David Byrne on Friday released Who Is The Sky?, his first new album since 2018’s acclaimed American Utopia, but that’s far from the only notable David Byrne headline of late. The former Talking Heads frontman also announced that he’s getting married (and shared the ambient playlist he made for dinnertime at the recaption), appeared on The Tonight Show (as well as popular NYC-based online series Subway Takes) and debuted his new live band for an intimate crowd at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (but not in the room you might think)—all as he prepares to launch an extensive world tour next week.
On Wednesday night, Byrne sat down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show for a conversation touching on his impending nuptials, how his sit-in with Olivia Rodrigo at Gov Ball earlier this summer came to fruition, how he ended up dabbling in stand-up comedy thanks to Fred Armisen, the origins of the new album’s mondegreen title (who is this guy?), and how he connected with its Grammy Award-winning producer, Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Maggie Rogers).
Then, rather than showing off the fresh material in The Tonight Show‘s studio, Byrne and his new Who Is The Sky? ensemble headed down to Rough Trade Records in the basement of 30 Rock for a three-song mini-set marking the big, colorful, kinetic group’s first-ever live performance. In addition to Who Is The Sky? tracks “What Is The Reason For It?” and “Everybody Laughs”, the lively appearance included a take on Talking Heads favorite “Houses In Motion”. Watch the interview and the three-song set from the David Byrne appearance on The Tonight Show below.
David Byrne Talks Getting Married, Who Is The Sky?, Olivia Rodrigo Sit-In, More – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
David Byrne – “What Is The Reason For It?”, “Houses In Motion” (Talking Heads), “Everybody Laughs” – Live at Rough Trade NYC – The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Prior to sitting down with Fallon, David Byrne had announced that he would be getting married this week. In typically off-kilter Byrne fashion, he publicized the news by sharing the playlist he had curated to be played while his wedding guests ate dinner. Spoiler alert: It gets weird.
“I’m getting married this week and made an almost entirely instrumental playlist while our guests eat an amazing and spicy dinner,” Byrne wrote in the playlist’s description. “My sense is that words & lyrics can be distracting – the ear goes to them, especially if it’s a song one knows. So, I opted for buoyant instrumentals that will create a hopeful and joyous atmosphere… and that folks can also ignore at the same time.” Listen to the whole thing below.
David Byrne’s Wedding Dinner Playlist
Then, of course, we have the album, Who Is The Sky?, out now via Matador Records. Preceded by a series of singles (“Everybody Laughs“, “She Explains Things to Me“, “The Avant Garde“, and “What Is The Reason For It?”), the full album features 12 tracks written by Byrne, produced by Kid Harpoon, and arranged/accompanied by Ghost Train Orchestra, the NYC-based experimental classical/jazz ensemble. Guests on the record include Paramore’s Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner.
With an art-rock legend leading the way, a contemporary pop hitmaker behind the boards, and the eclectic Ghost Train Orchestra providing complex instrumentation, Who Is The Sky? is a fusion record at its core. A fusion of what, exactly, is up for interpretation.
Its melodies creep in consistently surprising directions. Dissonant tension and sunny resolution phase in and out at unconventional cadences. The lyrical content straddles various notable dividing lines: childlike curiosity (“What Is The Reason For It?”) and Buddha-like wisdom (the Buddha himself makes an appearance at a cocktail party in one song), sincere vulnerability (learning from his wiser love on “She Explains Things To Me”) and surrealism (turning into a three-year-old after using anti-aging lotion on “Moisturizing Thing”), practical word association (the “house” beat on “My Apartment Is My Friend”, the sung “guitar solo” on “When We Are Singing”) and literal observations about what ties us all together (“Everybody Laughs”). Any attempt to boil the album’s sound down to a simple categorization winds up feeling reductive. The self-aware lyrics to album track “The Avant Garde” provide perhaps the best description: “It’s deceptively weighty, profoundly absurd.”
“What are the songs about?” Byrne pondered rhetorically in a Facebook post on Friday. “I’ll leave the analysis to others—but they seem to fall into a few buckets: story songs, love songs (some hidden), and celebratory songs. There’s overlap in the categories, but those seem to be the main ones.”
Below, watch the various official music videos from the new David Byrne album, Who Is The Sky? Stream, download, or order the full album on your preferred platform here. For more background on the album, check out our “Everything You Need to Know About Who Is The Sky?” article here.
David Byrne – Who Is The Sky? – Official Video Playlist
David Byrne – Who Is The Sky? – Full Album
Now that the album has arrived, David Byrne is preparing to hit the road for an extensive world tour in its support. The 70-date Who Is The Sky? Tour will begin on September 14th at Providence, RI’s Veterans Memorial Auditorium and make its way around North America throughout September, October, November and early December, 2025. In early 2026, Byrne will take his new live show to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the U.K. as part of a three-month international leg.
Find tickets for all upcoming David Byrne tour dates here. Click below for a full list of shows.
