Polari
Polari Album ∙ Pop ∙ 2025 Olly Alexander After three Years & Years albums, Polari is Olly Alexander’s first release under his own name. “I’m still trying to convince people I’m a brand-new artist, like, ‘Surprise!’” he tells Apple Music. “It’s quite nerve-wracking, because it’s a slightly different feeling to having a Years & Years album out. I’m so excited—I felt like I couldn’t have done this album without the experience of making music for more than 10 years.” Danny L Harle, who’s also worked with Charli xcx, Nile Rodgers, and Rina Sawayama, handled production duties—and he and Olly pulled in their favorite influences from the 1980s for the 13 tracks. “I was taking so much inspiration from that era, with Stock Aitken Waterman, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Janet Jackson, and George Michael,” says Alexander. “It’s a fascinating era for music. I think that’s partly due to how it was being created, using technology for the first time. There’s a real simplicity to the compl...