Nacional Records has just released a trailer for “Siempre Es Viernes En Mi Corazón” the first single off Alex Anwandter‘s forthcoming sophomore album Amiga, and it’s loaded with all the pop goodness we’ve been hoping for. The clip gives us glimpses of studio time, where Alex plays the piano, directs a whole string section, and generally works the funky magic that makes his oeuvre musical catnip. The intro to the song plays in the background, instantly recognizable as an Anwandter cut, thanks to its heavy synth and bass combo, with a melody led by the most disco strings this side of a Giorgio Moroder record. To our dismay, the preview ends just short of vocals, but you can’t expect the man to give away all his secrets just yet.
Comparisons will certainly be made between this song and “Como Puedes Vivir Contigo Mismo,” the breakout hit from Rebeldes, his previous album. They’re both dance-heavy lead singles boasting kindred melodies. But what’s really in question here is what he’s not yet showing us. The Chilean singer has been making increasingly political statements since his last release, dedicating an original song to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, and becoming an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights in his conservative homeland. Not only was “Como Puedes” a tribute to Paris is Burning, the legendary (albeit controversial) 1991 queer documentary, but during his musical hiatus he wrote and directed his first feature film, Nunca vas a estar solo, based on the events surrounding the assault and murder of Daniel Zamudio, a young, gay Anwandter fan in Santiago. To top it all off, the album’s title is laced with double entendres, hinting at greater themes to be explored in this new musical chapter of Anwandter’s career.
Update 1/19/2016, 10:57 a.m.: This post previously referred to Michelle Bachelet as the former president of Chile. Bachelet is currently serving her second term.