“Invisible” by Duran Duran
Duran Duran’s “Invisible” is a pretty complex song, as perhaps to be expected from a band that’s been around for almost half a century. And its foundation is this concept of a person being “invisible”, which is fundamentally another way of saying that he or she has no voice.
And it is possible that the different verses and choruses to some degree focus on different types of people who possess this attribute, though ultimately they are all fundamentally one in the same.
1st
The first is the kind of individual(s) whom we commonly refer to as introverts. He is most notably “quiet” and “shy”. Moreover he is obviously turned off by public places and in general feels powerless.
2nd
The second verse implies that what such individuals may actually be suffering from is a case of decimated self-esteem. And as alluded to earlier, the choruses by and large read like verses themselves.
So the third chorus for instance points to how these people have truly become “invisible”, i.e. disenfranchised to the point whereas the society at large doesn’t really give a damn what they say or think.
“Invisible” is a Protest Song?
But all of this is not to actually imply that these people are actually powerless, even if they do feel so. Indeed “Invisible” concludes sort of like a protest song, instead insinuating that this frustrated, “voiceless crowd” is rising up to stake their claim in their claim in the world.
In fact the entire piece concludes alluding to this theme of oppressor versus the oppressed, with we, the laymen, being identified with the latter, i.e. the “invisible”. And also we have yet to mention the first chorus, which comes off more like an interpersonal affair in which the vocalist is comforting someone who refuses to acknowledge him as an equal or a factor.
So taking all of the above into consideration, “Invisible” seems more like a collection of songs, if you will, or ideas, as opposed to being squarely focused on one central theme. Or rather let’s say it deals with the entire range of being “invisible”, from a victim’s internal feelings, to how it affects their interpersonal relationships, to how it influences their standing in the society at large.
And conclusively, what can be perhaps most definitively ascertained, if nothing else, is that Duran Duran actually sympathizes and even to some degree identifies with such individuals.
Duran Duran
Duran Duran, as you probably already know, is a classic musical act from the 20th century. Their origins date back to the late-1970s, being part of the Second British Invasion, i.e. a slew of artists from across the pond that blew up stateside during that era due to the advent of MTV.
Most of the other acts which made up that list – such as Bananarama, The Human League and The Police – though perhaps still being extant in some capacity, have for the most part stopped dropping new songs.
Meanwhile this track (“Invisible”) we’re dealing with today is the lead single from “Future Past”. “Future Past” is Duran Duran’s 2021 project. Simply put, it is their 15th studio album. And this is an undertaking that they’ve been working on since 2018. And to note, this is the band’s first full-length since 2015’s “Paper Gods”.
Credits
The authorship of Invisible is attributed to four musicians who currently serve as the members of Duran Duran alongside another Englishman, Graham Coxon. And the entire band also produced the tune, in that regard working in conjunction with Erol Alkan.
More Facts
This song official came out on 19 May 2021, and the label that put it out is BMG. And to note Duran Duran did drop a single earlier in 2021 entitled “Five Years”, though that was a non-album track.
Duran Duran performed this song live for the very time during the Billboard Music Awards dated 23 May 2021.
Since their debut album, itself entitled Duran Duran, which came out in 1981, this band has sold in excess of 100,000,000 records, a feat which few musical acts ever accomplish.
Moreover Duran Duran has never officially disbanded or went on hiatus or anything like that. And the aforementioned Nick Rhodes, who is a keyboardist, has been around since day one.
