Radiohead have released a stop-motion video for "Burn the Witch," the lead single from their forthcoming ninth studio album. The video follows a series of teasers the band posted on Instagram following the gradual disappearance of the band's website and social media. (It also comes not long after Radiohead sent mysterious "Burn the Witch" flyers to fans.) Watch it below, and find the single artwork. "Burn the Witch" will be available for sale at "00:01 on May 4," according to a press release. The video was directed by Chris Hopewell, and produced by Jacknife. In it, the villagers of a small town accuse its citizens of committing various sins. At the end, a giant wooden statue is revealed—just like The Wicker Man—before it's lit aflame. The animation appears to be based on the British children's TV show "Trumpton." Find some screenshots below. Update (12:25 p.m.): "Burn the Witch" is available to stream now on Spotify and Tidal. Update (12:54 p.m.): Radiohead's new song is now for sale on iTunes. Update (3:24 p.m.): The song's available on Apple Music and the band's website W.A.S.T.E., as well.
"Burn the Witch" is Radiohead's first new song to be released since last Christmas, when the band shared their unused submission for the James Bond soundtrack, "Spectre." The song has been teased for more than a decade. According to an interview conducted with Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, the song was worked on during the sessions for Kid A, Hail to the Thief, and In Rainbows. The phrase "burn the witch" appeared in a piece of Stanley Donwood artwork included in the booklet to 2003's Hail to the Thief, and was mentioned by Thom Yorke in a 2005 blog post on Radiohead's site. In 2005, the song's title was also seen on a blackboard of potential songs to be performed during their upcoming tour. It was then briefly teased during a 2006 and a 2008 show.
Radiohead has also changed its Twitter profile photo to a new piece of artwork. Find that here, and below.
The band is going on a world tour this summer, with many of the headlining shows selling out within minutes. See those dates below as well.
Single artwork:
Twitter profile photo:
Read "19 Unreleased Radiohead Songs That Could Be on Their Next Album" on the Pitch.
Radiohead:
05-20-21 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
05-23-24 Paris, France - Le Zénith
05-26-28 London, England - Roundhouse
06-01 Lyon, France - Les Nuits Des Fourvieres
06-03 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
06-17 Reyjkavik, Iceland - Secret Solstice
07-02 St. Gallen, Switzerland - Openair St. Gallen
07-08 Lisbon, Portugal - Nos Alive Festival
07-26-27 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
07-29 Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
07-31 Montreal, Québec - Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
08-04 Los Angeles, LA - Shrine Auditorium
08-06 Golden Gate Park, CA - Outside Lands
08-08 Los Angeles, LA - Shrine Auditorium
08-20 Osaka, Japan - Summersonic Festival
08-21 Tokyo, Japan - Summersonic Festival
09-11 Berlin, Germany - Lollapalooza
10-03-04 Mexico City, Mexico - Palacio de los Deportes
