feel sorry for you so let’s start again’.”I love the albums we’ve made together, and we also laugh a lot. He really is criminally underrated, but he has facilitated and supported a lot of artists.” Asked if that hedonistic pop vibe would be inspiring her upcoming seventh album ‘Hana’, she replied: “Actually, no – it’s quite a different mood now! It’s optimistic and it’s pop-y, but it’s also quite psychedelic, proggy and synthy. It was a nice place to put other feelings. It’s also my third album with Ed Harcourt. We’ve plotted a little course, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more bold with making my records and making them a little bit out there. She continued: “Recent times have seen Eurovision artists release amazing songs outside of it and these amazing careers being launched. Sam Ryder’s approach to it last year where we always just so positive and upbeat just saw him really seize the opportunity a bit. This is Ukraine’s Eurovision but held here, so it has other themes going on. It’s not just literally about who’s got a funny outfit on. It’s about linking people together and supporting each other.”

Speaking about choosing her setlist, Ellis-Bextor said: “What makes a good song? Golly. I’m not very good at answering that. All I know is that all my favourite songs work the same magic on me every time I hear them.