New Radicals have released new music for the first time in 25 years, in support of Kamala Harris‘ presidential campaign.
The Los Angeles band are best known for their 1998 hit single ‘You Get What You Give’, but famously separated just months after its release.
To support Harris’ current campaign for the presidency, they’ve shared new music for the first time in a quarter of a century. The new songs are two covers: one of Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ and one of ‘Lost Stars’ from the Begin Again soundtrack. Both tracks were written by frontman Gregg Alexander.
Check them out below:
Alexander announced the new music in an open letter shared via Billboard to Harris’ husband, Dough Emhoff, who has used ‘Get What You Give’ as his walk-on music for multiple campaign events. In the letter, Alexander offers the singles as a “musical gift” to Emhoff and the band’s fans, in an attempt to “rally the cause of democracy and encourage all artists to get out the vote.”
However, Alexander is clear to state that the singles don’t mark a comeback, and instead says this is the band “doing our small part to support the fight for freedom!”
“I’m writing this letter to [Emhoff] to send out an S.O.S. to all the artists and music people across America that the clock is truly ticking for us to save our democracy,” Alexander wrote. “The time is clearly NOW for all to jump in and use whatever influence for the greater good and endorse the candidate who doesn’t ‘weirdly’ (love that Coach Walz!) advocate taking away women’s rights and everyone’s freedoms. Or brags he’ll cancel America’s presidential election in 2028!?”
Doug doing a walk through (with dancing) at the DNC podium. pic.twitter.com/Ze5NVB4ZHE
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) August 19, 2024
‘Lost Stars’ was written by Alexander and New Radicals collaborator Danielle Brisebois for the 2013 film Begin Again, which starred Kiera Knightley and Mark Ruffalo. In the film, the song was performed by Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, and subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
It’s not the first time they’ve made a return in the name of politics. In 2021 they reunited for the first time in 22 years during a virtual event celebrating president Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Emhoff, Harris’ husband, picked ‘You Get What You Give’ as his walk-on song during the 2020 presidential campaign. Opening up about his personal connection to the tune, President Biden previously described it as the “theme song” of his late son Beau.
“During breakfast, Beau would often make me listen to what I thought was his theme song, ‘You Get What You Give’ by the New Radicals,” Biden wrote in his 2018 memoir, Promise Me, Dad.
Earlier this year, Alexander revealed that ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ oiginally included a lyric about hitting a bong.
The original demo, which was intended as a New Radicals song, included the line “I’m gonna make us hit the Hague / Once you hit the bong“. When the song was given to Ellis-Bextor, she decided to cut out the lyric, replacing it with “I’ll take you all the way / Stay another song“.
Stars from across the music industry have come out in support of Harris, including Ariana Grande, Lizzo and Olivia Rodrigo – the latter of whom highlighted the VP’s stance on reproductive rights.
Charli XCX endorsed Harris by posting: “Kamala IS brat”, a reference to her new hit album and pop culture phenomenon ‘Brat’. This led to CNN attempting to explain the ‘Brat summer’ trend to its viewers live on air.
In July, Megan Thee Stallion performed at a rally as part of Harris‘ presidential election campaign.“Now I know my ladies in the crowd love their bodies. If you want to keep loving your bodies, you know who to vote for,” the artist told the audience in reference to Harris’ stance on reproductive rights.
Additionally, former Migos rapper Quavo delivered a speech at the rally about Harris’ commitment to tackling gun violence and running the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Earlier this month, Bon Iver also performed a short set in support of Harris‘ rally in Wisconsin.
Elsewhere, Beyoncé gave Harris permission to use her song ‘Freedom’ in an election campaign video after the VP recently walked out to the powerful anthem at a staff meeting.
