For its big comeback, Massive Attack collaborates with Tom Waits and castigates the American government

A seven-minute anti-militarist manifesto. Trip-hop group Massive Attack made their comeback on Thursday, April 16 with the release of their single Boots on the Grounda first in six years. For this occasion, the British band invited American singer Tom Waits, winner of two Grammy Awards. He too had been absent from the musical landscape for many years. His last studio album Bad As Methe 18th^e of his career, dates back to 2011.

Massive Attack and Tom Waits have combined their talent to denounce the policies pursued by the American government since the inauguration of Donald Trump in January 2025, the war in the Middle East and the various international conflicts. The title, Boots on the Ground (literally boots on the ground) translates the idea of ​​a “military presence on the ground”.

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For long minutes, the British musicians and the American singer call on citizens to “take to the streets and demonstrate”. They accuse the White House of “sacrificing the young men and women of America to defend its own interests”. Tom Waits pulls no punches and insults the feds “assholes”. “Hidden in the Senate like a swollen tick behind, morons in air-conditioned moccasins, sitting in a room full of army posters “, sings the 76-year-old musician in a verse.

Massive Attack et Tom Waits – Boots on the Ground (2026)

“This kind of song remains in the news”

The song is accompanied by a music video featuring illustrations by photographer The Final Eye. The latter captured the protests in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd in 2020, as well as those, in the same city, organized against the actions of the American immigration police (ICE). The artists also wanted to broadcast the names of citizens who were killed by these federal agents, like Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as images of brutal arrests of students who defended Palestine.

 

This piece arrives in a climate of chaos, where throughout the Western Hemisphere, state authoritarianism and the militarization of police forces once again mix with neofascist ideologies

Massive Attack

Under the video, available on YouTube, Massive Attack and Tom Waits explain “depict an as-yet-unnamed pivotal period in American history that followed the largest public protests in U.S. history against ICE raids, law enforcement militarization, and state authoritarianism “. The artists plan to release the song on vinyl. On side B, Tom Waits will read a sarcastic text that he called The Flya reference to the fly which “is happy with human errors”. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Immigrant Defense Project.

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Massive Attack returns to battle

In comments relayed by the magazine Rolling StonesTom Waits, who has turned to film in recent years, said that the idea of ​​a collaboration with Massive Attack was not new and that the song was recorded several years ago. “Even today, this type of song remains in the news”explained the singer. For its part, the British group was delighted to “collaborate with an artist of caliber, of Tom’s originality and integrity. Before adding: “This piece arrives in a climate of chaos, where across the Western Hemisphere, state authoritarianism and the militarization of police forces are once again intertwined with neofascist ideologies. »