On September 2, 1996 the Pet Shop Boys released their new album, Bilingual. Written and recorded over the previous two years, it was initially planned as some kind of Latin record. Although there are many Latin moments on the finished album (rhythmically, linguistically and emotionally), as time passed this idea provided more an attitude and an orientation then a strict musical blueprint. “Another reason for doing the album like this,” says Neil, “was as a reaction against Britpop. We like being part of Europe; we are a very international group and we like that fact.”