Darren Hayes has released his first new song in over a decade.
The lead single from the Australian singer’s upcoming project, Let’s Try Being In Love is inspired by queer icons such as Patrick Cowley and Shep Pettibone, as well as Luca Guadagnino’s beloved gay romance Call Me By Your Name.
In a statement, Hayes said: “I’ve been married to Richard (Cullen) for almost 17 years, I’m in this really comfortable place in my life. But at the same time at mid-life I’m grieving the fact I never got to celebrate who I really was at the period of my life where I was most famous.
“I look at this world we live in now where someone like Lil Nas X can push forward his true self, full of pride and self-love and have the chance to be loved for who he truly is. I was realising with great sadness that I didn’t get that experience. A lot of the time I was my most famous, I was deeply sad.”
Directed by Andrew Putschoegl, the music video features American actor Scott Evans, best known for his roles as Oliver Fish on One Life to Live and Oliver on Grace and Frankie, as well as Lucifer and Castle alum Madeleine Coghlan.
Let’s Try Being In Love marks the first time Hayes plays the love interest in his own music video, and sees the star reflect on his closeted marriage to a woman. The clip also features passionate make-out sessions with Evans and a dance routine inspired by New York’s ballroom culture and voguing.
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“I’m realising that in order to be free I have to destroy something beautiful and innocent,” Hayes said of the video. “Scott’s character represents the freight train of my future sexuality and that’s gonna emerge no matter what.”
Hayes also said he wanted to showcase his feminine side to “be proud of the gay me,” adding: “There’s a dance scene that is so passionate, everything’s alive and thriving and blooming. That’s how I feel in general about music. And that’s a hugely sharp contrast to how I felt 10 years ago.”
It’s been 11 years since Hayes’ electropop-inspired fourth studio album, Secret Codes and Battleships, which received highly positive reviews from critics and became his third top 10 hit album in his home country.
Although he didn’t plan to make music, Hayes said it “happened in a really wonderful, organic way” and that his time out of the public eye “was a choice”.
This year marks the 20th year for Hayes as a solo recording artist and the 25th anniversary of Savage Garden’s iconic self-titled debut album.
The band memorably produced chart-topping hits such as I Want You, To The Moon and Back, The Animal Song, I Knew I Loved You and Truly Madly Deeply.
Let’s Try Being In Love is now available on iTunes and streaming services – watch the music video here or below.
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