Divine undoubtedly contributed to the LGBT narrative contained within pop culture. His consistently fluid (and of course lewd) representation of sexuality and gender challenged the theatrics of 1980s pop music.

Created in collaboration with ‘Pope of Trash’ film maker John Waters, Divine was a brash confident persona. After the success of his partnership with John Waters, Divine would branch out with New York performer/producer Bobby O to launch a musical career that boasted a dizzying angle on Hi-NRG.

Divine’s first charting single ‘Native Love Step By Step’ (NL #28) remains one of his most frenetic hits. ‘Shoot Your Shot’ (DE #15/NL #7) is Bobby O’s brassy brand of club music mock-sexualised at full tilt. ‘Love Reaction’ (UK #65) gloriously appropriates New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’.

Song writing/producing trio Stock Aitken & Waterman continued the success of hi-NRG synthpop giving Divine one of his biggest hits in 1984’s ‘You Think You’re a Man’ (AUS #8/NL #32/UK #16) and ‘I’m So Beautiful’ (GER #38 / UK #52) which is perhaps most reminiscent of Divine’s earlier work with John Waters. ‘Walk Like A Man’ and ‘Twisting The Night Away’ continued the hit streak and kept Divine in the spotlight before his untimely death in 1988.

"Divine - Shoot Your Shot: The Divine Anthology" is out Friday, 3rd May 2024 on Hot Shot Records and available for pre-order here.

Disc One

1. NATIVE LOVE STEP BY STEP
2. SHOOT YOUR SHOT
3. SHAKE IT UP
4. LOVE REACTION
5. T-SHIRT AND TIGHT BLUE JEANS
6. YOU THINK YOU’RE A MAN
7. I’M SO BEAUTIFUL
8. SHOW ME AROUND
9. WALK LIKE A MAN/MAN TALK
10. TWISTIN’ THE NIGHT AWAY
11. HARD MAGIC
12. LITTLE BABY
13. HEY YOU!
14. SHOUT IT OUT

Disc Two

1. JUNGLE JEZEBEL
2. KICK YOUR BUTT
3. ALPHABET RAP
4. NATIVE LOVE (REMIX)
5. SHOOT YOUR SHOT (REMIX)
6. SHAKE IT UP (SPECIAL REMIX)
7. YOU THINK YOU’RE A MAN (SPECIAL REMIX)
8. I’M SO BEAUTIFUL (DIVINE MIX)
9. SHOW ME AROUND
10. GIVE IT UP
11. PSYCHEDELIC SHACK
12. YOU THINK YOU’RE A... MEDLEY
13. NATIVE LOVE STEP BY STEP (ALTERNATIVE REMIX)