Reality Awaits

Reality Awaits
Studio album by
the Strokes
ReleasedJuly 24, 2026 (2026-07-24)
Studios
GenreArt rock
Length42:39
Labels
ProducerRick Rubin
The Strokes chronology
The New Abnormal
(2020)		 Reality Awaits
(2026)
Singles from Reality Awaits
  1. "Going Shopping"
    Released: April 7, 2026
  2. "Falling Out of Love"
    Released: May 13, 2026

Reality Awaits is the seventh studio album by the American rock band the Strokes, released on July 24, 2026, on RCA and Cult Records. Produced by Rick Rubin, who had worked with the band on their previous album, The New Abnormal (2020), the album was preceded by the singles "Going Shopping" and "Falling Out of Love".

Recording for the album began in 2022, with the band and Rubin working in the province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica. Further recording sessions took place at Rubin's California-based studios, Shangri-La and The Mansion.

Released to mostly positive reviews, the album reached number thirteen on the Billboard 200, number eight on the UK Albums Chart and charted highly in several countries. For the album's accompanying tour, guitarist Nick Valensi took a leave of absence from the band and was replaced by Steve Schiltz of the band Longwave.

Background and recording

After working with producer Rick Rubin on their sixth studio album, The New Abnormal (2020), the band began recording with him again two years later in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Rubin confirmed his involvement in a 2022 interview, stating: "It's like [the Strokes are] doing a concert for the ocean, on the top of a mountain […] And we did that every day, playing out in the [open], and they didn’t want to leave. It was, like, the best experience."

Guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. elaborated, noting: "It was really cool to go back to the studio with [Rubin] after The New Abnormal. There’s no like hidden agenda or secret – we were recording in Costa Rica. [...] There is stuff that we’re working on that we are excited about. We are continually working, and that brings us joy. In my own words: we got to record in the most fantastical environment I have ever been able to record in. It was very exciting for me, and for all of us." Hammond Jr. went on to describe the sessions as: "a little looser in a sense of our style."

Prior to the album's release, Hammond Jr. noted: "It’s my favourite album we’ve ever done. I can’t express how beautiful it is. I listen to the whole thing and wanna start from the beginning again. It grows and grows and becomes intoxicatingly good."

Packaging

The cover art for Reality Awaits, created by Johann Rashid, is based on the 1989 photograph Untitled (Cowboy) by Richard Prince.

Release and marketing

On April 6, 2026, the Strokes announced Reality Awaits via Instagram, with a teaser video displaying a 1980s Nissan 300ZX with text reading "In the flesh, it's even sexier", followed by the album's title and release date announced for June 26. On the same day, the band distributed cassette tapes containing the new song "Going Shopping" to 100 fans who had provided their mailing address to their promotional SMS service the previous week. They also debuted the song live at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The following day, they revealed the album's cover art and released the track onto streaming platforms as the album's lead single. On May 13, the band released the second single "Falling Out of Love" on streaming platforms. On June 11, the band announced that the release date had been delayed to July 24.

Concurrently with the album, the band released In Transit: Part II, a 10-minute documentary directed by Johann Rashid following the recording of Reality Awaits with Rick Rubin in Costa Rica. The title is a reference to the short film In Transit, which documented the band 25 years prior, during its 2001 European tour in support of The Modern Age EP.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Any Decent Music6.5/10
Metacritic70/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star
The Arts DeskStarStar
Clash7/10
ConsequenceB+
The GuardianStarStarStarStar
NMEStarStarStarStar
PasteB
Pitchfork6.5/10
Rolling StoneStarStarStar
SlantStarStarHalf star

Any Decent Music gave the album a weighted average score of 6.5 out of 10 from twenty-one critic scores. According to Metacritic, it received "generally favorable" reviews based on a weighted average score of 70 out of 100 from seventeen critic scores.

Rolling Stone writer Jon Dolan, gave a weighted score of 3/5 stars. In the article, he wrote, "The veteran band’s latest album is an at times thrilling, often inscrutable, sometimes straight-up bizarre addition to their story." John Wohlmacher of Beats Per Minute described the album as a "bold art-rock statement" and said that it was "potentially even the most consciously artistic recording of their career".

Commercial performance

According to data reported by Hits, the album earned 29,991 album-equivalent units in its first week in the United States, comprising 17,934 album sales, 11,983 streaming-equivalent albums, and 74 track-equivalent albums.

Track listing

Reality Awaits track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Psycho Shit"5:23
2."Dine N'Dash"5:03
3."Lonely in the Future"3:20
4."Falling Out of Love"6:21
5."Going to Babble On"4:06
6."Going Shopping"4:18
7."Liar's Remorse"4:50
8."The Fruits of Conquest"5:08
9."Tyrants of the Mellow Moon"4:10
Total length:42:39

Personnel

Personnel taken from the album's liner notes.

The Strokes

Technical personnel

  • Rick Rubin – production
  • Jason Lader – recording and mixing
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Ray Aldaco – additional engineering
  • Gus Oberg – additional engineering
  • Ethan Schneiderman – additional engineering
  • Dylan Neustadter – additional engineering
  • Fresco Beccafichi – additional engineering
  • Bobby Mota – assistant engineering
  • Tyler Beans – assistant engineering
  • Jonathan Pfarr – assistant engineering
  • Liam Keim – assistant engineering
  • Sam Roberts – assistant engineering
  • Sofia Staedler – assistant engineering
  • Jack Ross – assistant engineering
  • Michael Fierro – production assistance
  • Andre Harsvik – production assistance
  • Dutch Lennon – production assistance
  • Coleman Reichenbach – production assistance
  • Ryan Rapp – studio backline technician
  • Richard Prince – cover artwork (Untitled (Cowboy), 1989)
  • Johann Rashid – art direction, design, and photography
  • Sarah Schmitt – design

Charts

Chart performance for Reality Awaits
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) 10
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)8
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)3
Canadian Albums (Billboard)60
Croatian International Albums (HDU) 23
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)18
Finnish Physical Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) 8
French Albums (SNEP)12
French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP) 2
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)11
German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 4
Irish Albums (Official Charts)10
Italian Albums (FIMI) 13
Japanese Albums (Oricon)23
Japanese Download Albums (Billboard Japan) 8
Japanese Rock Albums (Oricon) 1
Japanese Top Albums Sales (Billboard Japan) 22
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA) 79
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 11
Norwegian Albums (IFPI Norge) 65
Portuguese Albums (AFP) 6
Scottish Albums (Official Charts)4
Spanish Albums (Promusicae)11
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 32
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)7
UK Albums (Official Charts)8
US Billboard 20013
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard) 5

Notes

  1. ↑ Although he is not directly credited in the album liner notes, he can be seen recording keyboard parts in the documentary "In Transit: Part II".
  2. ↑ Although he is not directly credited in the album liner notes, he can be seen recording keyboard parts in the photos on the gatefold sleeve.

References

  1. ↑ Robinson, Ellie (October 13, 2022). "The Strokes have started recording seventh album with Rick Rubin". NME. Archived from the original on February 6, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Skinner, Tom (April 8, 2026). "Albert Hammond Jr on The Strokes' "looser" 'Reality Awaits': "We got to record in the most fantastical environment"". NME. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  3. ↑ Dunworth, Liberty (May 18, 2026). "Albert Hammond Jr defends The Strokes' "intoxicatingly good" 'Reality Awaits': "It's my favourite album we've ever done"". NME. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Trendell, Andrew (April 7, 2026). "The Strokes officially release 'Going Shopping' and announce release date of new album 'Reality Awaits'". NME. Archived from the original on April 8, 2026. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  5. ↑ Green, Walden (April 6, 2026). "The Strokes Announce New Album Reality Awaits". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 6, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  6. ↑ Chelosky, Danielle (April 7, 2026). "The Strokes Share New Song 'Going Shopping' Via Cassette Mailed To Fans". Stereogum. Archived from the original on April 7, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  7. ↑ Stockton, Nick (April 7, 2026). "The Strokes Surprise Fans with New Single—By Mailing Them a Cassette". Vice. Archived from the original on April 8, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  8. ↑ DeVille, Chris (April 7, 2026). "The Strokes Give New Song 'Going Shopping' Its Live Debut In San Francisco". Stereogum. Archived from the original on April 8, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ Green, Walden (May 13, 2026). "Listen to the Strokes' New Song "Falling Out of Love". Pitchfork.
  10. ↑ Dunworth, Liberty (June 11, 2026). "The Strokes delay new album 'Reality Awaits' and announce huge homecoming New York show with Beach House and Fcukers". NME.
  11. 1 2 The Strokes (July 23, 2026). In Transit: Part II. Retrieved July 24, 2026 – via YouTube.
  12. 1 2 "Reality Awaits by The Strokes reviews". Any Decent Music. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Reality Awaits". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
  14. ↑ "The Strokes: Reality Awaits". AllMusic. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  15. ↑ Keita, Ibi (July 24, 2026). "The Strokes experiment on 'Reality Awaits' with harsh results". The Arts Desk. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  16. ↑ Ghadirian, Sahar (July 23, 2026). "The Strokes - Reality Awaits". Clash. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  17. ↑ Krueger, Jonah (July 23, 2026). "The Strokes Push Past Abnormal on Wildly Engaging, AutoTuned Reality Awaits: Review". Consequence. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  18. ↑ D'Souza, Shaad (July 24, 2026). "The Strokes: Reality Awaits review – a perfect marriage of mayhem and melody on their best album in years". The Guardian. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  19. ↑ "The Strokes – 'Reality Awaits' review: on playful, powerful form". NME. July 24, 2026.
  20. ↑ Reed, Ryan (July 24, 2026). "The Strokes rebound with the bizarre but impressive Reality Awaits". Paste. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  21. ↑ Harvey, Eric (July 28, 2026). "The Strokes: Reality Awaits". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  22. 1 2 Dolan, Jon (July 23, 2026). "The Strokes' 'Reality Awaits': Reality Bites a Little Too Hard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
  23. ↑ Parkinson-Jones, Lewie (July 27, 2026). "The Strokes 'Reality Awaits' Review: Auto-Tuned and on Auto-Pilot". Slant. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Recent music reviews & album reviews by Any Decent Music". Any Decent Music. Archived from the original on January 14, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  25. ↑ "About Us". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on July 23, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  26. ↑ John Wohlmacher (July 28, 2026). "Album Review: The Strokes – Reality Awaits". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Chart: Hits Top 50 (2026-07-30)". Hits Daily Double. OCLC 15994494. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  28. ↑ Reality Awaits (sleeve pictures). The Strokes. New York, New York: RCA Records. 2026. 19958-44832-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  29. ↑ Reality Awaits (sleeve pictures). The Strokes. New York, New York: RCA Records. 2026. 19958-44832-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. August 3, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Strokes – Reality Awaits" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Strokes – Reality Awaits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Strokes – Reality Awaits" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
  34. ↑ "The Strokes Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Lista prodaje 35. tjedan 2026. (24.08.2026. - 30.08.2026.)" [Sales list Week 35 2026] (in Croatian). HDU. August 30, 2026. Archived from the original on September 10, 2026. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Strokes – Reality Awaits" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Suomen virallinen lista: The Strokes – Reality Awaits" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Top Albums (Semaine du 31 juillet 2026)". Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Top Rock & Metal Albums (Semaine du 31 juillet 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Strokes – Reality Awaits" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  41. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts: Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 31 Juli 2026" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart on 31/7/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  43. ↑ "Album & Compilation – Classifica settimanale WK 31" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2026-08-24" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Billboard Japan Top Download Albums – Week of July 29, 2026". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved July 30, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Oricon Top 20 Rock Albums: 2026-08-24" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on August 19, 2026. Retrieved August 19, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Billboard Japan Top Albums Sales – August 19, 2026". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  48. ↑ "2026 31-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. July 31, 2026. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Official Top 40 Albums". Recorded Music NZ. July 31, 2026. Retrieved July 31, 2026.
  50. ↑ "Album 2026 uke 31" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norge. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  51. ↑ "Top 200 Álbuns: Semana 31 de 2026" (PDF) (in European Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. p. 2. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
  52. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 31/7/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Reality Awaits - The Strokes". El portal de Música. Promusicae. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  54. ↑ "Veckolista Album, vecka 31, 2026" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  55. ↑ "The Strokes – Reality Awaits – hitparade.ch". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  56. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 31/7/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  57. ↑ "The Strokes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
  58. ↑ "The Strokes Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2026.