Shinedown Releases New Single ‘Searchlight’ with Music Video
Shinedown unveiled “Searchlight” on Nov. 18, and Atlantic Records distributed the track. This marks a fresh chapter for this multi-platinum band after a year packed with sold-out arenas, chart-topping achievements,…
Shinedown unveiled "Searchlight" on Nov. 18, and Atlantic Records distributed the track. This marks a fresh chapter for this multi-platinum band after a year packed with sold-out arenas, chart-topping achievements, and their first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
Shinedown premiered the track during their Opry debut in October. Fans talked about it all night, and lead singer Brent Smith introduced it. "This is a song about owning your true feelings. It's an awakening of the soul," Shinedown wrote on Instagram.
"Lyrically, it's a coming-of-age story that celebrates the moment you decide to go out into the world and find your purpose. Musically, it is an homage to all the music our parents, and grandparents brought us up on. It is a love letter to Americana, rhythm and blues, bluegrass, outlaw country, and, of course, rock 'n' roll."
Brent Smith, Eric Bass, and Dave Bassett wrote "Searchlight," and Bass produced it at Big Animal Studio in Charleston, South Carolina. It captures the emotional depth that made this band famous. Andrew Donoho shot it using smart camera work and practical effects. Each member played their own instruments, including a steel pedal guitar and a banjo. They filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, the day after their Opry debut.
The four-piece group owns the record for most No. 1 songs on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, according to Loudwire. Twenty-one tracks have topped it. They also hold the record on the Mediabase Active Rock chart with 23 No. 1s.
"Searchlight" comes after their 2025 releases, "Dance, Kid, Dance," "Three Six Five," and "Killing Fields."
This year, the band sold out Madison Square Garden for the first time during their "Dance, Kid, Dance" arena tour. They gave $1 from every ticket to Musicians On Call, totaling $300,000.
The band will perform at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Dec. 2, Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, on Dec. 8, Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Dec. 9, and Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 16. They'll also play the Sonic Temple festival on May 15, 2026, in Ohio.
