Following last month’s announcement of his first album in seven years, Who Is the Sky?, and a subsequent world tour, David Byrne has unveiled the project’s latest single, ‘She Explains Things to Me.’ The legendary artist has also expanded the tour’s itinerary with four new shows in previously announced markets.
‘She Explains Things to Me’ taps into some of the deeper themes of Who Is the Sky? and was partially inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s book Men Explain Things to Me. Through the narrator’s curious internal monologue, Byrne reflects here on the way men dismiss women’s ideas and points of view.
David Byrne – ‘She Explains Things To Me’ (Official Lyric Video)
The follow-up to Byrne’s acclaimed 2018 album American Utopia, which was later adapted into a hit Broadway musical and HBO film, Who Is the Sky? will be released Sept. 5 through Matador Records. It was produced by the Grammy-winning Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), while its 12 songs were arranged by the members of New York-based chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra. Guests include Paramore’s Hayley Williams, St. Vincent and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner. Click here to pre-order.
The new album was introduced by the infectious first single ‘Everybody Laughs,’ which sets the tone for Who Is the Sky? with its universal themes of human connection and the potential for societal unity against the chaotic backdrop of the world. It had drawn praise from outlets such as TK, who called it TK. Click here to watch the video, directed by multimedia artist Gabriel Barcia-Colombo.
“At my age, at least for me, there’s a ‘don’t give a shit about what people think’ attitude that kicks in,” Byrne says about the spirit behind Who Is the Sky? “I can step outside my comfort zone with the knowledge that I kind of know who I am by now and sort of know what I’m doing. That said, every new set of songs, every song even, is a new adventure. There’s always a bit of, ‘how do I work this?’ I’ve found that not every collaboration works, but often when they do, it’s because I’m able to clearly impart what it is I’m trying to do. They hopefully get that, and as a result, we’re now joined together heading to the same unknown place.”
David Byrne
Who Is The Sky
Click here to pre-order.
track list:
When We Are Singing
My Apartment Is My Friend
A Door Called No
What Is the Reason for It?
I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party
Don’t Be Like That
The Avant Garde
Moisturizing Thing
I’m an Outsider
She Explains Things to Me
The Truth
