Rick Astley Releases First Single In 17 Years, Thanks To The Internet

video

by Frances Martel | 2:16 pm, September 4th, 2010

» 17 comments

Pretty sure we can call this one a comeback: After 17 years, British one-hit wonder turned unwitting Internet phenom Rick Astley has returned for his sophomore effort. Great to have you back, Rick! We need more gingers in the business. But let’s face it: would any of this be happening without the Rickroll?

I’ll let you evaluate the quality of Astley’s new music yourselves below (personally, I’m a much bigger fan of his more dance-oriented ’80s fare), but there’s a very important media story in the fact that Astley bothered to make a new video at all. Before the “Rickroll” phenomenon happened, Astley had no interest in continuing a music career. For one, he seemed completely confused by the fact that people cared about him at all when Rickrolling went mainstream.

In 2008, Astley said that he was completely perplexed by Rickrolling: “If this had happened around some kind of rock song, with a lyric that really meant something — a Bruce Springsteen, “God bless America” … or an anti-something kind of song, I could kind of understand that. But for something as, and I don’t mean to belittle it, because I still think it’s a great pop song, but it’s a pop song; do you know what I mean? It doesn’t have any kind of weight behind it, as such. But maybe that’s the irony of it.”

And he also said he wouldn’t really consider coming back to music because, well, “it’s almost a young person’s thing, that.” If he had no intention whatsoever of returning to music– and the fact that he was silent for 17 years seems to back that claim up– then started appearing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (by surprise, of course) and slowly embracing a return to the spotlight, it comes to follow that this return would have never happened without the Internet tempting him back.

So, internet: next time you decide to pluck a random ’80s one-hit wonder out of obscurity in the form of obnoxious yet somehow deeply satisfying prank, think it through. You never know what you’ll unleash on the unsuspecting masses. Again.

Here’s Astley’s new single, “Lights Out.” It’s very Clay Aiken. Video below:

[h/t Pink is the New Blog]

Memes, Rick Astley, Rick Astley New Song, rickroll

shootfromthehip

The song and video have been out for months.

“PinkIsTheNewBlog” is hardly a go to source for timely news items?
shootfromthehip

That said, I welcome the Rickster back!

And agree with this Frances:

“I’m a much bigger fan of his more dance-oriented ’80s fare.”
Frances Martel

Yeah, well, some of us were too busy the past two-three years waiting for the new Duran Duran record to drop to notice (seriously guys, how long does it take to write ten songs?)
shootfromthehip

Simon LeBon has been too busy cheating on various girlfriends and wives.

No time for recording!
jk76

the world just got rickrolled
http://www.facebook.com/people/Joanne-Cole/699122602 Joanne Cole

Just to point out Rick was never a one hit wonder, he had 8 top ten hits in the UK and his first 2 songs went to number 1 in the US.
miaqwmiaqu1

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winot

Not to mention it’s not his sophomore effort
http://www.libertarianism.com/ Burnnotice

I love it! but I can’t see how this song will ever go to Number one. I don’t hear no driving BOOM, BOOM, bass beat or record scratching in the background, or growling.. he is actually singing!!!!.
http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Sherman/1491106971 David Sherman

Agree with Joanne above — not fair to call Rick a one-hit wonder! Several Top 40 hits in U.S.
nana09

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jrd

I’m a Rick Astley fan. It’s nice to see him singing again.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Gary-Chapman/1658327439 Gary Chapman

Rick Astley….Internet Superhero. I’d much rather listen to him than almost anything else on the radio today.
Bunny

Well, dang, I was hoping for a duet with Taylor Dayne….pfffft! He still has a great voice. I remember the first time I saw one of his videos and tried to reconcile that huge, deep, booming voice with that skinny little red-headed guy.

I so love music and thought I’d never be one of those who wasn’t into all the current stuff, but alas…it has happened. Maybe it’s just generational. My granny who used to tell me, “Turn that horrible racket off!” (Usually my LedZep, which sounded better through headphones anyway…hmph). And now, I guess I am just like her, telling my son, “Turn that M&M noise down!”

Shoot. I think I just depressed myself. Oh well, might as well put my teeth in a jar and go with the flow…

GET OFF MY LAWN (and take your crappy post-80s music with you)!
Corvax

One hit wonder? What do you call “Together Forever”? TWO HIT WONDER!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Theresa-Archey/1386015558 Theresa Archey

One hit wonder ? You’re kidding , right ? Rick Astley (still) holds the record for the longest string of number releases to hit number 1 , in the US and UK .
Next time do some research . There’s a library on his site . (rickastley.co.uk)
By the way Rick has a 2nd release this year , called Goodbye but not the end .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiE__eaOpIA
johnnymorales

Too bad so many people prefer to indulge in cynicism and make jokes about the music.

Then ironically complain today’s music sucks.

Perhaps one reason is so much of what people feel about music is tied to self-image self-esteem and few want to say anything good about a song not already declared “a winner” by the media.

Only the marketers win because of this.

Because they long ago co-opted the music market and know to declare “winners” (as many rap songs are today) to claim the millions who won’t stand up and say I like this to any song based only on what they feel and not what the media says they should feel.

it’s a beautiful song, and he shows off his voice far more than the dance songs n the 80s where they made him sing baritone.

If there is a flaw it’s that for the American Market this sort of music has long since been crowded out of the popular marketplace by Rap and Hip Hop now the reigning forms of pop music.