Arcade Fire is gearing up for the release of their seventh studio record, revealing that the upcoming LP Pink Elephant will debut this spring alongside the lead single “Year of the Snake” on Tuesday (April 8).
Comprising 10 songs recorded at the Good News Recording Studio in New Orleans, owned by married duo Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, the album is referred to as a “cinematic, mystical punk” project that “takes the listener on a sonic journey” delving into themes of light, darkness, inner beauty, and “the perception of the individual.” The title of the album seems to allude to the contradiction of attempting to suppress a particular thought, inadvertently making it unavoidable.
According to a post on Arcade Fire’s Instagram, Pink Elephant is scheduled for release on May 9. The band also revealed the album cover: a photograph featuring a small elephant-shaped candle lit against a vibrant pink background.
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The initial offering from the album, “Year of the Snake,” is a relaxed and introspective alt-rock track, showcasing Butler and Chassagne harmonizing over a pulsating bass line and uplifting melodies with the lyrics, “It’s the season of change, and if you feel strange, it’s probably good.” This track is the third on a list that features titles like “Open Your Heart or Die Trying,” “Pink Elephant,” “Circle of Trust,” “Alien Nation,” “Beyond Salvation,” “Ride or Die,” “I Love Her Shadow,” “She Cries Diamond Rain,” and “Stuck in My Head.”
Pink Elephant will herald Arcade Fire’s first LP since 2022’s We, which climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Rock Albums chart. This will also be the band’s initial release following Butler’s accusations of sexual misconduct by several former fans, during which the frontman denied that any aspect of his interactions with those women was nonconsensual—but he did express remorse to “anyone who I have hurt with my behavior.”
Just days before the album announcement, Arcade Fire launched a new app named Circle of Trust, granting fans exclusive content such as music, videos, priority ticket access, unique merchandise, and more. Recently, the band released an exclusive song titled “Cars and Telephones”—claimed to be the first piece Butler ever performed for Chassagne—on the app.
Check out the Pink Elephant album cover and listen to “Year of the Snake” below.
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
