Pet Shop Boys recently shared a new song dedicated to Russian political leader Alexei Navalny, who died in 2024.
The lyrics of the new song call for Russia to freed of the grip of current leader Vladamir Putin. Now a new dance mix of the track intercuts Neil Tennant’s vocals is audio quotes from Navalny.
The Russian Opposition leader was a vocal opponent of Putin, and in 2020 was poisoned with a nerve agent. He later accused Putin of being behind the attempt on his life.
When he returned to Russia in 2021 he was immediately arrested. His trial, which has been described as a sham by Amnesty International, saw him jailed for two and half years on charges of embezzlement.
While serving the sentence he was sentenced to an additional nine years, and in 2023 was given an additional 23 years on charges of extremism. In late 2023 his whereabout were unknown for several weeks, he later was found to be being held in a corrective colony in the Artic Circle. In January 2024 it was revealed he had died in custody.
Earlier this year Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys spoke about how the band used to visit Russia often, but now they’re speaking out against the Putin regime which has brought in strict laws against LGBTIQA+ people.
