'Deep Conversation' Led Christine and the Queens and MGMT to Make Their 'Dream' Collaboration 'Dancing in Babylon' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Last year Chris fromChristine and the Queensreceived news that at first felt like it was out of a “dream” — and then quickly inspired him to jump out of sheer joy.

“I’ve always been a true fan of their music,” says Chris of MGMT’s Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. “I had a lover in my life that lived in London, too, and we shared a common passion for MGMT records at that time.”

Chris from Christine and the Queens and Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser of MGMT.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Courtesy of MGMT

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty, Courtesy of MGMT

He adds, “As a musician, I always listen to the music with both my emotion and my own practice. They helped me make music.”

While it wasn’t until VanWyngarden, 41, met the singer-songwriter in the studio in Paris that their collaboration became fully formed, he explains that when the track evolved from a Eurohouse beat to a dreamy ‘80s synth soundscape he and Goldwasser, 41, realized it could be a duet.

“When it was in this sort of ‘80s half time power ballad zone, we really didn’t think of anybody else,” says VanWyngarden of working with the Christine and the Queens frontperson.

Once the lead vocalist and the “People, I’ve been sad” artist met in the studio, they realized just how fruitful — and how emotionally fulfilling — the collaboration would be. VanWyngarden reflects, “We discussed where we were at with the emotions and the intentions that we wanted to put into music. And there was a lot of crossover — just thinking about love and loss and with this spiritual dimension that isn’t sort of psychedelic, it’s not religious, but it’s sincere.”

“Trying to grapple with that as an artist is a real challenge,” he continues. “And I saw Chris doing the same.”

Christine and the Queens perform in California in April 2023.Scott Dudelson/Getty

Scott Dudelson/Getty

The music video also marked a full circle moment for MGMT. The indie icons reunited with director Ray Tintori, who they attended Wesleyan University with and helmed music videos for hits like “Electric Feel,” “Kids” and “Time to Pretend” off their seminal 2007 debut studio albumOracular Spectacular.

Along with theLittle Dark Agegroup and the French star, the video also features actor/filmmakerJohn Cameron Mitchell, actorJulian Morrisand his husband Landon Ross and MGMT’s longtime collaborator and former college classmate, choreographer Max Goldblatt. Like many of the synth-pop favorites’ art, the visual tells a hallucinogenic story — this one through queer love and commitment — that also happens to include ‘80s futurism fashion, a video game set in a war zone and a sandwich.

MGMT.Johan Freeman

Johan Freeman

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen [Tintori] say no,” Goldwasser shares. “It started with the idea of the love story and then working backwards from that and adding the dream layers. And then the sandwich and the video game was like the icing on the cake.”

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The queer romance at the center of the visual also ties back to the initial concept behind the song that the Christine and the Queens artist was drawn to. “I remember when [MGMT] sent the song, [they] said it was a love song between two guys, and you also had this love story in mind,” he recalls. “I could project myself and I thought it was just a sexy idea, as well, to provide a true torch love story for two men in love.”

Courtesy of Mom + Pop

Essentially, the entire project — with its creative freedom and the long-lasting relationship at its helm — harkens back to VanWyngarden and Chris’ candidness when they first approached the song in Paris.

“I think that part of the success of the video is the conversation that Chris and I had in Paris was about relationships and love and these sort of profound things that you experienced as a human,” says Vanwyngarden. “There’s real chemistry and emotion — and it is cool to make something that’s ultimately for a pop song, but that has true depth.”

He adds, “It was a fresher stream of water for me in my face — a reminder of, ‘It’s importance to focus on the energy because quest is way more joyful.’”

source: people.com