David Byrne, the ever-inventive icon of alternative music and former Talking Heads frontman, has returned at age 73 with a new album that is both characteristically oddball and unexpectedly tender. Titled Who Is The Sky?, Byrne’s ninth solo effort, released in 2025, arrives after a seven-year hiatus and finds the artist at a creative and personal high point. The album, reviewed across major outlets on September 10, 2025, is already being hailed as an invigorating and joyous addition to his storied discography.
Byrne has always had a knack for assembling eclectic collaborators, and this time is no different. For Who Is The Sky?, he’s teamed up with New York’s R&B soul group Ghost Funk Orchestra, the avant-garde jazz/classical ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, Annie Clark (better known as St. Vincent), Hayley Williams of Paramore, and Tom Skinner from The Smile. The project is helmed by Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon, who is best known for his work with Harry Styles. The result? A kaleidoscopic blend of genres, moods, and lyrical quirks that could only be the product of Byrne’s singular imagination.
From the opening track, “Everybody Laughs,” listeners are greeted with clanking percussion, strutting acoustic guitars, and big brass arrangements. Annie Clark’s backing vocals add a shimmering layer, while the lyrics, “everybody lives and everybody dies, everybody eats and everybody loves,” set the tone for an album that’s both philosophical and playful. According to musicOMH, the song “feels like the perfect antidote to the gloom seemingly enveloping the world right now.”
The album’s scope is impressively wide. “What Is The Reason For It?” features Hayley Williams and delivers a cinematic, brass-laden sound with a samba vibe. One reviewer from Hot Press described St. Vincent’s contribution as “mariachi-tinged, psychedelic love.” Elsewhere, “Don’t Be Like That” struts with soulful percussion, and “My Apartment Is My Friend” offers a heartfelt ode to the comfort of home—an unusual but touching subject. “You stood by me when darkness came,” Byrne sings to his pre-civil war Manhattan townhouse, which, as noted by The Irish Independent, is a rare gem valued at $17 million. It’s hard to imagine another artist serenading their real estate, but in Byrne’s hands, it’s both moving and gently absurd.
Byrne’s lyrics have always veered toward the surreal and introspective, and Who Is The Sky? is no exception. He questions the mundanities of life—why is coffee black? Why do we exist?—and finds humor in the everyday. “I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party” reads like a William S. Burroughs fever dream, with Byrne confronting the enlightened one over his indulgent eating. “Dude, should you really be eating all that unhealthy stuff? And you being so enlightened don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Byrne asks. Buddha, ever serene, responds, “They think I can help them but I’m not that smart, so here have a piece of this blueberry tart.”
Collaborations abound, each adding a new dimension to Byrne’s vision. With Hayley Williams, he debates the true meaning of love in lyrics that are at once simple and profound: “Love is odd, love is queer, love will take you out of here.” The album also features a duet with St. Vincent and standout tracks like “The Avant Garde,” “Moisturizing Thing,” and “She Explains Things To Me”—the latter a touching tribute to Byrne’s partner of nine years, Mala Gaonkar, whom he is set to marry. On this song, Byrne openly admits to relying on Mala’s wisdom for everything from TV plots to the real meaning of poetry, a humble and humorous take on modern relationships.
Notably, Who Is The Sky? marks the first time Byrne has explicitly addressed neuro-diversity in his music. “My Apartment Is My Friend” reflects on how the familiarity of home can be more intimate than human connection, while “I’m An Outsider” is a plea for understanding eccentric personalities: “Open the door, you will see who I am, let me into your mind, just give me a chance.” These themes add a layer of vulnerability and inclusivity that feels timely and deeply personal.
Of course, Byrne’s trademark humor is never far from the surface. On “Moisturizing Thing,” he lampoons society’s obsession with appearance, imagining a cream that turns him into a baby. The Ghost Funk Orchestra’s horn section propels the song’s grooving, foot-tapping vibe. As Hot Press puts it, “It’s hard not to at least chuckle as Byrne roars out a line like ‘Have a piece of this blueberry tarrrttt.’”
Critics have noted that the album doesn’t quite reach the heights of Byrne’s Talking Heads heyday, but that’s hardly a fair comparison. Instead, Who Is The Sky? stands on its own as a vibrant, quirky, and often joyous record that rewards repeated listens. The intricate arrangements by Ghost Train Orchestra and the accessible touch of Kid Harpoon ensure that even the album’s strangest moments are grounded in musicality.
Byrne’s creative output remains as relentless as ever. His 2018 album American Utopia was accompanied by a play, a theatrical live show, and a film, exhausting even for a man of his energy. Yet, with Who Is The Sky?, he seems to be having more fun than ever, infusing his work with the pure joy that’s often missing in today’s music. As one reviewer observed, “Music has become so serious, and nothing right now sounds like it has pure joy infused in it anymore.”
For longtime fans, the album is a reminder of why Byrne remains such a vital force in music. For newcomers, it’s an invitation to discover an artist who, even in his eighth decade, refuses to be anything but himself—curious, questioning, and utterly original.
With Who Is The Sky?, David Byrne demonstrates that age is no barrier to creativity, collaboration, or a good laugh. He’s still asking the big questions, still dancing to his own beat, and still inviting the world to join in—even if it means singing like a cat or serenading a Manhattan townhouse. That’s David Byrne, and aren’t we lucky he’s still at it?
