There are albums that sound like a time capsule, perfectly sealed in the year they were born. And then there are albums like Be Yourself Tonight – records that arrive like a bolt of lightning, tearing through the musical status quo and announcing, unapologetically, “We’ve changed”.
Released in 1985, Be Yourself Tonight marks a pivotal turning point for Eurythmics. Gone is the art-pop chill of Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) or the surrealist melancholy of Touch. In its place? Grit, soul, and a newfound muscularity. This is the sound of a duo tearing down their own mythology and building something bigger, bolder, and brasher.
From Ice Queens to Soul Sirens: A Reinvention in Real Time
Before this album, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were pop’s enigmas – cool, cerebral, a little otherworldly. They dressed like fashion-forward aliens and made music that felt plucked from some glamorous dystopia. But with Be Yourself Tonight, the frost melted. This was pop with blood in its veins and dirt under its fingernails.
The shift is immediately felt in the opening track, ‘Would I Lie to You?’ It doesn’t sneak in – it kicks the door open. With a crunchy guitar riff, booming drums, and a chorus that practically dares you to resist, it’s a declaration of independence. Annie belts like a woman scorned and victorious all at once. This is no longer the distant synth queen. This is a soul warrior.
Soul, Grit, and Gospel Glory
What makes Be Yourself Tonight so remarkable is its bold embrace of classic soul and rock elements without losing the electronic DNA of Eurythmics’ earlier sound. It’s not a rejection – it’s an expansion.
‘There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)‘ is a centerpiece. It’s joyful, over-the-top, and utterly irresistible. A celestial love song dressed in gospel robes, with Stevie Wonder’s harmonica solo swirling like fairy dust over a sun-drenched choir. Lennox’s vocal performance is spellbinding – each note is a heartbeat, each run a prayer.
Then there’s ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves‘, a duet with the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. It’s more than a collaboration – it’s a cultural event. With brassy horns and a stomping rhythm section, it stands as a feminist anthem that still punches the air with relevance decades later. Annie and Aretha don’t just sing – they proclaim.
Album Track Listing:
- Would I Lie to You?
- There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)
- I Love You Like a Ball and Chain
- Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves (with Aretha Franklin)
- Conditioned Soul
- Adrian (featuring Elvis Costello)
- It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)
- Here Comes That Sinking Feeling
- Better to Have Lost in Love (Than Never to Have Loved at All)
The Quiet Moments Are Just As Loud
Amid the fireworks, there are quieter corners too – spaces where emotion takes the front seat. ‘Adrian‘ is one such track, dreamy and strange, with Elvis Costello’s ghostly vocal lending an eerie counterpoint to Annie’s melancholy coo. It’s a nighttime walk through emotional wreckage.
‘Better to Have Lost in Love (Than Never to Have Loved at All)‘ closes the album with a soft, heartbreaking shimmer. It’s not defeatist – it’s human. This track is the gentle exhale after a whirlwind.
Even the deeper cuts – like the bluesy strut of ‘I Love You Like a Ball and Chain‘ or the driving groove of ‘Conditioned Soul‘ – are infused with urgency and polish. No filler here, only variations of fire.
A Glimpse Behind the Curtain: Production as Performance
Let’s not overlook Dave Stewart’s production genius. While Annie often takes the spotlight (and rightfully so), Dave’s fingerprints are everywhere – crafting arrangements that feel both classic and futuristic. There’s a live-band energy pulsing through every track, with layered harmonies, sharp guitar licks, and subtle synth textures coexisting in glorious harmony.
The album is a masterclass in sonic contrast. It can be slick and raw, smooth and ragged, often within the same song. Stewart knew the power of contradiction, and this album lives and breathes it.
Eurythmics Grow Up – and Take Us With Them
Be Yourself Tonight is the sound of artistic growth caught on tape. It’s fearless. It refuses to stay in one lane, and yet it never loses its identity. It’s pop with purpose, dressed in denim and dripping with attitude. There’s no irony here – just commitment to the moment.
In hindsight, it was a trailblazer. Long before pop artists were routinely blending genres, the Eurythmics were doing it with style and substance. They didn’t follow trends – they forecasted them.
Final Thoughts: An Album That Lives Up to Its Name
More than just a great pop record, Be Yourself Tonight is a manifesto. It’s about evolution, authenticity, and yes – being yourself, loudly and without apology. It remains a high-water mark in the Eurythmics’ discography and a shining beacon of what 1980s pop could achieve when it dared to be soulful.
So crank it up. Let Annie Lennox shout you into your power, let the brass section shake the walls, and remind yourself – being yourself doesn’t have to be quiet. It can be loud, brave, and utterly unforgettable.
A favourite.
