Max on Stranger Things and Kate Bush
Kate Bush’s 1985 hit has gone viral thanks to the latest season of Stranger Things (Picture:Rex/ Netflix)

Kate Bush has blasted the large amounts of ‘poor quality merchandise’ reportedly circulating online.

Bush’s new-wave track Running Up That Hill has experienced a global resurgence in popularity following its appearance in Stranger Things season four, with the single breaking a trio of records as it claimed the top spot in the UK singles chart, giving Bush her first number one in 44 years.

During the height of the singer’s revived fame, Bush released a statement on her website warning fans of fake merchandise.

‘I want to let you know about the amount of unofficial merchandise that’s out there,’ she wrote.

‘I haven’t seen it myself but I keep getting reports that there’s a huge amount: T-shirts, etc – some of which is very poor quality, some of which is pretty good and could be mistaken for being official.’

‘The only official merchandise is the already existing material that’s available through the official websites,’ she added.

Kate Bush
Kate issued a statement on her website (Picture: katebush.com/news)
Stranger Things season 4
Max Mayfield is heard listening to the track to help get her out of Vecna’s trance (Picture: Netflix)

The 63-year-old musician revealed that she was already a fan of the hit Netflix show and thinks the programme has put the song in a ‘really special place’ in the series, which recently dropped its teaser trailer for season four’s volume two release.

In the show, Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink, is heard listening to the song on her Walkman as a means of grounding herself in the real world.

‘I thought what a lovely way for the song to be used in such a positive way, as a kind of Talisman almost really for Max. I think it’s very touching, actually,’ she said.

Bush also revealed she was ‘overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support’ for the song and thanked the show’s creators for bringing the track into the consciousness of so many more people. 

Kate Bush Mandatory Credit: Photo by Beverley Goodway/REX (66814d)
Kate was overwhelmed by the fan reaction (Picture: REX)

She said: ‘I believe the Duffer Brothers have touched people’s hearts in a special way at a time that’s incredibly difficult for everyone, especially younger people.

‘By featuring Running Up That Hill in such a positive light, as a talisman for Max (one of the main female characters), the song has been brought into the emotional arena of her story. Fear, conflict and the power of love are all around her and her friends.

‘I salute the Duffer Brothers for their courage – taking this new series into a much more adult and darker place. I want to thank them so much for bringing the song into so many people’s lives.

‘I’m overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving, and it’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force.

‘I have to admit I feel really moved by it all. Thank you so very much for making the song a No 1 in such an unexpected way.’

Stranger Things is available to watch on Netflix.

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