Is the “American Dream” dead?
Alabama Shakes’ new track is a simmering protest song that asks hard questions.
The Athens, Alabama-founded band‘s single “American Dream” evokes the disenfranchised dirge heard on 1987 Prince gem “Sign ‘o the Times.”
Prince’s lyrics on that classic scanned social commentary and anti-war. Alabama Shakes lean into politics on “American Dream.”
Over a menacing and sinewy jazz groove, Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard delivers expressive vocals doused in echo.
Howard sings lines like, “I thought we wanted the same things. Peace. Love. Happiness. Opportunity. Freedom.”
And, “What are we doing? Out of reach. Double speak. Got the White House pretty and pimped out.”
Other lyrics mention gun reform, abortion rights, the E.P.A (or Environmental Protection Agency) and low wages.
“How many people got shot this week?,” Howard sings. “It’s enough to make you wanna go back to sleep.”
A call and response between Howard and background vocals pronounce “the American Dream” the “impossible dream.” To close out the song, the refrain “keep dreaming” is repeated for about a minute.
In a statement, Howard says of “American Dream,” “It’s a snapshot of what we’re living through in 2026. I look around and wonder how we got to a place where there’s so much strain and so little support. I mean, it shouldn’t be impossible to take off work so you can bring your child to the doctor — that’s actually insane. My hope is that one day people will hear this song and say, ‘Yeah, s— was crazy back then, but we made it through.’”
“American Dream” is the second new song Alabama Shakes have released since reforming. The band released “Another Life,” their first original release in a decade, last year.
Alabama Shakes’ signature songs include “Hold On,” “Always Alright” and “Don’t’ Wanna Fight.”
The Grammy winning rock band’s 2026 tour launches April 16 in Richmond, Virginia.
On June 12, the Shakes will play a home state show at Tuscaloosa’s Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater.
Muscle Shoals founded sibling duo Secret Sisters will open the Tuscaloosa show. Alabama acts Billy Allen + The Pollies and Lamont Landers are also among openers on Alabama Shakes’ tour.
In 2025, Howard, who embarked on an acclaimed solo career in 2019, and bassist Zac Cockrell, who’d been part of Howard’s solo band, teamed with Shakes guitarist Heath Fogg for a reunion tour of amphitheaters.
The Shakes’ original drummer Steve Johnson was left out of the lucrative tour, telling AL.com he’d been ousted from the band due to legal issues he had during the band’s hiatus.
In a joint statement to AL.com at the time, the band said in 2021 meeting with Johnson “we made it clear that we would be parting ways. We wish him all the best.”
Before their reunion tour, the Shakes played an intimate 2024 set as part of a fundraising concert at Tuscaloosa’s Bama Theatre.
Alabama Shakes’ touring lineup includes longtime auxiliary musician Ben Tanner. Drummers have included Lewis Wright and Noah Bond. Background vocals and a second keyboardist have also been part of the ensemble.
Alabama Shakes released two studio albums during their original run, 2012 debut “Boys & Girls” and 2015’s “Sound & Color.”
Both albums were commercially and critically successful. The band became a favorite live attraction at major music festivals and performed on TV’s “Saturday Night Live.”
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