Take That became a teen idol in the 90s. It was a big shock to the predominantly female fans when the boy band announced their breakup on February 13, 1996. Less than ten years after their split, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, Howard Donald and Jason Orange celebrated their return in 2005. But without Robbie Williams, who had already left the group in 1995 due to growing tensions. On Friday, the remaining “Boys” will release a new album “This Life”.

Take That fans rarely swoon these days. The former boy band, whose members are now in their 50s, is synonymous with catchy pop and affirming lyrics. The Brits themselves describe their ninth studio album as a new chapter with “beautiful melodies, uplifting choruses and elegant harmonies”. The trio remains faithful to the pop genre, with the exception of some superficial borrowings from country and rock.

The first track “Keep Your Head Up” begins with melodic piano sounds and initially sounds like soothing music to help you fall asleep. The polyphonic singing that begins is dreamy and conveys pleasant feelings – as do the lyrics: “Don’t let yourself get down, keep a strong mind, let go and don’t hold on.”

This type of calendar saying runs through the twelve songs on the record, which do not tell specific personal stories, but rather want to convey an attitude towards life. Like the optimistic and comforting songs “This Life” or “Brand New Sun”.

“We didn’t want to make a happy album for everyone to make everyone happy. It just lyrically reflects where we are in life right now,” Donald said in an interview with dpa. Barlow adds: “Lyrically, it’s basically about our lives, the challenges and how we overcame them. The album is very thoughtful.”

In “Days I Hate Myself”, the British sing about the one who brings them back from depressive phases: the public. “When we’re on tour, there are definitely nights when we don’t feel like going on stage – whether we want to or not. You’re just having a bad day. But the audience builds you up in seconds,” says Barlow.

With their ideal lyrics, their almost epic songs of 3.30 to 4.30 minutes from today’s point of view and the absence of shiny electro rhythms, the three graying Brits in no way pander to Generation Z. Rather, they evoke nostalgic feelings and memories of the carefree 90s and 2000s.

The performance “Wetten,dass…?” of the group Saturday will also be a trip back in time for the group. Because in Thomas Gottschalk’s show, the British celebrated their temporary farewell to fans from German-speaking countries in 1996 and their return ten years later.

(By Thomas Bremser/dpa)