The Strokes have released “Falling out of Love”, the latest single from their forthcoming album Reality Awaits. The record is set to arrive on 26 June, marking the band’s first full-length release since 2020’s The New Abnormal and giving fans another glimpse at where the New York indie icons are heading next.
After the slicker, slightly cheekier “Going Shopping”, this new track slows things down and lets the heartbreak stretch out. Casablancas’ vocals are pushed through a haze of digital effects, giving “Falling Out Of Love” an unusual, almost detached tenderness, while the band settle into the kind of off-centre romantic mood The Strokes have always managed to make feel strangely effortless.
Produced by Rick Rubin, Reality Awaits has already built plenty of curiosity around what The Strokes sound like after a six-year gap between albums. Since The New Abnormal, the band have played major live dates while members have also moved through solo work, side projects and other creative detours, so there is a real sense of anticipation around their return. “Falling out of Love” leans into that curiosity, playing with texture, mood and production in a way that keeps the track from feeling too polished or predictable.
The Strokes are also expected to give the song its live debut on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on 14 May, following a run of recent live dates and festival appearances.
“Falling out of Love” is available to stream now. Reality Awaits is released on 26 June.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.