The Strokes are continuing their return with a bold sonic pivot, unveiling their latest single “Falling Out Of Love,” the second offering from their upcoming album Reality Awaits, due June 26.
Following last month’s “Going Shopping,” the new track doubles down on one of the band’s most talked-about recent choices: heavy use of Auto-Tune on Julian Casablancas’ vocals. While the band has never shied away from studio experimentation, “Falling Out Of Love” pushes that approach further than ever, layering digital effects over what is, at its core, a slow-burning and emotional heartbreak ballad.
Clocking in at over six minutes, the track unfolds gradually, built around a loose midtempo groove that gives Casablancas space to stretch melodically. Beneath the vocal processing, there’s a surprisingly warm and soulful core, with the band leaning into atmosphere and restraint rather than their usual punchy garage-rock urgency.
The result is a track that feels intentionally polarizing. For some listeners, the heavy vocal processing may obscure the emotional weight of the song, while for others, it adds a surreal, almost disembodied quality that reinforces the themes of distance and disconnection implied in the title.
The song was produced by legendary producer Rick Rubin, marking another high-profile collaboration as the band prepares to release their first album in six years. Rubin’s presence suggests a deliberate embrace of minimalism and texture, even as the band experiments with more digitally manipulated elements.
“Falling Out Of Love” will make its live debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 14, giving fans their first look at how the band translates the heavily processed track into a live setting.
Reality Awaits marks the follow-up to 2020’s The New Abnormal, a record that reestablished The Strokes as a defining force in modern alternative rock. Since then, anticipation for new material has remained high, with the band teasing a new era that leans more heavily into experimentation and studio manipulation.
Alongside the new release, The Strokes have also announced an international tour and major festival appearances, including headlining sets at Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, signaling a full-scale return to the global stage.
