Flaming Lips set The Teardrop Throbs release and 2027 tour

By Marcus Bennett

The Flaming Lips’ 17th album, The Teardrop Throbs, arrives Jan. 22 through Third Man Records. It is their first album of new material in six years. The band also released the lead single “God Will Control the Werewolves” alongside the announcement.

Wayne Coyne said “God Will Control the Werewolves” was inspired by a story about his sons, Bloom and Rex. They were playing hide and seek during a full moon.

“Bloom asked me if, while him and Rex were hiding , [if] the werewolves would get them,” Coyne said.

“I told him God would control the werewolves for a little bit while we played hide n seek. The way I heard the song sounding (in my head) was kind of Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon BUT Syd Barrett is still in the band.”

The Teardrop Throbs follows 2020’s American Head. It is the first Flaming Lips album without multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd, who joined the band in 1991.

At the end of 2025, Drozd said he was “officially done” with the Flaming Lips. A “personal crisis” led him to step back from touring duties. Drozd said he wanted to remain a non-touring member, but he and Coyne could not agree on his new role.

“Wayne and I disagreed on what I should do moving forward, so we just kind of agreed that I would step back,” he said. “Then stepping back turned into not coming back.”

Coyne disputed Drozd’s characterization of his departure on Instagram.

“the reason he left is sad , and infuriating…. it is HIS responsibility to tell everyone what happened… what he told everyone was a lie.”

The dispute gives the record’s lineup change a public context. Drozd joined in 1991 and ended his membership at the end of 2025. Coyne rejects Drozd’s account of how that happened.

Earlier this year, the band marked the 20th anniversary of At War With the Mystics with a special reissue. The announcement described the edition as containing a massive selection of rarities.

What changes for concertgoers?

The 2027 concert series includes intimate shows in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Chicago, and London. Each city will host two shows. The band arranged the series to celebrate the album. One set will emphasize The Teardrop Throbs and tracks from the band’s early career. The other will feature album reimaginings and songs from the aughts onward.

For concertgoers, the difference is concrete: one show foregrounds new songs with early-career work, while the other emphasizes reworked material and later songs.

• Jan. 22 — Nashville, TN at Brooklyn Bowl
• Jan. 23 — Nashville, TN at Brooklyn Bowl
• Jan. 26 — New York, NY at Irving Plaza
• Jan. 27 — New York, NY at Irving Plaza
• Feb. 23 — Los Angeles, CA at The Bellwether
• Feb. 24 — Los Angeles, CA at The Bellwether
• Feb. 27 — Chicago, IL at Metro
• Feb. 28 — Chicago, IL at Metro
• April 2 — London, UK at O2 Shepherds Bush
• April 3 — London, UK at O2 Shepherds Bush

Pre-sales begin Wednesday, Oct. 28, and Thursday, Oct. 29, both at 10:00 a.m. local time. General on-sale begins Friday, Oct. 30, at 10:00 a.m. local time through the Flaming Lips’ official website.

Track listing

The announced album contains 13 tracks:

1. Throb
2. God Will Control The Werewolves
3. Titan
4. Every Teardrop Cried
5. Hooray
6. Instructions On How To Draw An Eyeball or How To Deal With A Loved One Who Is Addicted To Drugs
7. You See You In Me
8. You’ve Got Brain Damage
9. At the End of the Day
10. The Trees Are Getting Their Leaves / Ceasefire In The City of Singing Flame
11. Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell Part Two
12. A Sunset Far Away
13. Now I Understand

The 2027 run begins Jan. 22 at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, the same calendar date announced for the album. The first shows will place the new material beside the band’s early catalogue and its work from the aughts onward.