2017 has already been an exciting year for #music and the latest news is that The Killers are set to release their fifth album, Wonderful, Wonderful on September 29. Among a whole host of surprises on the band's first studio album since 2012's Battle Born is the song Tyson vs. Douglas about former world champion boxer Mike Tyson's defeat by 42-1 outsider Buster Douglas in Tokyo, Japan in February 1990. The fight is considered to be one of the most shocking in sporting history.
Romance and violence of boxing
This is not the first time that pop stars have either sung about or got involved in boxing-related subjects.
For example, think back to Morrissey's flirtation with the romance and violence of boxing back in the mid-90s with the 1995 single Boxers and the title of his 1995 album Southpaw Grammar, with 'southpaw' referring to a left-handed boxer. Also, see the feud between Soulja Boy and Chris Brown earlier this year. The feud, which had stemmed from Soulja Boy liking one of Brown's Instagram posts, resulting in Brown offering Soulja Boy the chance to settle their grievances in a boxing ring. Brown then proceeded to enlist the help of none other than Mike Tyson, whilst Soulja Boy called on the help of Tyson's old adversary Floyd Mayweather.
In a recent interview with the BBC, The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers discussed the impact that the Tyson vs.
Douglas fight had on him and his family and friends, stating, "Then Tyson got knocked out. My whole view on the world changed. It wasn't supposed to happen."
The Killers to make film
The Killers' obsession with Tyson and that infamous fight doesn't just stop there. The band also want to make a film based around their homage to the boxer and are trying to enlist Tyson himself to star in it.
The Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci told The Daily Star, "I don't know if he's heard our song yet but I have a good idea to get Tyson involved in a film version of the song. It's not a video, but a full film, I really hope he's up for it.
The KIllers previously worked with Tyson in 2008, when at the Shockwave NME Awards, the band could not attend and sent their speech by video.
Shot in a barber's shop in Vegas, the comical video starred Tyson constantly interrupting Flowers as he attempted to give his acceptance speech, The video culminated with Tyson giving Flowers a black eye.
Other surprises on The Killers new album
Other surprises on Wonderful, Wonderful include a collaboration with legendary producer Brian Eno entitled Some Kind of Love. The song features a sample from the Eno song An Ending (Ascent) from his 1983 album, Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. Other samples included on the album include one from Bob Marley's Redemption Song, featured on the album's second single, Run for Cover. Meanwhile, the album's lead single, The Man finds The Killers sampling Kool and the Gang's song Spirit of the Boogie, the title track of their 1975 album. Fresh from their surprise appearance at this year's Glastonbury Festival, Wonderful, Wonderful is set to be The Killers' knockout blow.
