Fontaines D.C. surprise fans with ROSALÍA on new single Where Is Gone?

Fontaines D.C. have shared Where Is Gone?, the third preview of their new album Dopamine Chamber, and they did it with a guest few fans saw coming: ROSALÍA. It's the first time the Dublin band has invited another artist onto a studio record, which also makes it their first collaboration on an album. When her name popped up on Instagram alongside the tracklist, a lot of fans were surprised. The singles Marianne and Tongue had already been released.

The track was produced by James Ford and, according to Dansende Beren, opens with a thunderous drum hit, followed by dissonant violins and acoustic guitars that bring a James Bond set to mind. The bombast quickly fades, leaving mostly the acoustic guitar with Grian Chatten's melancholic voice on top. Then ROSALÍA joins in. Rolling Stone describes the song as a ballad in which Chatten and ROSALÍA trade lines over a muted acoustic rhythm that keeps swelling with strings and rumbling drums. On the chorus they sing together: "I remember when / They held me up against the summertime".

What stands out is the restraint: the song rises and falls but never fully explodes. If you're waiting for an eruption, you won't get one, and according to Dansende Beren that's exactly the single's strength. The two singers give each other space rather than competing for attention. In doing so, Fontaines D.C. explore softer, roomier territory than the claustrophobia of their previous record, Romance.

Guitarist Carlos O'Connell, who grew up in Madrid with both Spanish and Irish influences, explained in a press statement why ROSALÍA was the choice. He says he's been a fan since her debut album, which he calls "absolutely beautiful". What really got him excited was the way she keeps a Spanish musical tradition alive, something he sees as spiritually akin to what the band tries to do with Irish music. "She's an artist who's blown me away at every stage since", he said of her. ROSALÍA is currently busy with her album Lux and recently played Saturday Night Live, where she performed Reliquia and Magnolias.

Dopamine Chamber, the band's fifth album, is out on October 16 via XL Recordings. According to the press release, the record is about the news we run into during our endless scrolling, from the rise of AI and celebrity gossip to political violence, the climate crisis and the memes that come out of all of it. Chatten describes the album as a dopamine chamber: "You step inside and we test these different mind or mood altering pieces of music on you."

There's something concrete to look forward to for fans in the Netherlands. On November 10, Fontaines D.C. play the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, and a day later, for those willing to make the trip, they follow up at the AFAS Dome in Antwerp, though according to Dansende Beren that show is on November 12. Whether ROSALÍA will join the live shows hasn't been reported.