Calling all adults: Chromeo is back, and have they got a record for you. It… Read Full Bio ↴Calling all adults: Chromeo is back, and have they got a record for you. It’s brazenly titled Adult Contemporary, and it’s set to redefine the term. There’s a complacency and a softness to “adult contemporary” as we know it, in a pleated khakis and cable-knit sweater kind of way. In the hands of Dave 1 and P-Thugg however, the phrase takes on a whole new meaning. Let’s parse it word by word.

“Adult” is a loaded thing to call someone in this day and age, since adults have basically wrecked our planet. But for Chromeo, to be an adult doesn’t mean being a cog in the square world’s machinery. Rather, it signifies evolution, sophistication, and nuance. Aging like wine or cheese, not like fruit or milk. While we do so, how much of our groove do we actually choose to hold on to? Chromeo says: “all of it.” As you already know (unless you’ve been living in a vibes vacuum since the early 2000s), Chromeo is the paramount funk band of our time. Friends since childhood, Dave and Pee have built an empire of soigné, danceable, and intelligent music over the course of two decades. Few duos can claim this kind of psychic togetherness and evergreen staying power. Really, who else? One must venture into the stratosphere to find precedents. And now that Dave’s double-breasted suits are popping and Pee’s turtlenecks are in effect mode, it’s safe to say that we can rely on Chromeo to stick around for years to come.

Wait, do you want to hear something really adult? Try this on for size: the anguish of late-stage capitalist monogamy is very much a thing. Here, we come to the essence of Adult Contemporary, the most lyrically cohesive Chromeo opus to date: it’s a 14-track meditation on mature relationships. This is perhaps best conveyed in the song “BTS,” which sounds like a classic Chromeo funk jam but, as is often the case with these guys, hides a deeper message. An ode to just going to sleep (“rest can be Better Than Sex”), it’s about that moment in an affair of the heart when you can just say, “Baby, this week was a doozy and I really just need to crash.” How real is that? Or there’s a song like “Personal Effects,” in which Dave reminisces over a partner after seeing her phone charger left at his house. Modern romance, indeed. Throughout the album, songs function like short stories, each a variation on what it’s like to be in love in 2024 – from joyful commitment to crippling co-dependency, from the platonic to the profane. It’s no picnic…yet lo and behold, it can also be hilarious, and Dave and Pee tackle it all in their signature straight-faced style. Lest we forget the core Chromeo value: there is no such thing as irony.

Onto that other word. “Contemporary.” An interesting choice for a band who has always been equally of-the-moment and openly indebted to its ancestors. But in an era when everything is available all the time, seamlessly melding together the new and the old might just be the most contemporary act an artist can commit. Chromeo offers us a singularity of funk, with music more elegant and considered than ever before. Take for instance the lush horn arrangements on “Words With You” and “Lost And Found” or the banging electro-synths in “(I Don’t Need A) New Girl.” This is Chromeo in full two-man studio muso mode, danceable and delicate, simultaneously wielding deft live instrumentation and a relentless four-on-the-floor kick drum that scans the entire record. For the first time in a while, it really is a tandem affair. The previous albums were very much about collaborating. Getting other people involved and going big. Adult Contemporary is more ambitious specifically because it revolves solely around two besties at the top of their game, doing absolutely everything on their own. Hence a deeply intimate feel, with Dave and Pee accomplishing two things at once: getting back to basics in terms of method while also expanding the songwriting and atmosphere. The Chromeo blueprint of maximum funk earnestness sits front and center.

So with that in mind, we invite you to join not only our contemporary times but also the ranks of the grown. Contrary to our infantilizing culture – which would prefer you stunted –, adulthood is a blast. And with a soundtrack such as Adult Contemporary, it’s a place of pleasure, discernment, groove, and comradeship. Come now, dip your toe into the infinity pool of maturity. You’ll find yourself, before too long, happy to evolve funkily alongside Chromeo.

Old 45s
Chromeo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dudes'll step to you with a corny line
Asking for your name, saying, "what's your sign?"
You turn around like, "boy, quit talking to me"
Yeah

He could pick you up in a limousine
You'd look back like, "what you mean?"
Just worry about more important things

Boys are non-committal
Always in the middle
It bothers you a little
Bothers you a little
Why can't we be like mom and dad?

You don't wanna settle
But didn't you get the memo?
You only get a date if you're walking in stilettos
This is enough to drive you mad

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back to me

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back to me

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and dance with me

You're out of luck, maybe out of touch
You only see schmucks
And you've really had enough
It's not adding up and you just don't understand

A straight shooter, he's a straight shooter
Cut to the chase and he asked if he could do ya
P.S. he had a ring on his left hand

Boys are non-committal
Always in the middle
It bothers you a little
It bothers you a little
Why can't we be like mom and dad?

You don't wanna settle
But didn't you get the memo?
You only get a date if you're walking in stilettos
This is enough to drive you mad

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back to me

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back to me

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and dance with me

If you think romance is dead and gone
Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back

If you think romance is dead and gone

Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Pop a nickel in it and dance with me

Overall Meaning

The song "Old 45's" by Chromeo is a commentary on how difficult it can be to find genuine romance in today's society. The lyrics depict the frustration that many people feel as they try to navigate the dating world, where individuals often play games and are not truly committed to any one person.

The first verse describes a scenario where a man tries to pick up a woman using a cheesy pickup line, but she quickly shuts him down. The singer then laments the fact that many men seem non-committal and indecisive, which can be frustrating for someone seeking a real connection. The second verse tells the story of a woman who meets a seemingly great guy, but discovers that he is already married. The song concludes with the repeated refrain of "If you think romance is dead and gone, find an old jukebox full of 45s. Pop a nickel in it and dance with me," suggesting that the simplicity and nostalgia of old-fashioned courtship can bring people together in a more authentic way.

Line by Line Meaning

Dudes'll step to you with a corny line
Men will try to approach you with cliché pick-up lines

Asking for your name, saying, "what's your sign?"
They'll ask for your name and astrological sign

You turn around like, "boy, quit talking to me"
But you'll turn away and dismiss them

He could pick you up in a limousine
Even if someone tried to impress you with a fancier ride

You'd look back like, "what you mean?"
You would still question their intentions

Just worry about more important things
You advise them to focus on matters that actually matter

Boys are non-committal
Guys tend to have commitment issues

Always in the middle
They can never seem to make up their mind

It bothers you a little
This behavior troubles you somewhat

Why can't we be like mom and dad?
You long for a relationship like your parents'

You don't wanna settle
You don't want to compromise on what you truly want

But didn't you get the memo?
However, reality says otherwise

You only get a date if you're walking in stilettos
People only seem to notice you if you dress a certain way

This is enough to drive you mad
This situation drives you crazy

If you think romance is dead and gone
If you've lost faith in love

Find an old jukebox full of 45s
Find a vintage jukebox filled with old records

Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back
Insert a coin, and memories and emotions flood back

If you think romance is dead and gone
If you still believe in love

Pop a nickel in it and it all comes back to me
Insert a coin, and it will remind you of me

You're out of luck, maybe out of touch
You may be having a streak of bad luck, or be disconnected from society's norms

You only see schmucks
You only see unworthy, uninteresting people

And you've really had enough
You have reached your limit

It's not adding up and you just don't understand
You cannot comprehend why things don't work out

A straight shooter, he's a straight shooter
A man who is upfront and honest with his intentions

Cut to the chase and he asked if he could do ya
He directly asks if he can have sex with you

P.S. he had a ring on his left hand
But he is already married