Originariamente previsto per l’estate del 2015, It’s About Time, ovvero il nuovo album della storica formazione disco Chic, uscirà ufficialmente nel 2017. A confermarlo, lo stesso Nile Rodgers, che farà tornare la sua band a venticinque anni dall’uscita dell’ultimo album (Chic-ism, 1992) e a 40 sia dall’anno della formazione, sia da quello dell’apertura dell’iconico Studio 54, club che più di ogni altro l’ha messa sulla mappa sul finire degli anni ’70. Il motivo del ritardo della pubblicazione del disco, spiega Rodgers in un comunicato ufficiale, è dovuto anche alle numerose morti tra i musicisti occorse durante il 2016. «Quando è morto Prince», ha raccontato il produttore, «è come se fossi stato colpito da un fulmine due volte… …in un 2016 dominato da così tante morti, non potevo pubblicare un disco sulla gioia di vivere». Di seguito il comunicato completo tratto dal sito ufficiale.
«In 2016 the music industry was under pressure. It lost so many giants to the Angel of Death. The year had barely started when David Bowie passed away. Though I’ve done dozens of albums with god knows how many superstars, David and Let’s Dance is one of the highest plateaus in my career. I’m a very optimistic person, but Glenn Fry and Paul Kantner died in that first month as well. The year was off to a very bad start, and the way forward through 2016 became unclear. Over the next few months I took some pressure off by touring with my symbolic other band, Duran Duran, and playing my own FOLD (FreakOutLetsDance) Festivals. I also collaborated on a huge amount of songs while focusing on what was most important in the world of CHIC – STAYING POSITIVE! When Prince suddenly died, it was like I’d been struck by lighting twice. It made me “see” why I named the next CHIC album “It’s About Time.” Time is so important, and what we do with it is everything. I flashed upon this fact: 2017 is the 40th anniversary of the world’s most influential disco in history, Studio 54. It’s also the 40th anniversary of CHIC. Our song “Le Freak” became one of Studio 54’s massive anthems. In 2017, we will pay homage to the club that put us on the international map by doing a series of concerts, afterparties, VIP Packages, films and singles – then drop the full album along with a BIG SURPRISE!
In 2016, I couldn’t release an album about the joy of life in A Year of So Many Deaths»