Shinedown Release Anthemic New Song, ‘Outlaw’

“Outlaw” arrives right in the middle of a run that’s starting to feel less like momentum and more like habit for Shinedown. One single after another, the band is topping the charts, which is nothing new for them, of course. “Dance, Kid, Dance,” “Killing Fields,” “Three Six Five,” “Searchlight” and “Safe and Sound” are all songs that have simply taken off for Shinedown, and it shows that even more than two decades into their career, this band still has a pulse on what young rockers want to hear.

The new song leans dusty and deliberate, built on a rootsy yet anthemic spine that trades some of their usual gloss for something looser and more lived-in. It still hits hard, too, but the guitars breathe a bit more and the rhythm section hangs back half a step. It feels like a band confident enough to ease off the gas without losing the road.

In other Shinedown news, the band is celebrating its single “Searchlight,” which reached No. 1 on both the Mediabase Active Rock and Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, extending a lead that’s starting to look untouchable. At this point, the numbers almost feel beside the point.

Shinedown will take it all on the road with the Dance Kid Dance Act II tour later this year. Shinedown have always treated the stage like home base, not a stop along the way. You can hear it in the records, sure, but you really understand it when they’re in front of a crowd.

There’s a physicality to their shows and a sense that every song needs to earn its place in real time. They care how every show goes down, and that’s why people keep coming back for more.