| Second Song | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 18, 2026 | |||
| Studios | Shangri La, Malibu | |||
| Length | 42:15 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Producers | ||||
| Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Second Song | ||||
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Second Song is the fiftieth studio album by Neil Young, released on September 18, 2026, by Reprise Records.[1] Recorded at Shangri La in Malibu and produced by Lou Adler, it is his second album recorded with his band the Chrome Hearts.[2] It follows Young's previous album Talkin' to the Trees, also produced by Adler and recorded at Shangri La.[1] The first single, the title track, released on August 7, runs for nearly 11 and a half minutes long.[1][3]
Background and release
Second Song contains "Casting Me Away from You" and "I'll Love You Forever",[4] both written sometime in the 1960s that went unreleased until Second Song.[3] According to a press release, Second Song is primarily an acoustic album.[5] According to Andy Greene of Rolling Stone, the title track is about "the passage of time and the need for human connection."[6] Neil Young said of the album: "I'm in the studio recording a new album with the Chrome Hearts. I love the songs and the feelings of life and love. Music is. So far we have eight new songs. They make me feel".[7] The album was released on September 18, 2026, on Reprise Records.[1]
Critical reception
Any Decent Music gave the album a weighted average score of 7.6 out of 10 from nine critic scores.[8] According to Metacritic, it received "generally favorable" reviews based on a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 from eight critic scores.[9]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Neil Young.[10]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Foggy Edge of Time" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Day After Day" | 7:03 |
| 3. | "Earth Girl" | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Second Song" | 11:15 |
| 5. | "Casting Me Away from You" | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Soon I Might Be Going" | 9:14 |
| 7. | "I'll Love You Forever" | 4:29 |
| Total length: | 42:15 | |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from Tidal.[10]
Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts
- Neil Young – vocals, production (all tracks); vibes (tracks 2–4), acoustic guitar (2, 4, 5, 7); Marxophone, Mellotron, piano (1, 3); harmonica (4, 5), electric guitar (6)
- Anthony LoGerfo – drums, associate production (all tracks); vocals (3, 4), percussion (4–6)
- Corey McCormick – upright bass (all tracks), vocals (1–4, 7), electric bass guitar (4)
- Micah Nelson – vocals (1–4, 7), electric guitar (1–3, 5–8), dulcimer (4)
- Spooner Oldham – Hammond B3 organ (1, 3, 4, 6, 7), Mellotron (1), Farfisa organ (2, 5, 6), piano (2), pump organ (3), vibes (7)
Technical
- Lou Adler – production
- Niko Bolas – production
- Manny Adler – associate production
- John Hanlon – engineering, recording, mixing
- Mark Humphreys – monitor engineering
- Emily Paalman – engineering assistance
- Nick Hodges – engineering assistance
- Pedro Laet – engineering assistance
- Sofia Staedler – engineering assistance
- Taylor Goss – engineering assistance
- Jon Tan – Pro Tools
- Louis Remenapp – tape operation
- Chris Bellman – mastering
- Jeff Pinn – backline technician
- Greg Back – bass technician, guitar technician
- Jarrett Borba – drum technician
- Bob Rice – guitar technician
- Jeff Tweedy – guitar technician
- Marcus Douglas – sound technician
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] | 52 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] | 33 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[13] | 87 |
| Danish Vinyl Albums (Hitlisten)[14] | 10 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15] | 37 |
| Finnish Physical Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[16] | 10 |
| French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[17] | 43 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[18] | 18 |
| German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19] | 7 |
| Norwegian Physical Albums (IFPI Norge)[20] | 2 |
| Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[21] | 9 |
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[22] | 23 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] | 18 |
| UK Albums Sales (Official Charts)[24] | 27 |
| UK Americana Albums (Official Charts)[25] | 4 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[26] | 29 |
References
- ^ a b c d Kaye, Ben (August 7, 2026). "Neil Young Announces New Album with The Chrome Hearts, Second Song, Shares 11.5-Minute Title Track: Stream". Consequence. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ^ Sinclair, Paul (August 7, 2026). "Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts / Second Song". SuperDeluxeEdition. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ^ a b Suskind, Alex (August 7, 2026). "Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts Return With New Album Second Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ^ Bonner, Michael (August 7, 2026). "Hear Neil Young's new 11-minute epic "Second Song"". Uncut. Retrieved August 23, 2006.
- ^ Gallucci, Michael (August 7, 2026). "Neil Young's New 'Second Song' Album Comes Out in September". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ^ Greene, Andy (August 7, 2026). "Neil Young Releases Wistful, 11-Minute Title Track From New Album 'Second Song'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ^ Jones, Damian (August 7, 2026). "Neil Young announces new album with the Chrome Hearts, shares soothing title track 'Second Song'". NME. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ^ "Second Song by Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts reviews". Any Decent Music. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- ^ "Second Song". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- ^ a b "Second Song / Neil Young / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts – Second Song" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts – Second Song" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2026.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts – Second Song" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2026.
- ^ "Vinyl Top-40 – Uge 38, 2026". Hitlisten. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts – Second Song" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ^ "Suomen virallinen lista: Neil Young – Second Song" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ^ "Top Rock & Metal Albums (Semaine du 25 septembre 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts – Second Song" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts: Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 25 September 2026" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
- ^ "Fysisk Albums 2026 uke 39" (in Norwegian Bokmål). IFPI Norge. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 39, 2026". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 25/9/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts – Second Song". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
- ^ "Official Albums Sales Chart on 25/9/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart on 25/9/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ^ "Neil Young Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
