On April 19, American rock band Foo Fighters released “Rescued,” their first single since drummer Taylor Hawkins died in 2022. The band also announced that their eleventh album, “But Here We Are,” will be released on June 2. 

Foo Fighters have many mainstream hits like “Everlong,” “The Pretender” and “Best of You,” each of which has over 500 million streams on Spotify. 

Foo Fighters began in 1994 as a solo project of lead singer and guitarist Dave Grohl. Grohl played drums for Nirvana, but Nirvana disbanded in 1994 after the death of frontman Kurt Kobain. 

Grohl wanted to continue being a musician but chose to record his own music instead of joining another band. 

Eventually, Grohl found a long-term lineup of guitarist Chris Shifflett, bassist Nate Mendal and drummer Taylor Hawkins. Guitarist Pat Smear — who also spent time in Nirvana — was in Foo Fighters from 1995-97, then returned in 2005 as a touring member and became a full member again in 2010. 

Foo Fighters first achieved mainstream success with their 1999 album “There Is Nothing Left To Lose.” The album won Best Rock Album at the Grammys in 2000.

“Learn To Fly,” a track from the album, peaked at No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The music video earned the band an additional Grammy in 2000. The band has won 15 Grammys total, making it one of the most accomplished rock bands in recent history. 

“Rescued” starts out as many Foo Fighters songs do: with guitar. Gentle strumming of an electric guitar leads into Grohl’s vocals. Drums and a second heavier guitar track enter and the energy of the track begins to build. 

The opening lyrics — “It came in a flash/ it came outta nowhere/ it happened so fast/ and then it was over” — most likely refer to the sudden and jarring death of Hawkins. 

The song’s pre-chorus continues to build the energy, until the sound pulls back for a moment and Grohl’s vocals become prominent: “We’re all free to some degree to dance under the lights.” 

The song picks up again with quick guitar strums and every other instrument returning as Grohl launches into the catchy refrain. A guitar doubles some of Grohl’s notes, creating a full and rich melody. 

The song continues for another verse and refrain, then introduces a new post-chorus with more sound, louder guitars and quick percussion. The sound pulls back again for the quiet first line of the refrain, and it hits harder this time because of the wonderful wall of sound that came right before it.

After four minutes of energy and a spectacular final refrain and instrumental, a guitar powerfully strums the final chord of the song. The chord resonates while another guitar quietly plucks strings. Feedback grows louder, then quieter, as the song fades into silence.

“Rescued” is a pleasant mix between guitar-led instrumentals and Grohl’s gruff vocals. The drums perfectly pace the song, cutting out at quieter moments and building and driving the song in energetic moments. The song is a strong and powerful first release since the death of Hawkins and shows that Foo Fighters are far from ending their musical career. 

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