Debbie Gibson - The Body Remembers

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It is 35 years since singer-songwriter-actress-producer-theatre star and all round good egg, Debbie Gibson, signed a record deal to release her self-penned debut single, Only In My Dreams. With unwavering self belief, hard work and a lot of perseverance, Ms Gibson soon established herself as a formidable creative tour de force - forging a career that has taken her down paths she never likely envisaged to become the type of all rounder that is increasingly rare in this industry. Her new album, The Body Remembers, is like a love letter to those halcyon days of pop - a reminder of when her sophomore set, Electric Youth, topped the US charts for five weeks. It is not only a shimmering reminder of what a gifted composer Debbie is, it is a cohesive, emotional set of songs that are beautifully crafted reminders of what we wish we could have known as the teens that started on the life journey with the then-teen Debbie Gibson all those years ago. That's not to say this is a set just for the fans - with smart collaborations with DJ Tracy Young, DJ Asha and future producer to the stars, Sean Thomas, it is a radio ready, Spotify playlist friendly set of songs that flirt with contemporary pop trends whilst remaining true to classic melodies and timeless lyrics. If you've not dipped your toe into the vast deep waters of Debbie's music for a while, this track by track review will help you get reacquainted...

• One Step Closer ~ the album's opening track and lead single is a glittering dance anthem designed to help you glow up and embrace the how bad times can elevate us to experiences that were only in our dreams. Tribal beats, pulsing percussion and exhilarating keyboard riffs provide the groove whilst thoughtfully placed beat drops elevate the chorus so you are flying past seventh heaven and are on your way to cloud nine. Debbie sings of a relationship where she was helplessly in love but all the time the other person felt there was no more rhyme. When she describes these feelings in the verses, her voice taps into that gorgeous lower register of hers, giving the words that reflective realisation that comes with life's revelations. Because here's the kicker - a life lesson that will save you thousands of $$ in therapy bills: learn from love, however it ends, and believe that you can fly on your own because when you put love out into the world it will always - always - come back.
• Runaway ~ class is in session and Debbie is serving funky lessons that make you sit up, take notes and study for that final test. A refreshingly funky groove that reminds the world this Electric Youth can still deliver a vibe that could easily top the charts today. A percolating melange of beats swathes Debbie's voice as she urges you to showcase your talents, rather than letting them waste away - a "don't hide your light under a bushel" musical parable for modern times. If the verses are lush dance heaven, then it is this sparkling surprise of the chorus that will have you dropping your jaw and dropping it while its hot at the club; this is one seriously dope beat Debbie is flinging at you, eminently sing-along and utterly unforgettable. This Sean Thomas collaboration is a strong contender for the album's official second single - one can only imagine the remixes once DJ Tracy Young gets her hands on this funk fest.
• Love Don't Care ~ there's a lovely flow between the first three tracks, showing that real care and attention has been shown to the order of these tracks. There is a gorgeous, slowed down introduction where Debbie effortlessly transitions to being the story teller, either of someone else's love experience or that of her own reflected back through years of wisdom. The beat then drops and this becomes a whirling dervish of a pop smash, grabbing you by the lapels and flinging you around with gay abandon. The message of love striking and how it can all be consuming is instantly recognisable and resonates. Ms Gibson's voice sounds resplendent here, a heavenly timbre as she taps into her heavenly lower register that make the song feel a little earthier, like an organic memory set to music. 
• The Body Remembers ~ the intro music floats in, as if the music box musings are traversing the passages of time; rather apt for a song all about memory and experience. Long term fans will remember that Debbie's first three albums all had the title tracks released as singles (four if you count the titular lyric of Body Mind and Soul from Losing Myself) and this is the anchor & beating heart of this new opus. What works really well about this future anthem is how there are little thrills everywhere (the way our intrepid heroine slides into the titular refrain of the chorus; the sensuousness of the guitar licks) that complement the layering in of instruments against that jump-rope, hand-clap rhythm. It doesn't matter how old you are, love doesn't discriminate and can make you feel like two young kids again when memories strike like Cupid's arrow.
• Lost In Your Eyes, The Duet (with Joey MacIntyre) ~ Debbie's 1989 chart topping smash has been revisited by her a number of times over the years. And after the rapturous response this received on the 2019 Mixtape Tour, it was only a matter of time before it was immortalised with a studio recording. Produced by Debbie with actual electric youth Sean Thomas, this is a slow burn crescendo of a reimagination. The potent lyrical romance and vocal chemistry of the two leads simmers through layering a haunting, swirling percussive riff over the piano melody. It then erupts into passion, as electric guitar effects amplify the emotions - and suddenly it is as neither instrumentalists or our intrepid singers can keep their feelings inside any longer. Turning this into a duet makes the old brand new all over again. To me, the song always felt mature but delivered through the experience of life's adventures it now shares a new perspective with the lyrics. 
• Strings ~ Debbie has always been immersed in theatre with the world of musicals being an influence on her music across the decades. This is a beautiful soliloquy from a musical yet to exist, an aching mid-tempo piano ballad (with, of course, a graceful violin accompaniment and orchestral sweep) all about the conditions and contracts that people seem to attach to their  interactions. Debbie talks over the music which makes this feel rather intimate and personal, the poignant sadness in her vocal so tangible it is as if the world stops, just for a heartbeat, as she sings what she wishes love could be like. Yes, it will break your heart but you are left with the sense that Debbie sings to release the emotions and put her heartfelt desire out into the world. Sometimes that catharsis can be the start of something amazing.
• Legendary ~ I'm so happy to hear how prominent Debbie's piano playing is across this album. It is truly magical on this song, caressing each word and being in symbiotic partnership with the lush score. This is not only a love letter of sage advice to her younger self but also a missive of encouragement to anyone of any age who wants to strive and do something amazing. In a way, it is a spiritual and musical sequel to her smash song, Electric Youth, That too had a message of not settling for second best, and like that song this takes you on a roller coaster musical journey with the song simmering along until explodes into a textured wall of sound, complete with electric guitar and inspirational gospel choir. Like the message of the song, this astonishing slice of music refuses to be anything but legendary. Stand by to be stunned.
• Freedom (ft ASHBA) ~ While Debbie made a name for herself by creating her own songs, it was evident from early in her career that she sparked with the creative energy that was crackling from like minded folk. That is clear across The Body Remembers and delivers dazzling results on this song with DJ ASHBA. A stone cold club groove that celebrates being liberated and able to live your life how you want, this gives some some throbbing beats that build up a ripple of anticipation while never leaving you less than satisfied. Tribal rhythms, like a club mix from the Broadway cast of The Lion King, buoy the song until it explodes like a million fireworks going off in the dark night sky (and just as exhilarating). Grade? A. Comments? Debbie plays well with others (as the next song will also demonstrate)...
• Girls Night Out (VegasVibe Remix) ~ the song that returned Ms Gibson to the Billboard Club Play charts remains as essential a floor filler, nearly 2 years after it was released. It is an instant anthem of sing-along glee, fuelled by riveting guitar riffs and a propulsive percussion that has you shimmying along in ecstasy. Witty and insightful lyrics certainly celebrates sisterhood - but this should be for everyone who has found their people; the folks they can just let themselves go with and lose themselves in a soaring song and the magic of the moment being shared with the folks you love. The song came with a plethora of remixes - The VegasVibe remix encapsulates the party atmosphere of Nevada's hotspot, a glorious mix by one of the song's co-writers (DJ Tracy Young). It feels like the soundtrack to a montage of a night out in some Hollywood movie, full of friends living their best life. 
• Dance 4U ~ I love a Prince-esque song title and that is not the only influence his Purple Highness has over this track. It is a potent, off kilter track that twists and turns, surprising you with a beat that refuses to conform. It is the type of song that rewards you with multiple listens until your body remembers every nuanced groove and salacious rhythm. There is a seductive tension  to the lyrics that is as alluring as the scent of (Electric Youth) perfume Ms Gibson references in the song. "So now I'm turning into someone else; the me you always knew I could be" opines Debbie, declaring she feels more like herself and you are once again lost in that beguiling chorus. Little test for you - play next to the Prince penned Paula Abdul's U and Martika's Kitchen. The Paisley genius would have been proud. 
• What Are We Gonna Do? ~ The narrative for this song began in We Could Be Together, continued into Until You're All Mine, flirted with danger in Your Secret and culminated in this very grown up ditty. On this album, Debbie set the scene with Love Don't Care, warning that love can be a gut punch, no matter what is happening in your life. Sometimes the feelings are undeniable and when love is seemingly out of reach, the danger and allure of it can be all the more enticing. Debbie sings every frustrated late night, wide awake thought you've ever had when in the middle of a tumultuous, emotional affair and the musical score enhances the drama. There is a moment when Debbie sings "tell me, what are we gonna do about it" where there is just the slightest break in her resolve. That's performance gold and leaves you with quite the cliffhanger...
• LuvU2Much ~ sometimes it is very easy to lose yourself in a relationship, so besotted are you with the other person that your sense of self slips away. That is the honest insight Debbie shares on LuvU2Much; an outpouring of realisation and reflection. What is so endearing about this song is that it isn't about recriminations but just unleashing the feelings from within. You get the strong impression she sings not only to make it better but because it is too painful to keep inside. The music pulses and flows alongside her nuanced vocal, subtly but effectively gaining an energy as if Debbie's voice is feeding the instrumental as much as it is feeding her. Showering healing pop glitter over the cracks in our collective hearts seems to be the ethos of this album and it is majestic to be hold. The final "2Much" is that last release, a woman letting go and moving on.
• Red Carpet Ready ~ there is a country music twang to this lovely piano ballad. The acoustic opening bars of the song are like the tentativeness of taking your first steps into the world alone; then a shuffling beat comes in to show that the edifying, redemptive power of love can strengthen a person, giving them the courage to do things they never thought they could. There is a wistful fondness in Debbie's voice that makes this song conjure up images in your cerebral cortex. The middle 8 has just a hint of throwback to the Think With Your Heart era, the same emotive power of lyric and song. That lyric of "even when I'm rough, I'm ready" may even  replace "even preachers must, even salesmen buy" as my favourite DG lyric. Get this onto country music radio STAT.
• Tell Me Love ~ who doesn't love a song about love with la la la love baked right into the lyrics? A much younger me once had an argument with my mum where I said some not very nice things. She said for every mean thing I said, she would remind me that she loved me because to hear that can fix everything if you let it. This song is the musical manifestation of that memory - and whether you filter it through a treasured family member, a potential lover or a best friend, we all need love in our life. There is a strength in Debbie's vocal that lets the vulnerability of the lyrics shine through all that much brighter when she reveals that while she can march to the beat of her own drum, she needs that affirmation too. 14 tracks in and there is no let up in quality. This is turning into a future greatest hits collection.
• Me Not Loving You ~ and so it all comes to an end, but not before this contemporary power ballad takes us to a rousing finale. The spotlight hits Ms Gibson and she shines in the radiant song of The Body Remembers musical. The lyrics reveal that behind the strength, there are trials and tribulations and emotion turmoil that you have to go through to get to that strength. The true divas in the great pantheon of musical history are the ones that reveal the tragedy but then draw courage and conviction from it. Some of always realised that Debbie Gibson was part of this pantheon, but for those who hadn't quite realised it yet - this is her letting you know she's here to reclaim her crown. A beautiful moment full of pathos, that makes you want to begin the journey all over again.