“Keep Feeling” Wasn’t Just a Hook — It Was a Neon Gospel
How The Human League’s 1983 single turned synthpop into something soulful, stylish, and unshakably defiant.
April 11th, 1983 — synths shimmered, colours exploded, and pop caught a new kind of fever.
April 11th, 1983 — synths shimmered, colours exploded, and pop caught a new kind of fever.
The Human League, fresh off their global domination with Dare, weren’t ready to fade quietly into the pastel haze of early ‘80s fame. They came back armed with a sound slicker than chrome and a message that buzzed with bright resistance. “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” wasn’t just a single — it was a signal flare. Synthpop could still bite, beam, and believe in something.
From the first chime, Fascination is hypnotic — a swirl of synthetic funk, vocal layering, and that iconic line echoing like a mantra:
“Keep feeling… fascination / Passion burning, love so strong.”
This wasn’t bubblegum. It was the sound of reinvention, dressed in DayGlo, moving to the beat of machines with human hearts. Where many bands were leaning harder into new wave cynicism or MTV gloss, The Human League kept their soul in the circuitry.
And let’s talk production — this is where Martin Rushent’s absence is felt but not missed. Producer Chris Thomas stepped in and helped create a polished yet pulsing atmosphere. The track oozes confidence. It’s synthetic pop with bones. With conviction. With that Sheffield-born defiance under the gloss.
Vocally, the tag team of Phil Oakey’s smooth baritone and the dual harmonies of Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley never sounded tighter. They weren’t backup singers — they were equals in a sound built for inclusion, for unity, for dancing through the static of everyday life.
While “Fascination” didn’t crash into No. 1 territory like “Don’t You Want Me”, it charted impressively — landing at No. 2 in the UK, and climbing up to No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. But its true power lies in how it solidified The Human League as more than just chart-hunters. They were culture shapers.
This song lived in roller rinks and bedroom mixtapes. It soundtracked neon-soaked dreams and teenage revolutions. It made you believe that pop — real pop — could be bold, weird, and wonderful.
And four decades later, it still pulses.
“(Keep Feeling) Fascination” wasn’t a flash. It was a foundation. One of those timeless tracks that captures what it felt like to be young, electrified, and ready to feel everything all at once.
FORKSTER Approved. All Synth. All Soul. 100% Pop Power.
🔥 FORKSTER PERSONAL NOTE:
Some tracks hit the charts. Others hit your spirit.
“(Keep Feeling) Fascination” was the latter — a synth-sparked sermon that told you it was okay to feel everything and still move to the beat.
That’s what I live for. Songs that break the algorithm. They don’t chase trends — they start them. The Human League weren’t just riding the synthpop wave — they wired the boards. They proved pop could be weird, bold, and still full of heart.
This one? It wasn’t made to fade. It was made to shine, unapologetically — like every artist who dares to bring colour into the grey.
I’ll always salute the ones who don’t play safe.
Long live the fearless. Long live the fascination.
— FORKSTER
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