A larger-than-life anthem about keeping the dream alive, The Killers’ spirited new single “Bright Lights” is a cinematic explosion of passion, a celebration of potential, and a powerhouse of purpose.

Stream: “Bright Lights” – The Killers

Will this endless stretch of desert road get me back where I belong?

The Killers earned their place in the history books with big, cinematic anthems you could readily sing on repeat, and stories of hard-working people with big hearts and even bigger dreams; now, 20 years into an already illustrious career, they prove they’ve still got what it takes to invigorate, inspire, and ignite – to fan the flames deep down inside themselves and everyone listening. Released August 9, “Bright Lights” is an explosion of passion, a celebration of potential, and a powerhouse of purpose: A spirited, larger-than-life rock song about keeping the dream alive – staying true to who you are and what you’re made of, and shining your inner light out into the world, no matter how dark it gets.

And given the ‘bright lights’ of it all, one can’t help but feel like it’s also an ode to fabulous Las Vegas, the city that made them what they are today: One of the biggest rock bands in the world.

Bright Lights - The Killers — Bright Lights – The Killers

Standing in darkness with empty hands
I still know how to use ’em,
but the miles made other plans
Running out of highway, shorter on time
Feel the dead weight deepen
and the devil coming down the line
The dashboard shaking, I steady the wheel
And I make every turn by memory, by feel
Towards a black horizon, an unbroken dawn
Will this endless stretch of desert road
get me back where I belong?

Will you turn the bright lights on?
Baby, turn the bright lights on
‘Cause I haven’t forgotten wherе it is I’m from
Look out your window for me, here I comе
Will you turn the bright lights on?
Baby, turn the bright lights on
Put me back on the corner to sing my song
I’m a shoo-in tonight, turn the bright lights on

“Bright Lights” is, in more ways than one, a homecoming worth its weight in gold. The song’s release arrives as the band’s original lineup – of Brandon Flowers (vocals), Dave Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass), and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums) – prepare for their sold-out residency in Las Vegas, where they’ll be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of their debut album Hot Fuss and bringing the record to life, from start to finish, for ten brightly-lit sold-out nights at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. It will mark the first time the four founding members have played together, for more than a one-off show, since 2017.

It feels only fitting that a true-blue Killers song would feature the band’s original lineup as well, and it does – bringing the best out of four longtime friends who have at times been at odds with one another, but who have never let that stop them from coming together and making great music. Flowers’ lyrics even acknowledge the bumps in the road, reflecting on the turmoil – both within the band, and within himself – that has at times threatened The Killers’ very existence.

I carried my own weight and then some too
There are things I would change,
but it ain’t worth going through
Maybe I’m tapped out or just plain old tired
Tonight the charge is reading low,
but I’m still hard-wired

Nevertheless, they’ve persevered – so maybe “Bright Lights” isn’t just an anthem of tenacity and resolve, but an ode from the band, to themselves: A heartfelt, self-reflective embrace of twenty long, arduous, and beautiful years spent making some of the best damn rock music the world has ever seen. Baby, turn the bright lights on.