{"id":2477498,"date":"2026-06-26T20:56:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T20:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2477498"},"modified":"2026-06-26T20:56:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T20:56:33","slug":"boy-george-says-everybody-hated-karma-chameleon-but-its-become-a-guilty-pleasure-42-years-later-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/boy-george-says-everybody-hated-karma-chameleon-but-its-become-a-guilty-pleasure-42-years-later-exclusive\/","title":{"rendered":"Boy George Says &#8216;Everybody Hated&#8217; &#8216;Karma Chameleon&#8217; but It&#8217;s Become a &#8216;Guilty Pleasure&#8217; 42 Years Later (Exclusive)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Boy George recalls how &#8220;hated&#8221; Culture Club&#8217;s hit &#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221; was at first<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I had to almost strong-arm the track onto the album <em>Color by Numbers<\/em>,&#8221; he tells PEOPLE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Culture Club released &#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221; in 1983<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/boy-george\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Boy George;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Boy George&quot;}\">Boy George<\/a> recalls how the perspective on Culture Club&#8217;s hit <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:&quot;Karma Chameleon&quot;;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;&amp;quot&quot;}\">&#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221;<\/a> has changed after 42 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the British singer-songwriter and DJ (real name George Dowd) recalls how &#8220;hated&#8221; the 1983 song was at first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;The first time I sang it to the band, they all hated it,&#8221; George, 65, recalls. &#8220;So, I had to almost strong-arm the track onto the album <em>Color by Numbers<\/em> because we were going in a soulful direction, and the boys, I think, preferred that. But me being me, I like to throw a spanner in the works.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Boy George<br \/>Credit: Dean Stockings<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Of &#8220;Karma Chameleon,&#8221; the &#8220;Do You Really Want to Hurt Me&#8221; artist says, &#8220;I knew that song was going to be a hit. I mean, I was absolutely adamant it was going to be No. 1, even though I really had no experience to base it on.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">While &#8220;everybody hated&#8221; &#8220;Karma Chameleon,&#8221; George was always confident it would find an audience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It was like a sort of guilty pleasure, that song,&#8221; he says. &#8220;And who knew how much it would be emphasized over the years in my life?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:PEOPLE's free daily newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;PEOPLE'&quot;}\" class=\"link \">PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In honor of his 65th birthday, George recently <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/boy-george-recorded-ai-version-of-karma-chameleon-65th-birthday-exclusive-11995507\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:recorded an AI-enhanced version;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;recorded an AI-enhanced version&quot;}\">recorded an AI-enhanced version<\/a> of &#8220;Karma Chameleon.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The 2026 version of the track features George&#8217;s new, in-studio vocals and, per a press release, uses &#8220;ethical technology to support the final recording.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">George recently <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/boy-george-recorded-ai-version-of-karma-chameleon-65th-birthday-exclusive-11995507\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:spoke with PEOPLE;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;spoke with PEOPLE&quot;}\">spoke with PEOPLE<\/a> about the making of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/cultureclub.lnk.to\/KarmaChameleonArtistIncluded\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:reborn version of &quot;Karma Chameleon.&quot;;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;reborn version of &amp;quot&quot;}\">reborn version of &#8220;Karma Chameleon.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I had to sing it with the same nuance that I did when I was 22, because over the years, you perform a song millions of times, it changes shape, it becomes something else,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For him, &#8220;it was really fun to go in, and [almost be] sort of Irish drunk singing along to your own song in a pub.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The reborn rendition of the song features all of the original lyrics and the track&#8217;s original producer, Steve Levine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For George, &#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221; is &#8220;massively powerful and iconic in connection to who I am and what I&#8217;ve created.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;To have some control over it, it&#8217;s invigorating,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It makes me feel excited about the song again.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221; topped the charts in 16 countries, including several weeks holding the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It also notably went platinum in the U.K.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/boy-george-karma-chameleon-once-hated-now-guilty-pleasure-exclusive-12006908\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:People;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;People&quot;}\" class=\"link \">People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEED TO KNOW Boy George recalls how &#8220;hated&#8221; Culture Club&#8217;s hit &#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221; was at first &#8220;I had to almost strong-arm the track onto the album Color by Numbers,&#8221; he tells PEOPLE Culture Club released &#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221; in 1983 Boy George recalls how the perspective on Culture Club&#8217;s hit &#8220;Karma Chameleon&#8221; has changed after 42 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2477499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[372621,487599,394225,487598,449901],"class_list":["post-2477498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-boy-george","tag-color-by-numbers","tag-culture-club","tag-george-dowd","tag-karma-chameleon"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Boy-George-Says-Everybody-Hated-Karma-Chameleon-but-Its-Become.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2477498"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2477500,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2477498\/revisions\/2477500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2477499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2477498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2477498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2477498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}