Kings Of Leon have progressed from indie-rock darlings to stadium-fillers over a seven year period, picking up literally millions of fans along the way and simultaneously dropping a fair few. All it takes is a number 1 singalong hit and a clothing line to divide your fan base into a clear Relationship Dichotomy: the adoring masses and the disgruntled exes. The disgruntled exes are bitter – they were there at the beginning, watching gigs at seedy bars, buying actual hard copy albums and shitty band merch. They feel ownership of the band and kinship with their colleagues… But then, cue a slight change of direction in sound, “Sex On Fire” and a mass influx of all-new fans and suddenly the original fans feel like they’ve been somehow abandoned. (Not to mention the fact “indie” music listeners tend to be hugely disloyal whenever bands they like achieve commercial success and they’re no longer “special” – come on, we’ve all been guilty of that: ‘I loved Outkast way before “Hey Yah”… these dicks wouldn’t recognise ATLiens if it was swimming in their porridge’ etc.)
More than most bands Kings Of Leon have copped a negative backlash from former fans, particularly after the release of Only By The Night which took a step away from their raw garage-blues vibes and one toward stadium rock – and consequently the Kings found themselves playing increasingly large stadiums. Here’s the first track – and video – of first single “Radioactive” from their upcoming fifth album Come Around Sundown, set for release on 19 October. This tune is definitely a continuation of where the last album left off – and the video has a nice nostalgic feel (if a little bit Madonna “Like A Prayer”-ish with the gospel choir). Check it out and share your thoughts:
