6 Years Later, the Most Important 2000s Rock Band Is Finally Dropping a New Album
Toward the end of the year 2001, the most important rock album was, without a doubt, Is This It, the debut record from the NYC-based rock band, The Strokes. With an initial release in Australia in July of 2001, by the fall of that year, the album was a smash hit in the U.S. and the U.K. Since then, fans might argue that there's never been a Strokes album quite as good, though 2003's Room on Fire certainly comes close, as does the deeply underrated 2013 album Comedown Machine. And, prior to 2026, the last Strokes album was The New Abnormal, which boasted the catchy hit single "Bad Decisions," inspired by the Billy Idol hit "Dancing With Myself."
But now, The Strokes are back. As of this week, the band has released the first single from their new album and confirmed the release date of that album. Is this the comeback Strokes fans have been waiting for? And depending on what you consider the last great Strokes album, this wait could be six years, a decade, or maybe over twenty years long. Here's what to know about the next Strokes album, Reality Awaits.
View the original article to see embedded media.
The Strokes: Reality Awaits Release Date and Tracklist
On April 6, as reported by Pitchfork and elsewhere, the next album from The Strokes is titled Reality Awaits and will be released on June 26, 2026. The album will consist of 9 tracks, with one of those songs, "Going Shopping," already available to listen to on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
Here's the complete tracklist for Reality Awaits:
- "Pyscho Sh*t"
- Dine N'Dash
- Lonely in the Future
- Falling out of Love
- Going to Battle On
- Going Shopping
- Liar's Remorse
- The Fruits of Conquest
- Pros and Cons
And for those who think this is a short album, this is the same exact number of songs that were on The New Abnormal.
The Strokes 2026 Tour
The Strokes will be performing at Coachella 2026, which begins on April 10. These are their confirmed tour dates for 2026 so far:
- April 11 & 18: Indio, CA – Coachella Music and Arts Festival
- June 12: Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
- July 19: Saint Paul, MN – Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
- Aug 8: San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
- Aug 14–16: Tokyo/Osaka, Japan – Summer Sonic 2026
- Aug 22: Pasadena, CA – Just Like Heaven Festival
- Sep 18: Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival
- Sep 20: Asbury Park, NJ – Sea.Hear.Now Festival