Vampire Weekend returned with a new song “Classical,” as the third preview from their upcoming album, Only God Was Above Us. Lead singer Ezra Koenig wrote the song and co-produced it alongside Ariel Rechtshaid. Keeping with the song’s title, it starts off as a fun jam session complete with an orchestral backing instrumental, giving it a truly unique and creative sound.
“That sinking feeling fades, but never really goes away / A staircase up to nothingness inside your DNA / Well, that’s a bleak sunrise,” Koenig sings. “Untrue, unkind and unnatural / How the cruel, with time, becomes classical.”
The music video, which was directed by Nick Harwood, finds the band rocking out on each of their instruments — all while a green screen puts various landscape shots, art, and other images behind them.
So far from the new record, Vampire Weekend have released other singles like “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops.” This marks the band’s return, as their first new album since 2019’s Father Of The Bride — and five years of fans waiting to hear more. Thankfully, it’s only just a few more weeks until it officially drops. They will also be heading out on tour later this year.
Check out Vampire Weekend’s video for “Classical” above.
Only God Was Above Us is out 4/5 via Columbia Records. Find more information here.
