''Agenda'' is an EP by English

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

duo

Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...

, released digitally on 8 February 2019 and released physically on 12-inch vinyl in April 2019. A CD edition was only available to those who ordered the 2019 edition of ''Annually'', the Pet Shop Boys' once-a-year publication.

Background and composition

''Agenda'' includes four songs with political themes that did not fit on the next Pet Shop Boys album, ''

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'' (2020). ''

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'' described them as "the angriest songs the Pet Shop Boys have ever recorded", and

Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for '' Smash Hits'', and assist ...

admitted the intention was to "wind people up". The first three songs are satirical, and the fourth, "The Forgotten Child", is a sad ballad. "Give Stupidity a Chance" is about modern politicians, with lyrics that allude to statements by

Michael Gove Michael Andrew Gove, Baron Gove (; born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician and journalist who served in various Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabinet positions under David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rish ...

and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

. The phrase "We've had quite enough of experts and their dealings" echoes Gove's assertion, in support of

Vote Leave Vote Leave was a campaigning organisation that supported a "Leave" vote in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. On 13 April 2016 it was designated by the Electoral Commission as the official campaign in favour of leavi ...

on the

Brexit referendum The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, was a referendum that took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar under the provisions o ...

, that people "have had enough of experts". The line "Chicks are always up for it, you've got to grab whatever you can" recalls Trump's lewd remarks on the 2005 ''Access Hollywood'' tape. "On Social Media" is a sarcastic song about the effects of online public discourse. The accompanying video displays the lyrics as a

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thread between Pet Shop Boys and other accounts, animated on a smartphone screen. "What Are We Going to Do About the Rich?" is a mock-

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. ...

dealing with the extremely wealthy who avoid paying taxes. "The Forgotten Child" tells the story of a refugee child who goes missing while fleeing to safety, linked to the notion "that maybe we've all forgotten something about human values. That maybe there's something being lost, and it's summed up by the idea of the innocence of the child."

Track listing

All tracks are written by

and

Chris Lowe Christopher Sean Lowe (born 4 October 1959) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Neil Tennant in 1981. Biography Christopher Sean Lowe was born and raised in Bla ...

. #"Give Stupidity a Chance" – 2:59 #"On Social Media" – 3:33 #"What Are We Going to Do About the Rich?" – 3:03 #"The Forgotten Child" – 3:33

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Agenda''. Pet Shop Boys *

Additional musicians * Tim Powell – additional keyboards *Sandy Buglass – guitars Technical personnel *Tim Powell –

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

*Pet Shop Boys – production *Jeremy Wheatley – mixing *Tim Young – mastering *Pete Gleadall – additional

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

Artwork * Farrow/PSB – design, art direction

References

{{Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys EPs 2019 EPs Albums produced by Tim Powell (producer)