Massive Attack Release First New Song in Six Years: ‘Boots on The Ground’
Massive Attack have returned with new music for the first time in six years. The group issued a single titled ‘Boots on The Ground’ on Thursday 16th April, paired with a spoken-word B-side called ‘The Fly’.
New music and collaboration
The single features American singer-songwriter Tom Waits. It is Waits’ first single since 2011’s ‘Bad As Me’.
The release continues Massive Attack’s history of politically charged work. The band remains vocal on current global issues.
Visuals and themes
The video was directed by US artist thefinaleye. It mixes footage of civil unrest, state violence, protests, and images linked to police killings and the Black Lives Matter movement.
The song criticises immigration crackdowns, growing militarisation, and the consolidation of White House power, according to the band. Robert del Naja, also known as 3D, warned of rising state authoritarianism and of police forces fusing with neofascist politics.
Spoken-word B-side and contributions
A spoken-word companion piece by novelist and former reporter Omar El Akkad will follow on Friday 17th April. El Akkad is the author of the 2025 book One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This.
His text delivers a stark critique of Western complicity in Gaza and what it describes as the Palestinian genocide committed by Israel.
Context and controversy
The release arrives days after del Naja’s arrest at a Palestine Action protest in London. That arrest came five days before the single’s launch.
This is the band’s first music issued under a Spotify exemption policy. Massive Attack had removed their catalogue from the platform in protest. The move targeted CEO Daniel Ek’s reported €600 million investment in military AI company Helsing.
Spotify drew criticism last year after running recruitment adverts for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Further reading
For broader coverage of the music community’s stance on these issues, see Filmogaz.com’s feature on how the electronic music world is standing with Palestine.
