Hear “Going Shopping”: The Strokes Kick Off a New Era

​The long-awaited wait for a new era of The Strokes is officially over. Following a cryptic marketing campaign that involved retro text sign-ups and physical cassettes mailed to lucky fans, the New York legends have confirmed that their seventh studio album, Reality Awaits, will arrive this summer. This marks the band’s first full-length effort in six years, following the massive critical success of the Grammy-winning The New Abnormal.

​”Going Shopping”: A Breezy Shift in Sound

​The Strokes new album Reality Awaits is being spearheaded by the lead single “Going Shopping,” a track that has already sparked debate among the fanbase. First debuted via limited edition cassettes—and subsequently played live during their recent residency at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco—the song finds the band leaning into a “louche, early 80s” aesthetic.

​While some critics describe the track as more laid-back and breezy compared to the high-voltage energy of their 2020 work, others highlight the classic “clipped down strokes” on the guitars that recall the taut energy of their Is This It era. Julian Casablancas continues his signature use of heavy Auto-Tune, delivering poignant lines like, “If you’re better than me / Then you don’t have to judge me,” over a track that feels like a perfect soundtrack for a humid summer evening.

​The band’s return to the spotlight coincides with a major milestone: their first performance at Coachella in 15 years this coming weekend. As the hype for The Strokes tour 2026 builds, “Going Shopping” serves as a polarizing but undeniably catchy entry point into their next chapter.