When Chrissie Hynde announces an album, the world listens. When Chrissie Hynde announces an album featuring Debbie Harry, Brandon Flowers and Mark bloody Lanegan, the world drops its pint, scrambles for the pre-order button, and yells “YESSS MUN!”
Her upcoming release, Duets Special (out 17 October 2025 via Parlophone and Rhino), isn’t just a record – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of icons. A record that feels like sneaking into the world’s coolest backstage lounge, watching legends pass around a mic while swapping war stories about CBGB’s, dive bars, broken hearts, and bad decisions.
But to understand why this album is so huge, you need to understand Chrissie Hynde herself – the Pretenders powerhouse, punk survivor, and eternal queen of cool. And then we’ll dig into each collab, because the lineup reads like a rock & roll Avengers roster. Assemble! 🤘
🎸 Part 1: Who the Hell is Chrissie Hynde (and Why Should You Care)?
Chrissie Hynde is one of those rare artists who doesn’t just perform rock music – she is rock music.
Born in Akron, Ohio in 1951, she grew up loving The Beatles, Dylan, and the rough edge of garage rock. But America couldn’t hold her. By the mid-70s she’d legged it to London – where punk was exploding like a Molotov cocktail lobbed into a beer garden.
Hynde hung around with the Sex Pistols, almost joined The Clash, even considered hooking up with the Damned. She worked at the legendary SEX boutique with Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. Basically: she was there when punk was born. 🧨
And then came The Pretenders.
Their 1980 debut Pretenders is still one of the most perfect rock albums ever made. From Brass in Pocket (cocky, sexy, iconic) to Precious (snarling punk fury), it made Hynde the first American to truly conquer the UK punk/post-punk scene on her own terms.
Over the decades, she’s weathered tragedy (bandmates lost to drugs), reinvented herself (new Pretenders lineups, solo projects), and always stayed cooler than your favourite band’s frontman. Put simply: Chrissie Hynde is a survivor, a poet, and a badass.
So when she rings up her mates and asks, “Fancy doing a duet?” – people say yes.
🎶 Part 2: The Birth of Duets Special
This whole project started in 2023 with what Chrissie called a “spontaneous and fun idea” after chatting with Jörn Weisbrodt (Rufus Wainwright’s husband). She scribbled a few ideas, made a list of singers she admired, and before long she had 13 massive duets on her hands.
It’s not some glossy pop-collab cash grab. It’s raw, stripped back, mostly covers – but each one drenched in personality. It’s Hynde inviting kindred spirits to stand alongside her, voices blending, histories intertwining.
And the names… oh lord, the names.
🌟 Part 3: The Tracklist, Broken Down
Here’s where we go deep – track by track, legend by legend.
1. Me & Mrs Jones (feat. k.d. lang)
Hynde + lang = velvet. Two voices that drip with smoky elegance, tackling a soul standard. Expect goosebumps, cigarettes stubbed out in whiskey glasses, and a slow dance you’ll never forget.
2. Can’t Help Falling In Love (feat. Mark Lanegan) 🕯️
This one’s already shaping up to be the most emotionally charged moment of the record. Elvis’ ballad, reimagined by the gravel-throated prophet of grunge blues. Lanegan passed in 2022, so this posthumous release feels monumental. Chrissie adored Lanegan’s voice – pairing their tones is like whisky meeting smoke.
3. Sway (feat. Lucinda Williams)
Two weathered troubadours, two road-worn voices. This Rolling Stones cut becomes a gritty Americana slow burn. Hynde and Lucinda share a knack for turning heartbreak into weaponry – expect it to ache in the best way.
4. Dolphins (feat. Dave Gahan) 🌊
From Depeche Mode’s cathedral of gloom to Hynde’s jangly mysticism, this is a fascinating collision. Dolphins (a Fred Neil classic) already drips with melancholy; with Gahan, it’s practically oceanic.
5. First Of The Gang To Die (feat. Cat Power)
Morrissey might’ve penned it, but Hynde + Cat Power give this track new life. A song about outsiders and cult heroes, sung by two women who’ve made careers out of not fitting in. Beautiful irony.
6. Always On My Mind (feat. Rufus Wainwright) 🌹
Lead single – and what a pick. Rufus’ operatic croon sliding against Chrissie’s husky fire. It’s lush, it’s theatrical, it’s crying-in-the-pub beautiful.
7. Every Little Bit Hurts (feat. Carleen Anderson)
A soul cut that digs deep. Carleen brings gospel fire, Chrissie adds grit – together they resurrect this track into something timeless.
8. I’m Not In Love (feat. Brandon Flowers) ✨
Okay, this one’s HUGE. 10cc’s 70s ballad gets the Vegas shine from The Killers’ frontman, with Chrissie grounding it in punk restraint. Flowers has idolised Hynde for years – this duet is basically a dream come true for him. And yeah, it’s gonna break hearts.
9. It’s Only Love (feat. Julian Lennon)
Beatle DNA meets Pretenders swagger. A forgotten Lennon/McCartney gem turned into a tender confessional. Julian’s airy tone blends surprisingly well with Hynde’s earthiness.
10. Try To Sleep (feat. Debbie Harry) 💋
The queen of Blondie + the queen of The Pretenders. Punk sisters, CBGB veterans, cultural icons. They’ve crossed paths a thousand times – but hearing them on record together? It’s history. Harry’s cool detachment meets Chrissie’s bite = perfection.
11. County Line (feat. Alan Sparhawk)
The Low frontman joins Chrissie for a stripped-back indie moment. Expect stark beauty, harmonies like ghost voices, and an almost spiritual vibe.
12. Love Letters (feat. Shirley Manson) 💌
Garbage’s fiery frontwoman takes on a classic, and with Hynde at her side it’s both snarling and tender. Two Scottish-adopted icons snarling love into microphones.
13. (You’re My) Soul And Inspiration (feat. Dan Auerbach) 🎸
The Black Keys’ bluesman wraps up the record with a gritty, dirty stomp. Hynde thrives in that swampy rock space, and Auerbach’s guitar fuzz seals it. A proper closer.
🎤 Part 4: Why This Album Matters
Duets Special isn’t just another nostalgia trip. It’s a reminder that Chrissie Hynde still sets the rules.
- She’s not chasing TikTok hits. She’s singing with her heroes, her peers, and her spiritual successors.
- She’s curating a community of voices – punk, soul, Americana, goth, indie, pop.
- She’s showing us how songs can be reborn when legends collide.
Think about it: in 2025, when the charts are stuffed with beige playlists, here comes Chrissie dropping a record where Debbie Harry and Brandon Flowers share space with Mark Lanegan and Shirley Manson. That’s bold. That’s rock.
🍻 Part 5: Fan Reactions & Cultural Chaos
Already, fans are frothing at the mouth.
- Blondie die-hards are ecstatic that Debbie Harry finally teamed up with Chrissie.
- Killers fans are crying into their eyeliner at Brandon’s duet.
- Lanegan loyalists are preparing tissues for that Elvis cover.
- Pretenders lifers just love that Chrissie is still this fearless.
On forums and socials, it’s being called:
- “The most iconic collab record since Santana’s Supernatural.”
- “Like MTV Unplugged, but with better voices.”
- “The Avengers Assemble of rock vocals.”
🏴 Part 6: A Welsh Pint of Perspective
Now, you know us here at The Riff Report – we measure everything by whether it’ll go down well at a sticky Welsh pub table. And this record? Absolutely.
Imagine I’m Not In Love coming on the jukebox, Flowers and Hynde crooning, while you’re halfway through your second pint of Brains. Goosebumps. Proper job.
🎧 Part 7: Final Thoughts
Chrissie Hynde has nothing to prove. She’s already conquered punk, pop, and classic rock. But with Duets Special, she’s proving something bigger: that rock icons don’t fade – they collaborate, evolve, and surprise.
It’s raw. It’s emotional. It’s loaded with legends. And come October, it’ll be the record every rock fan worth their denim jacket will be spinning.
Chrissie Hynde, Debbie Harry, Brandon Flowers, Mark Lanegan… all on one record? C’mon butt, that’s lush.
