Boy, oh boy — it’s Boy George! The ’80s pop icon himself stopped by Us Weekly’s New York headquarters recently for a one-on-one sit down with Entertainment Director Ian Drew. The “Karma Chameleon” singer, now 53, dished about Culture Club’s epic reunion after a 15-year break, their upcoming tour, and other pop stars he keeps tabs on in the music industry.
“Some bands really fall out, but we just needed a break I think,” Boy George said of getting back into the studio with the band. “I started off the process like two years ago — a couple of them didn’t even want to make a record.”
With cross-dressing Boy George on vocals, Culture Club was formed in 1981 and released mega hits such as “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” The group initially went their separate ways in ’86, with a few sprinklings of reunions along the way. Back in May, it was officially announced that the band was back together and would be hitting the road again.
“We’re going to do obviously all of our big hits and then some from the new album. We haven’t really decided yet on what we’re going to play,” Boy George told Us of the upcoming reunion tour. “There’s a lot of freedom because there’s no pressure. A band like Culture Club isn’t guaranteed radio play,” he continued. “We’ve had our moment.”
Watch the rest of Boy George’s interview — and hear his thoughts on Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga — now!