Duran Duran has a new song, and a new music video to go along with it.

This is news?

Yes, yes it is. Stay with me on this one.

Actually, the song (“Girl Panic!”) and the album (“All You Need Is Now”) were both released last year. Same with the video (November 8th, 2011).

However, (thanks to Music TeleVision no longer playing music videos) people are just now discovering this unusual production.

The video is actually a nearly 10-minute production featuring interviews with the band members and the song, laced in and out of the presentation. In addition to insight on where Duran Duran has come from, where they see themselves now, and where they plan on going, it also provides a quick retrospective of Duran Duran’s use of supermodels in their music videos.

…Which is key in this video, because all of the members of Duran Duran are played in this video by supermodels!

Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova, Helena Christensen and Yasmin Le Bon all take on the characters of the band, including answering interview questions in first-person as the band-mate they are portraying. It makes for a very alternate-reality sort of experience, where you know they’re talking about a group of guys… but it’s a group of girls talking with authority about the band! While my eyes showed my puzzlement, I couldn’t keep a smile off my face as I watched these supermodels convincingly play the dopplegangers of these 80s heart-throbs.

The male members of Duran Duran show up for brief cameos here and there: as a reporter, as a bell hop, as an elevator attendant, as a chauffeur… but they are not the stars at any point in time. The girls are the focus… they ARE Duran Duran: good, bad, and… well, OK, none of these ladies are UGLY…

Speaking of the ladies and their appearance: while technically not showing anything, I’d still have to label the video “Not Safe For Work” due to the near-constant sexual content. The supermodels are all in lingerie of varying degrees of coverage (or un-coverage), and there are scenes of the band members making out with female groupies… which might not have been such a big deal if it were really the guys, but since it’s lace-attired supermodels in girl-on-girl kissing… let’s just say if you’re watching this at lunch, you may end up with a crowd around you.

So-o-o… what about the song? That’s the best news: it’s great! I really like “Girl Panic!”. It reminds me of some of their best work in the 80s. Upbeat, catchy… the boys are in fine form.

This video left me smiling, not because of all the skin, but because of the excellent acting work of the models, the band member cameos, and the great tune. Duran Duran has put out some odd musical experiments over the years… this is a decidedly commercial release, a return to the fine form of their 80s hits. Highly recommended!