T le en ge q DJ n u , da es an ry ti o d m n st us s Bo yl ic wi By t Br y G e i ian h ia e o co , n r n G o ge od
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It’s been 33 years since Boy George and his band, Culture Club, smashed the charts with hits like “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” and “Karma Chameleon.” The Boy has been a fixture on the scene ever since, performing, remixing, DJing, and yes, drawing his share of controversy along the way. Pride caught up with the star on the eve of the release of his first proper studio album— “This Is What I Do”—in almost two decades along with its accompanying U.S. tour. And, even if you’re a longtime fan, the man we met may surprise you. PRIDE: The new album is amazing. You’ve been working consistently ever since the days of Culture Club, but this is your first all-new album in a long time. Why was now the time to put it out into the world? BG: I changed management two or three years ago and started to work with a whole new team of people. I wanted to
work with people who could see me as I am now, rather than what I was. So, I sat down with my new team and said, “Forget everything you think you know about me. Forget it all. I know that you think you know who I am, but you don’t.” That was really the starting point. But in terms of why I made the record, it really just felt like it was time. I felt really
focused and I had an idea about what kind of record I wanted to make. And I think I pulled it off. I’m really happy with it. Over the years, when I’ve made records, I’ve always been like, “I wish I’d done this, or I wish I’d put that one on there.” But with this one, I really feel like, “Yeah, I love it!” I’m happy with it. Goodbye. Go out into the world and do your thing.