Boys Don’t Cry, the hit song by The Cure, still has a “contemporary resonance” according to frontman Robert Smith.
Released on a compilation album of the same name in 1980, Boys Don’t Cry became one of the biggest hits for the Smith-fronted group, and remains a fan favourite over forty years later. Though Smith would suggest he had “never thought about legacy” he was asked by Rolling Stone Magazine about the longevity of Boys Don’t Cry for audiences. The Cure frontman suggested “peer pressure” is what keeps the song relevant, as members of the public are still searching out alternative sounds to combat the mainstream appeal. Smith suggested a performance of the song at Glastonbury was his “moment of clarity” for why the song remained relevant to listeners decades on from release.
He said: “I was singing [‘Boys Don’t Cry’] at Glastonbury and I realised that it has a very contemporary resonance with all the rainbow stripes and stuff flying in the crowd. When I was growing up, there was peer pressure on you to conform to be a certain way.
“And as an English boy at the time, you’re encouraged not to show your emotion to any degree. And I couldn’t help but show my emotions when I was younger. I never found it awkward showing my emotions. I couldn’t really continue without showing my emotions; you’d have to be a pretty boring singer to do that.
“So I kind of made a big thing about it. I thought, ‘Well, it’s part of my nature to rail against being told not to do something’.” It’s a busy year for The Cure, with the band set to perform a series of headline shows across the UK and Europe. A return to the stage was confirmed last year when the group were confirmed as headliners for the Rock en Seine festival in Paris, France.
The Cure has since been confirmed for Øyafestivalen, the Norwegian music festival which was established in 1999. Last year, the festival hosted Chappel Roan, Queens of the Stone Age, and Charli XCX as the headliners. The Cure were announced for the festival along with Amyl and the Sniffers. More announcements for Øyafestivalen are expected in the coming weeks, but it’s a strong start for the festival as they secure the Boys Don’t Cry hitmakers. The Cure will perform at the festival on August 12.
A statement from Øyafestivalen reads: “First release and headlining the Island 2026! This summer, The Cure will once again show why they are one of the world’s best concert attractions, with a full set of good songs.” The band had previously played Øyafestivalen in 2019.
The band were previously announced for a headline slot at Nova Rock festival in Austria. They will perform there on June 12, with a series of UK and Ireland tour dates also scheduled for next summer.
