Rock titans Shinedown are set to unleash their new single “Killing Fields” on Tuesday, July 15, marking another bold step in a year that’s already been packed with record-breaking milestones. A teaser clip of the track is now available, offering a haunting glimpse into what promises to be one of their most charged releases yet.
Frontman Brent Smith describes “Killing Fields” as a song without a single lens. “It’s not meant to be digested with one opinion,” he explained. “It’s a challenge, a push—meant to make you think and feel something real in these complicated times. The question isn’t what it means, it’s how you respond to it.”
The new track follows the success of Shinedown’s previous singles “Three Six Five” and “Dance, Kid, Dance,” which dropped in January via Atlantic Records. The band has embraced a single-driven strategy not to chase trends, but to stay authentic to their evolving vision. “We’re not just doing singles for the sake of it—we’re building something,” said Smith. “We want to grow, reach new fans, and show the many sides of Shinedown.”
According to Smith, their eighth studio album is nearing the finish line, with 85% completed. While not a concept album like Planet Zero or Attention Attention, the upcoming record will be a dynamic collection of standalone tracks, all united by heart and intention. “They’re all over the map, but they belong together,” Smith noted. “Rock is a way of life—it’s not about genre, it’s about honesty.”
That commitment to honesty and evolution has paid off. In May, the band launched their massive “Dance, Kid, Dance” tour, their most ambitious run yet, featuring 36 shows and marking their first time headlining iconic venues like Madison Square Garden, TD Garden, and The Kia Forum. Beartooth, Bush (on select dates), and Morgan Wade are supporting the tour.
Shinedown also scored big at this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards, taking home Rock Artist of the Year and Rock Song of the Year for “A Symptom of Being Human,” which has racked up over 125 million global streams and became the first song ever to hit Top 10 at Active, Alternative, and Hot AC formats on Mediabase. The band now holds a staggering 24 No. 1 hits on Mediabase and 20 No. 1s on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, making them the most dominant band in the chart’s history.
“Dance, Kid, Dance,” their latest chart-topping single, was co-written by Brent Smith, Eric Bass, and Dave Bassett, with production helmed by Eric Bass at Big Animal Studio in Charleston, SC. Meanwhile, “Three Six Five” was written by Smith and Bass, reinforcing the band’s tight creative core.
As Shinedown eyes a November album announcement and a March 2026 release, it’s clear they’re not just looking back on 20 years of success—they’re sprinting full-force into the next 20.
