The new single features on Byrne’s upcoming album, Who Is the Sky?, arriving Friday
David Byrne swapped his big suit for an orange tracksuit on The Tonight Show during an intimate performance at Rough Trade NYC in Rockefeller Plaza.
In the episode aired on Wednesday, the former Talking Heads frontman performed his new single “What Is The Reason For It?” from his upcoming album, Who Is the Sky?. As Byrne sang the chorus, “What is the reason for it? Why is it there? Is it my body or my brain?,” he danced alongside his backup singers and band in matching jackets and pants.
The song is the fifth track on Who Is the Sky?, which is set for release on Friday, and features Paramore’s Hayley Williams. The Kid Harpoon-produced album follows 2018’s American Utopia, and also features contributions from St. Vincent (whom he collaborated with on 2012’s Love This Giant), the Smile’s Tom Skinner, and more.
In a previous statement, Byrne said that the record is “a chance to be the mythical creature we all harbor inside. A chance to step into another reality. A chance to transcend and escape from the prison of our ‘selves.’”
When speaking to late-night host Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, Byrne said that although he cautioned Kid Harpoon (who has worked with Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, and Maggie Rogers) that his songs were a “little bit left field” compared to music from his previous collaborators, the producer embraced Byrne’s new project.
Just a few weeks after revealing that he is engaged to Mala Gaonkar, Byrne announced that along with his album release, he would also be tying the knot this week, and shared a playlist of instrumental songs that will play at his wedding dinner. The playlist includes 42 songs, and a focus on Latin music, including songs such as “Pa Japón” by El Alfa, “Perfidia” by Café Tacvba, and “Luz de Luna” by marimba-punk group Son Rompe Pera.