Highwire Magazine

“They say follow your heart, which is bad advice / When it’s been broken in two, now it’s compromised.” 

There’s something about the lyrics to Enter Shikari’s latest single, ‘Bloodshot,’ that hits hard, musically and mentally. The inspiration for ‘Bloodshot’ came from frontman Rou Reynolds’ questioning of society and the media. People are constantly tricked and manipulated into thinking that social media beliefs are their own beliefs. So it’s a constant battle between what’s real and what’s fake.

“Everyone is so f****** angry with everyone else, and it’s exhausting. It seems like social media’s main purpose these days is to hypnotise us to hate,” Reynolds said.

‘Bloodshot’ is the third single from Enter Shikari’s seventh studio album titled A Kiss for the Whole World; the album will be released on April 21, 2023. Like the previous singles, ‘Bloodshot’ has a driving beat, prominent synthesizers, and a memorable chorus. The band has always written about serious topics such as anxiety and depression, and ‘Bloodshot’ is no different. Throughout the song, listeners can hear the high-pitched lyrics “Hypnotised; I’m so hypnotised, I’m so hypnotised,” possibly representing a victim being corrupted by social media. 

Enter Shikari is a British alternative rock band formed in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drummer Rob Rolfe. In 2003, guitarist Rory Clewlow joined the band to complete the current lineup. The band combines modern rock music with electronic dance music. 

A Kiss for the Whole World will follow the band’s sixth studio album, Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible, released in 2020.