Pet Shop Boys – Heart

Released in 1988, “Heart” was the fourth and final single from the Pet Shop Boys’ second studio album, Actually. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was originally conceived during the sessions for their debut album, Please. The duo had considered offering it to other singers, including Madonna and Hazell Dean, before deciding to keep it for themselves.

Unlike some of the Pet Shop Boys’ more ironic or socially observant songs, “Heart” is remarkably straightforward. It is an uncomplicated declaration of love, capturing the physical excitement and emotional disorientation of suddenly falling deeply for someone. Tennant’s lyrics describe that feeling through the simple image of a heart missing a beat, giving the song an unusually sincere quality.

Musically, “Heart” is driven by a crisp four-to-the-floor rhythm, programmed percussion, synthesiser textures and a prominent bass line. The single version, produced by Andy Richards, features guitar from J. J. Belle, while the album version was subsequently remixed by Julian Mendelsohn, who removed the guitar and created a slightly more electronic sound.

The accompanying video famously reimagined the Dracula story, with Sir Ian McKellen playing a seductive vampire and Neil Tennant becoming his victim. Its dark, theatrical imagery provided a wonderfully ironic contrast to the song’s uncomplicated romantic message.

“Heart” remains one of the Pet Shop Boys’ warmest and most accessible love songs, combining sincerity, catchy electronic pop and just enough theatricality to make it unmistakably theirs.

The song peaked at No. 01 in the UK singles chart on the 3rd April 1988.