"Liberation" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the fourth single from their fifth studio album, Very (1993). It peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the lowest-charting single from Very in the United Kingdom.[2] The single's B-side, "Decadence", featuring Pat O'Brien was on the Further Listening: 1992–1994 re-release of Very, and the B-sides compilation Alternative.
"Liberation" | ||||
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Single by Pet Shop Boys | ||||
from the album Very | ||||
B-side | "Decadence" | |||
Released | 4 April 1994 (1994-04-04)[1] | |||
Genre | Synth-pop | |||
Length | 4:05 | |||
Label | Parlophone | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Pet Shop Boys | |||
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Liberation" on YouTube | ||||
Music writer James Masterton wrote in his weekly UK chart commentary, "The single makes a strong showing, not least due to the fact that the gorgeous ballad is one of the best tracks from the album. What gives it an extra boost is the innovating virtual reality video, currently touring the country in a roadshow whereby punters can climb into a booth and experience the state of the art computer graphics at first hand. Even the standard 2D version is a wonder to behold, whatever happens to the single it is surely a candidate for video of the year."[3] Alan Jones from Music Week rated the song four out of five, adding, "Sleek and sophisticated in its original mix, expensive strings underscore Neil Tennant's typically mournful vocals. There is also a pumped up house mix by E-Smoove with prominent bass and piano, wailing femme and ranting rap to beef things up for those who prefer to approach this from a dance perspective. The fourth hit from the PSBs album Very, and a big one."[4]
The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Howard Greenhalgh, is almost entirely CG, an early example of exclusively CG output. The only live-action footage the video features is Neil Tennant's face, seen singing on gold circles. Other features in the video are reminiscent of the duo, including several disembodied heads wearing tall pointy caps (like those seen in the video for "Can You Forgive Her?") and animated versions of the object on the cover, a 3D rendering of Neil and Chris's silhouettes. The video was used as part of CyberWorld, an early 3D cinema demonstration, on IMAX screens across the UK and elsewhere in 2000 and 2001.
Chart (1994) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA)[5][6] | 63 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[7] | 27 |
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[8] | 8 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[9] | 51 |
Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 22 |
Scotland (OCC)[11] | 23 |
UK Singles (OCC)[2] | 14 |
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