Duran Duran have dropped their brand-new single Free To Love — a euphoric, disco-driven collaboration with their longtime musical partner Nile Rodgers.
The tune comes accompanied by a glossy, high-colour video from superstar director Jonas Åkerlund.
The clip stars broadcaster Clara Amfo, who introduces the ’80s band and Le Freak hitmaker Nile in a music TV-style performance.
Nile co-wrote the track, helping shape what the band describe as a burst of positivity in a divided world.
Frontman Simon Le Bon said of the poignant track: “Free To Love is disco for the 2020s. It’s up-beat and up-tempo; it’s about freedom; it’s about loving the modern world instead of hating it, and that is something we need right now. Be free! Be free to love!”
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes added: “Every time we plug in and play with Nile, the electricity he generates could light up a whole city… Free To Love is our call to all the people out there who want peace, hope and understanding to prevail.”
Nile, who first teamed up with the band more than 40 years ago, said: “True love is free and unconditional… Whatever chaos is going on outside, inside the studio we’re free to love our peace.”
The video continues the band’s creative partnership with Italian luxury perfumer Xerjoff, whose NeoRio fragrance inspired the film’s glowing, technicolour aesthetic.
Åkerlund said: “Working with Duran Duran again, it’s clear the instinct is still there… Always bold, always pushing for more.”
Duran Duran and Nile Rodgers have one of pop’s longest-running creative partnerships, stretching back more than four decades.
Their first link-up came in 1984, when Nile remixed The Reflex and helped turn it into a global No.1, cementing his place in the band’s inner circle. He returned soon after to produce tracks on 1986’s Notorious, giving the album its sharp, funk-leaning edge.
The relationship picked up again in the 1990s, with Nile contributing to the band’s 1993 self-titled Wedding Album era.
In the 2000s, he reunited with them for live performances and studio sessions, including work on 2004’s Astronaut, which brought the classic lineup back together.
Nile later appeared on 2015’s Paper Gods, adding guitar and production touches that fans immediately recognised as his signature sound.
The collaboration continued into the 2020s, with Rodgers featuring on 2023’s Danse Macabre and joining the band onstage for special shows.
The latest track arrives just weeks after the band were confirmed as American Express presents BST Hyde Park headliners for July, where they’ll be joined by Scissor Sisters.
