Duran Duran enlist CHAI for new collaborative single, 'MORE JOY'

Duran Duran have shared the second single from their forthcoming album, entitled ‘MORE JOY’.

The single, released today (August 5), follows the release of ‘INVISIBLE’ in May 2021. While that song was a collaboration with Blur‘s Graham Coxon, ‘MORE JOY’ sees the band work with Japanese rock band CHAI. It marks the first time the two groups have collaborated. Both songs will feature on Duran Duran’s 12th studio album, ‘FUTURE PAST’.

Watch the visualizer for ‘MORE JOY’ below:

Nick Rhodes, Duran Duran’s keyboardist, explained in a press statement that the song was initially born out of a jam session between themselves, Coxon and DJ/producer Erol Alkan.

“It was such an unusual piece, we weren’t quite sure if it would fit in at first,” he said.

“It reminded me of one of those retro Japanese video games, which I always found quite uplifting. We came up with the chant ‘more joy’ early on, and that became the key to the rest of the track.”

Rhodes went on to note that it was lead vocalist Simon Le Bon who suggested bringing in CHAI to perform on the song with the band. “[Their] energy and pure sense of fun might actually blow your ears off,” said Le Bon of the Japenese group. “We are honoured to have them sprinkle their pink neon magic spikey dust onto our song.”

In their own statement, CHAI thanked the band for asking them to be part of the single. “When Duran Duran asked us to join their new song, we listened to it and thought ‘this is lively, rock, cool and fun’, and we danced,” they said. “We are full of joy!”

CHAI released their third studio album, ‘WINK’, in May 2021. In a four-star review, NME described the album as “their smoothest, most comforting record yet”.

“CHAI’s latest album might arrive just as the world begins to open up,” it read, “but it will continue to dole out reassurance and relief long after the pandemic era has finally come to an end.”