The Black Keys – “Beautiful People (Stay High)”

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The Black Keys – “Beautiful People (Stay High)”

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The Black Keys are entering another pop crossover phase — or at least they’re trying to. The Akron-native duo are coming back this spring with a new album called Ohio Players. In a Mojo report last year, they called it “our Saturday-night party record.” Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney took inspiration for the album from deejaying dance parties with their own collection of 45s. “What we wanted to accomplish with this record was make something that was fun,” Carney says in the album’s official bio. “And something that most bands 20 years into their career don’t make, which is an approachable, fun record that is also cool.”

One element of the party vibe is the involvement of big-name collaborators. “We had this epiphany: ‘We can call our friends to help us make music,’” Carney says. Those friends include Beck and Dan The Automator, both of whom cowrote lead single “Beautiful People (Stay High),” as well as Noel Gallagher and Greg Kurstin. The Mojo report noted Juicy J and Alice Cooper’s involvement in the sessions, but those two aren’t mentioned in current promo materials.

“Beautiful People (Stay High)” is definitely a departure for the Keys, and I can imagine it becoming a hit. Listen below.

Ohio Players is out 4/5 via Nonesuch/Warner.

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