Duran Duran has been named as an performer for the Billboard Music Awards, where the group will offer the live premiere of a soon-to-be-announced new single remotely from England, getting as their collaborator an individual Brit, Blur’s Graham Coxon.
Their appearance May 23 will be the first on a BBMAs broadcast by the group, the fourth artist to be named for a performance slot after declarations for BTS, the Weeknd and Pink.
The single Duran Duran will head will advance a new album, the band’s first since 2015’s “Paper Gods.”
“Before the pandemic struck, there was a new Duran Duran almost finished,” Nick Rhodes told Vogue in April. “We were gearing up with a lot of shows, like a lot of other artists, and had to put everything on hold.” The keyboard player was doing the interview to promote an ambient side project he is doing with Wendy Bevan, “Astronomia.”
Other than Coxon, different collaborators that have been referenced for the upcoming album include Mark Ronson (who co-created their past exertion), Erol Alkan, Giorgio Moroder and Lykke Li.
Duran will get its performing sea legs back in anticipation of an appearance this September at the Isle of Wight Festival, where they’ll headline the final night of the four-day fest. Others on the bill include fellow headliners Liam Gallagher, Snow Patrol and David Guetta, in addition to Tom Jones, Supergrass, Primal Scream and Sam Fender.
This year points the 40th anniversary of Duran’s first collection. Their second, “Rio,” is the subject of a just-released book in the 33 1/3 arrangement by Annie Zaleski, likewise named “Rio.”
The Billboard Music Awards, hosted for the first time this year by Nick Jonas, will broadcast live on NBC in all time zones from L.A’s. Microsoft Theater on May 23 at 8 p.m. ET/5 PT.