On April 10, 2020 (almost exactly six years ago today, April 6), The Strokes released The New Abnormal, which has since then remained their latest album. The drought is finally about to end, though, as the group has a new album coming soon.
The band broke the news today (April 6) with a 13-second video styled like a vintage car advertisement. Some ’80s-inspired music, presumably a snippet of an upcoming song, plays as the ad reveals the project is called Reality Awaits and that it’s set for release at some point this summer.
Observant fans may have seen this coming, as over the past few months, The Strokes have been included in a number of festival announcements for 2026, including Bonnaroo, Shaky Knees, and Sea.Hear.Now.
Notably, this comes after Julian Casablancas seemed to suggest in a 2024 interview that he prefers working with his band The Voidz over The Strokes. When asked if he felt like he was cultivating an “opiate-of-the-masses vibe” with The Strokes, he said:
“No, because I think I put political thoughts now in Strokes songs, too. I always have to some degree. I definitely think a lot of Strokes fans don’t get that about it so much, which is maybe why I’ve kind of stepped away a little bit. But it’s a very cool day job that I’m honored to have, so I don’t feel negatively about it. If it was wasting so much of my time that I couldn’t do anything positive, then I would. But I don’t let it get to that point. At least I don’t think so. I could be lying to myself.”