Arcade Fire has released the latest single from their forthcoming album WE. “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” starts out soft but builds into a joyful anthem. It’s about the power of connection, which relates to the album’s overall theme of how we pick up with each other after an extended period of isolation.
“There’s nothing saccharine about unconditional love in a world that is coming apart at the seams,” said Win Butler in a statement. “WE need each other, in all of our imperfection. ‘Lookout Kid’ is a reminder, a lullaby for the end times, sung to my son, but for everyone… Trust your heart, trust your mind, trust your body, trust your soul. Shit is going to get worse before it gets better, but it always gets better, and no one’s perfect. Let me say it again. No one’s perfect.”
WE is set for release on May 6 via Columbia Records. The album will be split into two different distinct sides: Side “I” which details the loneliness of isolation, and “WE,” which expresses the joy and power of reconnection. “Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)” and “The Lightning I, II” will both appear on the album’s “WE” side.
The single’s release follows two recent surprise performances — one from New York’s Bowery Ballroom and one from Coachella’s Mojave Tent.
WE was produced by Nigel Godrich, Win & Régine.
Arcade Fire WE tracklisting
Side “I”
Age of Anxiety I
Age of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)
End of the Empire I-IV
Side “WE”
The Lightning I, II
Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)
Unconditional II (Race and Religion)
WE
