Shinedown had the honor of playing the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for the first time ever this past Friday, and they surprised fans in attendance with the debut of a brand-new song called “Searchlight.”
The rock band was introduced by country-pop star Carrie Underwood, who told the crowd, “It is always an honor, and so exciting for me to be at the Opry. Tonight, I am especially honored and excited to introduce our next group. I saw these guys back in concert in 2004 when I was a wee college student and basically, they have not been able to get rid of me ever since!”
She continued, “I know that they too are very excited to be here, they love country music, and they love and respect the Grand Ole Opry so much. Tonight, I hear they may even have a special surprise in store for us! Making their Grand Ole Opry debut, make some noise for Shinedown!”
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Shinedown then took the stage for their mini-set, performing “A Symptom of Being Human” from 2022’s Planet Zero, and their recent single “Three Six Five.” Singer Brent Smith then asked the audience, “Would you like to hear the debut of a song that no one has heard?”
He added, “Sometimes when you listen close enough to the universe and you’re willing to receive something from it – a song can come out of thin air. That is something that we don’t take for granted. It’s essentially what happened with this next song: we didn’t find it, it found us. This is the debut of a song we like to call: ‘Searchlight.’”
“Searchlight” has a country-rock vibe, as heard in a clip of the performance Shinedown shared on their Instagram page, making the Grand Ole Opry an ideal venue to debut the song.
“Searchlight” makes the fourth new song Shinedown have unveiled this year, following “Three Six Five,” “Dance Kid, Dance,” and “Killing Fields.” Presumably, all four of the songs will appear on the band’s forthcoming album, which is expected to arrive in 2026.
Watch the clip of Shinedown performing the new song “Searchlight” below.