Sheryl Crow is refusing to accept the current political landscape as her new normal.
On a fiery new song recorded with her touring band, The Real Lowdown, released Friday (July 18), the singer-songwriter slams President Donald Trump and his “immoral” leadership style, referring to him as the “leader of the free world” in place of his name.
“Is it science fiction or prediction wrapped in George Orwell?” she sings, pointedly referencing the author of dystopian novel 1984. “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.”
Elsewhere on the track, Crow opens up about her widely shared fears that artificial intelligence will take over the job market, singing, “You’re gonna wake up someday to a robot that’s in your place.”
The song comes at a time where reproductive freedom, LGBTQ rights and climate initiatives are increasingly under attack under the Trump administration. At the same time, artists and experts alike have been warning against the advancements of AI, pointing out its environmental and economic risks.
In a statement, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer shared why she chose to release the protest anthem at this point in her career. “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, noting that the possibility “terrifies” her.
“I am so blessed to have the band that I have,” she continued. “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 previously been open in her opposition to the twice-impeached POTUS. In 2016, when Trump first ran for president, she joined several other artists in protesting his use of their songs in his campaign.
In 2024, she revealed that she’d voted for Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris. “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,” she wrote on Instagram in November. “Not hate and division, bigotry, or racism. Pretty straightforward. Harris/Walz lead with love and not hate. Simple.”
Listen to “The New Normal” below.