From fashion to film and television, recent years have seen a massive resurgence of the glitz and glamour of the ‘80s in popular culture. Even music is no exception, with model and television host Heidi Klum recently releasing a cover of the ‘80s song ‘Sunglasses At Night’ as her new single. Prior to Klum’s cover, musical artist and composer Loïk Gome (BFRND) has also reworked the same tune, originally sung by Canadian singer Corey Hart, to show off Balenciaga’s SS21 collection.
The original ‘Sunglasses At Night’ was released in 1984 as the first single of Hart’s debut album, ‘First Offense.’ Due to its unique melody and catchy hook, the song was an instant hit, peaking at No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Now that it has been 40 years since the song was released, fans and casual listeners may be wondering where Hart is now and what he is up to. So, we look at Hart’s legacy as a talented musician and one of Canada’s biggest ‘80s artists.
The story and fashion in ‘Sunglasses At Night’
After Balenciaga used ‘Sunglasses At Night’ in its pre-collection video, Hart shared a short backstory of the iconic ‘80s tune in an interview with Vogue. Hart mentioned being in London and buying a pair of sunglasses that he never got a chance to wear due to the UK’s inclement weather. It was only when he returned to Canada that he was inspired to write the lyrics while messing around and wearing his sunglasses at night.
Hart would go on to film the Juno award-winning music video a year later, in which he played a maverick confronting and disrupting the status quo by keeping his sunglasses on even at night. Interestingly enough, the Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses he sported in the music video were symbolic of ‘80s fashion, with the brand being popularized by top celebrities like Tom Cruise.
Although Hart doesn't consider himself a fashion icon, those looking to emulate Hart’s effortlessly cool style in 'Sunglasses at Night' can find vintage-inspired sunglasses on the online eyewear retailer Eyebuydirect. The Borneo frames in black bear the same classic shape as the Wayfarer, while the matte black Nevada pair would match other staples of the time.
For instance, '80s fashion was big on all-denim looks, as seen on Gianni Versace and Yves Saint Laurent's muse, Iman. In fact, Hart himself embodied this, as he often wore a denim jacket on top of a tee and a pair of Levi's 501 jeans while publicly promoting as an artist.
Induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame
After making hits, selling 16 million albums, and touring as a global artist, Hart slowly stepped away from the spotlight to focus on his family and personal life. However, he remained active in writing and producing songs for other artists, such as fellow Canadian icon Celine Dion.
So, in 2019, the singer-songwriter was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the JUNO Awards in London. In acknowledgment of his significant contributions to the global recognition of Canadian music, Hart joined other inductees like Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, and Shania Twain.
Studio album and singles
Aside from being a Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee, Hart is also the president of Siena Records, a record label partnership offered by Warner Music Canada and spearheaded by Sire Music’s CEO, Seymour Stein. It was through this joint venture that he released ‘Dreaming Time Again’ in 2019, his first studio album after years of hiatus.
He would also put out non-album singles throughout the years, starting with a reworked version of ‘Never Surrender’, originally released in 1985 as a track on his album ‘Boy in the Box.’ The updated single incorporated a new melody and lyrics to reflect Hart’s modern perspectives as a songwriter. In 2021, he released two more singles and music videos, namely ‘Shoreline’ featuring Dante Hart and ‘Morning Sun.’
Acquisition deal with Peermusic
The Canadian singer-songwriter’s most recent milestone is a global publishing deal with peermusic. In 2023, peermusic announced that it had acquired the publishing copyrights for Hart’s impressive catalog of over 200 songs, with the goal of championing the artist’s repertoire and helping it shape the sound of new and future generations. In fact, peermusic is involved in Hart’s latest original single, ‘Dinosaur’, which is an upbeat track with autobiographical lyrics that depict Hart overcoming pain and suffering with the help of his wife, Julia Massie.