"Age of Consent" is a song by the English rock band New Order. It appears as the opening track on their second studio album, Power, Corruption & Lies (1983).
Contents
Composition
Stephen Morris revealed during a 2020 Twitter listening party that his drum beats were based on the Martin Hannett version of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart".
Live performances
As of May 2024, the song has been played 287 times in concert by the band, making its live debut on August 30, 1982. It returned to live performances in 2011, following a 22-year absence from set lists, having last been played live in 1989.
Personnel
Bernard Sumner – vocals, guitars
Peter Hook – 4- and 6-stringed bass
Stephen Morris – drums, percussion
Gillian Gilbert – synthesisers and programming
New Order – production
Michael Johnson – engineering
Barry Sage and Mark Boyne – assistants
Cover versions
"Age of Consent" has been covered by numerous bands, including Arcade Fire, Geographer, The Essex Green, Buffalo Tom, and Built to Spill. Cayetana provided a cover of "Age of Consent" for the soundtrack to the 2018 film To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Geographer's cover appeared in the 2024 film Snack Shack.
Remixes
A remix of the song by record producer Howie B was created for the 1995 compilation album The Rest of New Order.