Ariana DeBose, Boy George and Nile Rodgers have teamed up for “Electric Energy,” the disco-infused bop featured in Matthew Vaughn’s “Argylle.”
Rodgers, who produced the track which plays over the film’s end credits, says he got a call from Vaughn asking if he wanted to be involved. Speaking with PvNew over Zoom, the musician said although Vaughn sent him a demo track he still asked to see the film. “I have to see the film and have real context because I didn’t want to play blindly.” After seeing the film, his response was, “I was so overly sold. It was fun. I’m totally down.”
DeBose shot the film during the pandemic. “Before the big change,” she says referring to her 2022 awards season sweep as best supporting actress for her role in “West Side Story.” “We made the movie, and I had a wonderful time, and then I won the Oscar.” She continues, “Matthew called me and said, ‘So, you won an Oscar. I think we need to do some more with you. Would you like to do a song?’ I thought it sounded fun and would be a new challenge.”
The solo version of “Electric Energy” in the film differs from the Boy George and Rodgers mix that is heard at the end of the film. “Nile jumped in and said, ‘This is so funky, let’s make it funkier,” says DeBose. “I love that it gets to serve as this energetic underbelly for the film that furthers this storytelling.”
As for the song’s retro disco vibe, Rodgers learned that Vaughn and the songwriting team (Gary Barlow, Stuart Price and Lorne Balfe) were inspired by Disco star Sylvester when writing the lyrics. He recalls, “I grew up back in the day gigging with Sylvester, so I knew right away where the vibe was coming from.”
His greatest concern was whether he could bring “that level of happiness that I was feeling when I heard it. I want to take it one step higher,” he says. And he loves the results. As for working with DeBose, he says she is “off the charts. She’s killing it, and she’s got everything.”
The accompanying music video for “Electric Energy” features the film’s all-star cast including DeBose, Sam Rockwell,Bryan Cranston,Catherine O’Hara,John CenaandSamuel L. Jackson. Rodgers and Boy George also make an appearance.
“I couldn’t believe that Matthew got all of my colleagues to do it,” says DeBose about the video.
When Vaughn said he was going to make a music video, DeBose had her doubts. “When Matthew Vaughn takes something on, he takes it on! He said, ‘We’re gonna make this music video and it’s gonna feel joyful.’ I said, ‘You’re going to get Henry Cavill to bop around?’ and they all said yes. Talk about Bryan Cranston living his whole disco life,” notes DeBose of the actor’s moves.
And what is she singing in front of the mirror, or listening to? “Dove Cameron’s ‘Lethal Woman.’ But I love a throwback as well. These are my morning tunes: ‘Do You Want to Funk’ by Sylvester, it gets me going. Cher’s ‘Chiquitita,’ and ‘Baby Was A Dancer’ by Billy Porter is one of my staples. It gets me in the right mood for the day,” DeBose says.
Stream “Electric Energy” here. Watch the video below.
