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The Flaming Lips announced The Teardrop Throbs, their 17th studio album, due Jan. 22, 2027, on Third Man Records. The band also shared lead single “God Will Control the Werewolves” and announced 10 special shows across five cities, with two distinct set lists planned for each stop. Details about the album’s full sound and how its songs connect remain unclear.
The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, a 13-track album due Jan. 22, 2027, on Third Man Records, and released its lead single, “God Will Control the Werewolves.” The record is the Oklahoma band’s 17th studio album and its first since 2020’s American Head, ending a gap of nearly seven years between studio albums.
The album is also the band’s debut release on Third Man Records, the independent label owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank. The Flaming Lips, Dave Fridmann, Taylor Johnson and Scott Booker are credited as producers. Pre-orders are underway, according to the report by Consequence.
“God Will Control the Werewolves” is the first preview of the record. Consequence describes the song as opening with piano and an atmospheric build before moving into a fuller groove, with Wayne Coyne singing in a raspy, high register. The track ends abruptly, without a conventional outro; whether that points to a continuous sequence across the album is not confirmed.
The announced track list has 13 songs, including “Throb,” “Titan,” “Every Teardrop Cried” and “Now I Understand.” One title, “Instructions On How To Draw An Eyeball or How To Deal With A Loved One Who Is Addicted To Drugs,” is notably long. The band has not, in the supplied report, released further track-by-track details.
Frontman Wayne Coyne said the album draws on fatherhood, mortality, surreal everyday observations and classic cinema. In a statement quoted by Consequence, he described how anxiety about the safety of his young son and a misread sign led him to reflect on the importance of his children; he said those thoughts entered the music as the band worked on the record over a two-year period.
A New Label and a Long Gap
The album marks two clear changes for the band: it is their first studio record in nearly seven years and their first release through Third Man Records. That makes the announcement relevant to both longtime listeners waiting for new material after American Head and to followers of the label’s expanding roster. The announcement does not spell out the terms or length of the band’s relationship with Third Man.
The record also follows the departures of longtime members Michael Ivins and Steven Drozd, as reported by Consequence. The supplied material does not identify the full lineup that recorded the album or explain how those departures shaped its sessions. Coyne’s comments offer one personal point of reference for the songs, but do not establish that every track follows the same themes.
The scheduled shows give fans a chance to hear the new material in several different settings before and around the album’s release. Their format also pairs the new record with songs spanning the band’s earlier decades, making the dates more specific than a standard album-supporting tour.
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From American Head to Third Man
The Flaming Lips released American Head in 2020, their previous studio album. The Teardrop Throbs is described in the report as the group’s 17th studio album and its first since the departures of Ivins and Drozd, both longtime members. The available information does not provide a detailed account of when the members left or the circumstances surrounding their departures.
Third Man Records is an independent label owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank. The Flaming Lips’ move to the label is confirmed for this release; the announcement does not say whether the label will handle future albums or provide other details about the arrangement.
Coyne’s account links the album’s origins to an experience in a Trader Joe’s parking lot. He said he misread a sign for a children’s health foundation as a reference to children’s death, prompting thoughts about loss, his mother’s past experience supporting grieving families and his own children. Coyne said the reflections became part of the ideas surrounding the record, which the band developed over two years.
““It occurred to me there will never be anything in my life as important as my two little boys.””
— Wayne Coyne, in a statement quoted by Consequence
Album Details Still to Come
The report gives the release date, track list, producers and lead single, but does not provide the album’s complete sound, recording locations or credits for individual songs. Coyne’s account identifies personal inspirations, but the meaning and subject of each track have not been detailed. It is also unknown whether the abrupt ending of “God Will Control the Werewolves” signals a transition into another song or is simply how the single ends.
The supplied announcement does not clarify the band’s current full lineup following the departures of Ivins and Drozd, nor does it describe the scope of the Third Man Records deal. Ticket prices and any age or venue restrictions are not included in the report.
Album Shows Begin in January
The first announced performances are scheduled for Nashville on Jan. 22 and 23, 2027, the same day the album is due. The run continues in New York on Jan. 26–27, Los Angeles on Feb. 23–24, Chicago on Feb. 27–28 and London on April 2–3. Each city has two shows, for 10 dates across five cities.
According to the announcement, Night 1 will pair a performance of The Teardrop Throbs in full with a “Songs from the 20th Century” set featuring material from 1986 to 1999. Night 2 will feature the album’s songs in reimagined form, followed by “Songs from the 21st Century,” covering 2002 to 2020. The band says the concerts will include songs it has never performed as well as tracks it has not played in decades.
The report lists an artist presale for Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. local time, followed by a Live Nation presale on Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. General ticket sales are scheduled for Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. local time through Ticketmaster. Fans will be able to follow the album’s rollout through further releases or announcements, though no additional singles or music videos are specified in the material provided.
Key Questions
When does The Teardrop Throbs come out?
The Flaming Lips’ 17th studio album is scheduled for release on Jan. 22, 2027.
What is the album’s lead single?
The band has shared “God Will Control the Werewolves” as the lead single. It is the first track listed after the album opener, “Throb.”
What label is releasing the album?
The Teardrop Throbs is the Flaming Lips’ first release on Third Man Records, the independent label owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank.
Where will the band play in support of the album?
The announced dates cover Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London, with two shows in each city from January through April 2027.
What will be different about the two shows in each city?
The first night is slated to include the album performed in full and songs from 1986–1999. The second will feature reimagined versions of the album’s songs and a set of material from 2002–2020, according to the announcement.
Source: consequence.net
