The Strokes Announce First New Album In Five Years
The Strokes Announce First New Album In Five Years...
New York rock band The Strokes have confirmed their first new album in five years, sending fans into a frenzy. The announcement, made early Monday via social media, marks the group's seventh studio album and follows their 2020 release "The New Abnormal."
The yet-untitled project is slated for release this fall, according to a brief statement from the band. No further details about collaborators or producers were shared, though guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. hinted at "experimental directions" in recent interviews.
The news comes as The Strokes prepare for a summer stadium tour with Red Hot Chili Peppers, including a July 4 show at Chicago's Soldier Field. Ticket sales for those dates spiked 18% within hours of the album announcement, according to Live Nation data.
Fans flooded social media with reactions, pushing #TheStrokes2026 to trend nationally on Twitter. Many noted the timing coincides with the 20th anniversary of their landmark album "First Impressions of Earth."
Indie record stores reported immediate interest in pre-orders despite no formal release date. "We've had dozens of calls already," said Jessica Wu, manager of Rough Trade NYC. "This is the kind of release that gets people back into physical music."
The band last performed together at last year's Governors Ball festival, where they debuted two unreleased songs now believed to be on the new album. Drummer Fabrizio Moretti recently told Rolling Stone the group had been recording "sporadically" between solo projects.
Industry analysts suggest the album could revive interest in guitar-driven rock, which has seen declining mainstream chart performance. The Strokes' 2020 release won a Grammy for Best Rock Album, their first after six nominations.
Pre-save links are expected to go live later this week on streaming platforms. The band's website currently shows only a cryptic black-and-white teaser image with "VII" - likely referencing the album number - and a pulsing audio waveform.
This marks the longest gap between Strokes albums since their 2001 debut "Is This It" launched them as leaders of the early 2000s garage rock revival. The announcement comes during a wave of renewed interest in 2000s alternative music across TikTok and streaming platforms.
