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Alabama Shakes Release Protest Single ‘American Dream’ as 2026 Tour Nears

The protest single marks the next step toward a long-awaited third album.

Overview

  • Alabama Shakes released American Dream on Friday, a slow-burning protest track that also marks their first single on Island Records.
  • The lyrics take on abortion limits, environmental rollbacks, gun violence and widening inequality, with Brittany Howard asking, “How many folks got shot this week?”
  • Howard called the song “a snapshot of what we’re living through in 2026” and said she hopes listeners will one day say, “we made it through.”
  • The 2026 tour begins April 16 in Richmond and includes a Sept. 2 headlining date at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, major festivals and a London stop at Alexandra Palace.
  • The new track follows the band’s 2024 reunion and 2025’s Another Life, with both songs expected to appear on a third album later this year according to reporting.