Olly Alexander unveils video for ‘Polari’ lead single ‘Cupid’s Bow’

Olly Alexander (formerly of Years & Years) has dropped a new video to accompany recent single ‘Cupid’s Bow’, the first track to be lifted from his next solo album - and the first under his own name - ‘Polari’ (out on 7th February 2025 via Polydor Records). 

Drawing on notions of fate to explore intimacy and desire, the lustful visualiser depicts its title character meeting his romantic match in Archangel, asking the viewer to consider, as Olly puts it: “who is pursuing who in this fateful tête à tête.”

‘Polari’ will act as a follow up to 2022’s ‘Night Call’, and was brought to life by Olly and his close collaborator Danny L Harle. Set to explore notions of identity, self-expression, and community through the medium of unapologetic electro-pop, it takes its name from the slang language polari, which was used by homosexual people as early as the 1600s to communicate with one another. 

Though not widely known about, the influence of polari is still present in language today (for example, the terms ‘drag’, ‘naff’, and ‘trade’), and Olly’s new album will similarly draw a throughline between queer pop artists of the past and the modern day via ’80s-influenced club sounds. 

You can watch the new video for ‘Cupid’s Bow’ and check out ‘Polari”s tracklist below. 

‘Polari’ tracklisting:
1. ‘Polari’
2. ‘Cupid’s Bow’
3. ‘I Know’
4. ‘Shadow Of Love’
5. ‘Make Me A Man’
6. ‘Dizzy’
7. ‘Archangel’
8. ‘Miss You So Much’
9. ‘When We Kiss’
10. ‘Whisper’
11. ‘Beautiful’
12.‘Heal You’
13‘Language’