April 6: The Strokes confirmed the strokes new album, Reality Awaits, in a brief social post that signals a new release cycle for the band.
Reality Awaits 13-Second Trailer
13-second trailer posted to the band's Instagram featured a retro sports car, a Strokes tune in the background and the onscreen tagline "In The Flesh, It's Even Sexier."
13-second trailer imagery drew immediate online reaction: fans posted lines such as "WE’VE NEVER BEEN MORE BACK" and "FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS MORNING."
Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi Rift
Julian Casablancas recently revealed he no longer speaks to guitarist Nick Valensi, a detail noted alongside the album announcement and which leaves internal dynamics of the band publicly unresolved.
Julian Casablancas's disclosure does not appear to have halted release activity: the band still issued the Reality Awaits teaser and is moving forward with live dates.
Six Years Since The New Abnormal
2020: The Strokes last released new music with The New Abnormal, and the article describes the Reality Awaits announcement as marking six years since that comeback record.
2020's gap to this announcement coincides with the band being booked on a string of major festival appearances, positioning a summer release window as timely with their live schedule.
Saturday: No release date had been provided at the time of the article, and the band is slated to play Coachella on Saturday; if they choose to reveal a specific date around that set, listeners will get a definitive timeline then.
