The meeting of South African alt-pop star Nakhane and American art-pop darling Perfume Genius was inevitable in hindsight. Both artists have embraced the otherness of queerness, drawing from abjection, stigmatisation, and alienation as both major themes and aesthetic vehicles in their work. In this case, Do You Well feels like a blessing. A campy, 80’s synthpop jaunt in the style of The Pet Shop Boys featuring both powerhouses trading verses? Gay heaven, really.
Do You Well is a change of pace for both artists. It’s a departure from where we last heard Perfume Genius, on the abstract, longform experiments of Ugly Season. For Nakhane, it continues an embrace of uptempo dance music that follows from the kwaito-skewed thud of Tell Me Your Politik. The song is a giddy, campy ode to the queer libido set on the dancefloor of a glitter drenched discotheque. It’s full of bright synths and funk-licked guitar, with a fittingly glam chorus that’s equal parts Kylie Minogue and Elton John. The song bristles with joy, a refreshing take from both artists who have mostly been concerned with the shadows of late. In Nakhane’s own words, “normally I’m ‘Oh my God, Jean Cocteau …’ but this one is just rutting sex.” There’s a cheesy quality to Do You Well, one that will likely perturb some ears but ultimately works in service of the song’s greater purpose. If anything, it’s the most fun we’ve heard these two having in a long time, and it’s a joy to experience.
Watch the music video for Do You Well below.
