Empire of the Sun Rises Again With “Changes”: Stream it now

It's a new dawn for the Empire of the Sun.

The alternative electronic duo of Emperor Steele (Luke Steele) and Lord Littlemore (Nick Littlemore) return with “Changes”, their first new release in eight years.

Although it harks back to a new era, “Changes” is classic Empire of the Sun, underpinned by a slapstick, dancey-beat and fueled by a happy synth riff.

On it, Steele sings: “This time we're going through changes/ This time like not before/ This time we're going places/ Letting go.”

“Changes” represents “the shifting sands of time, empires rise and fall, but the sun will shine,” says Littlemore, also a founding member of Australian electronic trio Pnau. “Come once again to the world we created, delve into and be rewarded with its ever-expanding history, each and every one is invited to explore the new age.”

The new track is supported by an official music video, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Michael Maxxis, in which our otherworldly heroes arrive via spaceship on an earth-like planet, fully kitted out and ready to dance.

A young boy sees the landing and is first on the scene, where he is greeted by some terrifying ETs and the magic begins. Ominously, the music video ends with the assurance “to be continued…”

The Empire of the Sun project first appeared in 2008 with the single “Walking on a Dream”. The recording broke into the top 10 of the ARIA Singles Chart (peaking at No. 10) and won Single of the Year at the 2009 ARIA Music Awards, one of their four wins on the night.

In the US, the song got a second life when it was synced to a Honda Civic commercial in 2016, taking it to No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 and landing it at No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Songs, their second leader in the reckoning after 2013's 'Alive'.

Career streams exceed 7.6 billion, including more than 1 billion streams for “Walking on a Dream.”

Empire of the Sun has released three albums, 2008's breakthrough debut Walking in a dreamof 2013 Ice on the dune and of 2016 Two vinesall of which cracked the Top 10 in Australia.

A quarter might not be too far off. “There's a lot of great music in the bag. I hope it will see the light of day,” Littlemore said Advertising sign in 2021. “I have great faith. I don't feel like we've sold out that well. The name still has a lot of goodwill. I really hope we can come together and get it done.”