Sheryl Crow is pushing back against the state of current politics and refusing to see it as something acceptable.
On Friday (July 18), she released a charged new track titled “The New Normal,” created with her touring group, The Real Lowdown. In the song, she takes direct aim at President Donald Trump without naming him, instead calling him the “leader of the free world,” and criticizing what she calls his “immoral” way of leading.
“Is it science fiction or prediction wrapped in George Orwell?” she sings in a reference to the famous dystopian writer. “If the news is fake and fear is hate and nothing’s immoral/ To the leader of the free world, then welcome to the new normal.”
Crow also expresses anxiety over the threat that artificial intelligence poses to jobs, singing, “You’re gonna wake up someday to a robot that’s in your place.”
The track is being released at a time when issues like abortion rights, LGBTQ protections, and climate efforts are facing increasing challenges under Trump’s administration. Meanwhile, public warnings about AI’s economic and ecological impacts continue to grow among artists and experts.
In a statement, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee explained her motivation for releasing this protest song now. “What’s happening all around us is so unbelievably bizarre, that my fear is we will truly begin to feel like this is normal,” she said, adding that the idea “terrifies” her.
She also praised her band, saying, “I am so blessed to have the band that I have,” and shared how their creative process evolved. “For years, we have jammed up such cool stuff during sound checks that we decided we go in and start recording as a band. Can’t wait for everyone to hear the new stuff we are doing.”
Crow has long voiced opposition to the former president. During his 2016 campaign, she stood with other artists against the unauthorized use of their music by Trump’s team.
In 2024, she revealed her support for Kamala Harris instead, writing on Instagram in November, “I voted for the candidate who I feel I can align myself with and who represents the aspects that I try to live my life by, and that I try to model to my children… empathy, compassion, a heart for community and for those underserved,” and continued, “Not hate and division, bigotry, or racism. Pretty straightforward. Harris/Walz lead with love and not hate. Simple.”
Listen to “The New Normal” below.
