| The Feminine Divine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 July 2023 | |||
| Studio | Famous Times, Hackney, London and others | |||
| Length | 39:37 | |||
| Label | 100% | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Dexys chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Feminine Divine is the sixth studio album by the English band Dexys, released on 28 July 2023 by 100% Records. The tracks were written by Kevin Rowland, Sean Read, Mike Timothy and Jim Paterson, and the album was produced by Pete Schwier and Toby Chapman. It was the group's first album of original songs since One Day I'm Going to Soar (2012) and their first album in seven years since Let the Record Show (2016). It is a concept album themed around Rowland's progress across three decades from being sexist to becoming a champion for women.
The album's lead single, "I'm Going to Get Free", was released on 3 April 2023. An accompanying promotional video, featuring Rowland dancing along Bethnal Green Road, was directed by Guy Myhill. The song was originally written by Rowland and Paterson in the early 1990s. The album track "It's Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)" is a reworking of "Manhood", a song that Rowland performed on television in 1993 and later recorded for Let's Make This Precious: The Best of Dexys Midnight Runners (2003).
Critics gave the album a generally positive reception and noted that the second half of the album, featuring synthesisers was unlike anything that the band had previously released. The track "My Submission" was highlighted with praise by several reviewers. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 6, making it the band's highest-charting album in over 30 years.