Dev Hynes is the golden ticket to today's best music. Everything he's sprinkled his magic on—from Carly Rae Jepsen's "All That" to Solange's "Losing You" to Sky Ferreira's "Everything Is Embarrassing"—has a timeless quality to it while remaining totally and unabashedly modern. The proof is in the pudding of Blondie's newest song, "Long Time," a Hynes collaboration that truly and magically shines.
Blondie's 11th studio album, Pollinator, debuts this May and already sounds like a classic. Its first single, "Fun," captured the essence of Studio 54, while "Long Time" slows things down a bit giving space for Debbie Harry to float through the languid, synth-y soundscape. Harry and Hynes' New York sentimentality comes through here: She sings of racing down the Bowery over a driving bassline and a guitar melody worthy of kicking a night off at CBGBs with. It's a little '80s, a little ballad-y, and, oh, so shimmery. "Long Time" is a testament to Blondie's forward thinking and, similar to Hynes, refusal to rest on their laurels, but rather, modify them to create a sound that's classically and effortlessly fresh.
Pollinator drops May 5.
