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Hear Arcade Fire’s ‘Afterlife,’ a Jaunty Song About Losing Everything

Arcade Fire Afterlife Stream Reflektor Radio Single

Arcade Fire have premiered the full studio version of “Afterlife,” a highlight from their forthcoming fourth album Reflektor, which they initially performed during last month’s Saturday Night Live appearance. The Montreal ensemble also teased the track with a Haiti-inspired short video and shared the lyrics along with those of a handful of other songs we’ve so far only seen in live settings. “Afterlife” debuted via BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe. The jaunty, disco-indebted song deals with the fear of losing love (and, like, life) and features poignant interplay between frontman Win Butler and his wife/baby’s mama Régine Chassagne. Tickets for Arcade Fire’s recent New York City gigs as the Reflektors hit $5,000 thanks to scalpers. Those who made it through the doors, however, were treated to four unheard songs

The radio rip initially shared by Arcade Fire Tube on Soundcloud has been yanked, but the band released their own lyric video for the track via Vevo, featuring footage borrowed from the 1959 classic Black Orpheus.