Muse Announces New Album, ‘The WOW! Signal,’ Inspired by Mysterious Radio Burst
Muse have announced their tenth studio album, The WOW! Signal, set for release on June 26th through Warner Records. The announcement comes with the release of their new single, “Be With You,” and a unique promotional campaign that sent the song’s music video into the stratosphere.
A Signal From Space
The album’s title and inspiration stem from the famous “Wow! signal,” a strong narrowband radio signal detected on August 15, 1977, by Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope . Astronomer Jerry R. Ehman, upon reviewing the data, circled the signal’s intensity reading, “6EQUJ5,” and wrote “Wow!” beside it, giving the event its enduring name. The signal, appearing to originate from the constellation Sagittarius, lasted for 72 seconds and has never been detected again, remaining unexplained to this day .
Cosmic Themes in Muse’s Music
This isn’t Muse’s first exploration of cosmic themes. The band has frequently touched upon space and philosophical concepts throughout their discography, notably on albums like Black Holes and Revelations and Simulation Theory, and in songs like “Neutron Star Collision.”
A Launch Into the Atmosphere
To announce The WOW! Signal, Muse partnered with Sent Into Space to launch a specially designed tablet 33km into the atmosphere, where the music video for “Be With You” premiered. A second package containing stickers for a limited-edition vinyl release was also sent skyward.
“Be With You” – A New Soundscape
“Be With You” showcases a sound that leans into electronic music and future bass stylings, differing from the band’s previous album, Will of the People, and their 2025 single, “Unravelling” . Despite being a love song, the track carries an undercurrent of discovery, and hope.
Tracklist
The WOW! Signal will feature twelve tracks:
- The Dark Forest
- Nightshift
- Superstar
- Shimmering Scars
- Cryogen
- Be With You
- Hexagons
- The Sickness
- In You & I
- Unravelling
- Hush
- Space Debris
Tour Dates and Further Exploration
Muse’s last album was 2022’s Will of the People. They released the single “Unravelling” in 2025 and performed at several European festivals. The band has upcoming performances scheduled at Milwaukee’s Summerfest and Quebec City’s Festival d’été de Québec. A North American tour has not yet been announced .
For those interested in exploring the theme of space and the search for extraterrestrial life further, fans on Reddit have suggested books on space exploration and contact with the unknown .
Worth a look