Celebrate Pride With John Roberts New Album ‘Lights Out’

June 8, 2021

Just in time to embrace the joy and celebration of PRIDE, nu-disco electronic artist John Roberts has released debut album, Lights Out (via X-Bop). Produced by Junior Sanchez, it features guest appearances from Debbie Harry, Beth Ditto and babydaddy (Scissor Sisters).

Listen to the Lights Out here: https://snd.click/_LightsOut

Lights Out is a collection of 13 songs influenced by electronic, pop, and new wave of the ’80s and ’90s. It features the more politically relevant, Depeche Mode-fused “Divide People. With a video directed and choreographed by Nina McNeely (Rihanna, Bjork, Banks), Roberts explores the world under the microscope of former administration and coming out of that “hateful, divineness, racism, homophobia, and anti-semitism, Asian hate and kids in cages.” Motioning ahead, Roberts insists the song is beyond “him” now.

Other offerings include the title track “Lights Out” featuring Debbie Harry of Blondie, with a trippy animated video directed and animated by Kris Baldwin (Birds of Prey, Cartoon Networks DC Super Hero Girls) and the lead single “Freaks”—called by Billboard Pride ‘…a stunning dance-pop single produced by Junior Sanchez that sees the singer embracing everything that makes him weird and wonderful”–also with a video from McNeely.

Then there is “Nobody” with the original Beth Ditto. “Beth Ditto’s voice is church-like. It’s an uplifting song,” Roberts said in a statement to Rolling Stone, adding of the track. “When I was a kid, I used to jump on a mini trampoline in front of the mirror to Janet Jackson and it just reminds me of being alone with yourself, spazzing, and dancing. It’s about showing the world that you’re kind of capable of things that they don’t expect. It’s having those moments alone with yourself where you kind of gain confidence, then bring it out to the rest of the world, and just being a little different, confident, and knowing there’s other freaks out there.”

Ultimately, Roberts—who also is an EMMY nominated TV star, LGBTQ icon and comedian best known as the voice of the lovable Linda Belcher on the hit TV show “Bob’s Burgers”–has crafted an album he is proud of, the truest representation of his love of music. Lights Out turns everything on. It’s touchy. It uplifts. It makes you shake your ass, and it’s not afraid to bite.

Lights Out Tracklist: