Tears on the Dancefloor

Pop Perfection

Steps made their breakthrough on pop charts in the late 90s with huge dance hits such as 5-6-7-8, Last Thing on my Mind, One for Sorrow and awesomely camp covers of Tragedy, Chain Reaction and Better the Devil you Know.  The group is made up of three female vocalists, Claire Richards, Faye Tozer and Lisa Scott-Lee and two males, Lee Latchford-Evans and Ian 'H' Watkins.  The group was always about fun, as evidenced by their high energy and often whimsical music videos, featuring diverse concepts from line dancing to bizarre hospital scenes.  But it was precisely their unashamedly camp and club-friendly songs that made them so popular and a firm favourite in my collection.

Needless to say, when I heard that Steps was releasing a new album, 20 years since their initial appearance on the UK chart scene, I was already throwing my hands in the air in anticipation of a fresh but authentically Steps sound. I am thrilled to say that Tears on the Dancefloor is the pop album I needed this year.  It is indeed pop perfection, with just the right amount of ABBA-esque disco that delivers damn good feel-good anthems.  And they all still look amazing.

Scared of the Dark
I was obsessed with this song from the moment I first heard it and it remains at the top of my list of best songs of 2017.  The chorus is phenomenal and guaranteed to make you want to hit the dance floor (mirror ball compulsory).  The remixes, including the 7th Heaven Mix and the Wideboys Step It Up Mix, just take the song to another fabulous level.

You Make Me Whole
With its catchy "I will be I will be I will be there when you need me" by the girls accompanied by a deep "You make me" backup by the boys, and a solid dance beat, the second track on the album is another winner.  There is a nice build-up before the beat drops and the dance floor magic begins.

Story of a Heart
This is one of the slower songs on the album, touching on the universal themes of loss and heartbreak, but by no means less appealing.  Story of a Heart is also the song on which the guys and girls are most reminiscent of ABBA, both lyrically and vocally. And for good reasons: it was written by the Bs of ABBA, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus!

Happy
The rhythm picks up for Happy but the tone of disappointment and heartbreak continues:  "Cos the time for mend has come and gone / Baby I've tried / But I've cried too much and I, I used to be happy".   Perhaps not the best song to listen to just after a breakup.  However...

No More Tears on the Dancefloor
This track is the perfect post-breakup theme song, designed to get you back onto the dance floor and "dancing away the heartbreak" - "come on, rock away the love sick blues".  The song is also begging for someone to produce a mashup with Alcazar's Crying at the Discotheque.

Firefly
Firefly is definitely going to become one of those songs that I blast whenever I feel the dark clouds gathering.  A firefly may be tiny but it provides unwavering light in the darkness, and Steps have used this bright little insect to reassure listeners that they will be okay no matter what.

Space Between Us
When I first listened to this song it reminded me of Empire of the Sun, particularly the chorus which, like all of the songs on the album, is great to sing along to.  It's also a little reminiscent of One for Sorrow.

Glitter & Gold
How could a song with such a great title let you down?  Another club-friendly masterpiece that makes you imagine surrendering to the groove on the dance floor (possibly wearing both glitter and gold).

Neon Blue
Another track that encourages you to "leave that broken heart behind" and dance it out - after all, the remedy for "tears and trouble" is always music because it will "bring you back to life".

I Will Love Again
When I realised that this was an amazing cover of an already amazing song, originally by Lara Fabian,  I literally shouted "Yasss!" and began a lip sync for my life (in my living room).  If this song is not being played at Pride festivals around the world, it really should be - an "I will survive" anthem.

In the CD booklet, Claire thanks her band mates: "We've all been through a lot, had many ups and downs and achieved so much more, but we are still standing.  We POP!"  And this album feels like it celebrates that sentiment, and indeed, reminds me to dance through the tough times because with music like this there is certainly no need to be scared of the dark.