Unexpected after 18 years without an album: Tears For Fears overcomes drama and dissension to sign a pop gem, whose lyrics question threatened democracies or the necessary gender parity. But why nearly two decades without releasing a new record? All the keys are in The tipping point (“The Tipping Point”) which is released on Friday February 25.
In the song Stay (Rest), the two brains of the group, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, do not hide the fact that they have not always been on the same wavelength in 40 years of career (first disc, The hurting, 1983). “The tipping point is a powerful and honest album. Our destinies were not always linked, we needed to grow spiritually separately before finding each other, having reached the same maturity.“explains to AFP Roland Orzabal, met in Paris alongside his sidekick.
But, more surprisingly, it is their former manager who has slowed down their desire for a new album in recent years, contenting himself with wanting to make them tour with their old hits. “He lived in the distrust of artists, a little manipulative, but we regained power“, summarizes Roland. This is the subject of the song master plan. “Our ex-manager rejected everything, told me: You have to tell a story. What a story ? My wife died, I did two rehabs, I wanna talk about that“, continues the artist.
These torments nourish the plots of The tipping point and Please be happy. “We want to work on the depth, not remain in the superficiality“, completes Curt Smith. “We’re good at going into the shadows, but there’s always optimism, hope in our songs” exposes Roland Orzabal.
The duo has lost none of its science of silky melodies to wrap strong messages. Like on their hit woman in chains (1989) which evoked domestic violence. “What my father did physically and morally to my mother“, says Roland.
Putting an end to toxic virility and building real male-female parity are this time at the center of break the man, on the new album. Curt Smith originated it. He who now lives in the United States was horrified by all the paraphernalia of male domination put forward by Donald Trump to conquer power. “This side my b… is bigger than yours, I never understood that; and I also wonder because I have two daughters“, he continues.
The current political upheavals also challenge the two men. rivers of mercy opens with the sounds of rioting and police sirens. Curt was in the US the day the Capitol was attacked by conspirators and Trump supporters. “I was in shock, but it’s not over, watch out. Trump wants to return to power, democracy can be broken at any timehe begins.Democracy is also weakened with everything that is happening behind the scenes at the tech giants and which can change the face of an election.“, rolls out Roland.
master plan (Master plan) can also be read as a denunciation of the authoritarianism embodied by figures like Trump or Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. But always with this light at the end of the tunnel: the people can regain control, as the Tears For Fears duo did by changing managers to express themselves with new songs.