Are The Strokes Still… Strokin’?
Graphic by Claire Arveson
Last week, New York City-based rock band The Strokes released new music for the first time in six years. The single, “Going Shopping,” is the lead release off their upcoming album, Reality Awaits, set to release June 26, 2026. Their last album, The New Abnormal, marked a major comeback in 2020, so expectations were extremely high.
“Going Shopping,” however, doesn’t exactly meet them in a familiar way. The track feels like a sharp departure from their previous album, leaning heavily into autotuned vocals while still blending in key elements of the band’s signature sound: electric guitars, heavy drums and their iconic angsty “I don’t care” attitude. But even with these familiar pieces, something about the piece just feels different.
To me, this new single serves as a test of how far The Strokes can explore and push their sound before they stop sounding like themselves.
This unexpected shift surprised many fans, and reactions online have split. One fan on Reddit commented, “It's been 6 years since their last album, and the first song they drop is 2 chords back and forth for four-and-a-half minutes, with Julian sounding like he's making it up as he goes. lol. pretty rough.”
However, other fans disagree. “I dig it. I appreciate that they continue to evolve their sound, unlike so many less interesting bands. The autotune is a creative choice, you don't have to agree with that choice, but it's a deliberate, creative choice that Julian made.”
Much of the debate centers around lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas and his experimental side project–The Voidz–formed in 2013. Many listeners and longtime fans have pointed out how “Going Shopping” sounds closer to that band’s distorted, electronic style than the classic indie-rock vibe of The Strokes.
The Strokes, formed in 1998 by Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti (drums please, Fab), hit it big with their 2001 debut, Is This It, which was named one of the best albums of the 2000s by Rolling Stone (and Kaila Hu’s heart).
And yes, as a longtime, die-hard, 0.01% of global listeners fan (yeah, I’m an expert), I’ll admit I was a bit thrown off. “The New Abnormal” felt like a natural evolution, featuring popular songs like “The Adults Are Talking,” “Ode to the Mets” and “Selfless,” exploring the notion of failed relationships, change and aceceptance, while still maintaining the same passion and energy that made the band so compelling to begin with. I honestly thought that it was the perfect closing chapter after nearly 20 years, but it seems that Reality Awaits… awaits.
Despite this drastic change, and my mixed opinions, I’m still a committed fan, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store—and finally catch them in concert after a lifetime of anticipation.