Ever-prevalent ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne has returned with a new track entitled ‘T-shirt’, a quirky cut with writing credits from Brian Eno and production from Blood Orange. This coincides with the release of shirts from Byrne that have slogans such as “Fight today for a better tomorrow!”, “Make America Gay Again,” and “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” 

The song itself has allyship at its core, but it applies to everyone who is a minority or repressed by society in one way or another. The lyrics are refreshingly straightforward, with lines referencing that even though the T-shirt’s words might fade, his conviction for the cause will never cease. Lyrics, such as “It’s faded and torn/ Misshapen and worn/ But listen to my T-shirt/ 'Cause every pre-shirt word is true” show Byrne and Eno are still creative wordsmiths.

On the production side, this is a quirky synth-pop bop, but also very straightforward. It’s not about flashy production; it’s about Byrne’s stance on societal issues that is the focus here. For too long, certain musicians with huge fan bases have remained silent while societal rights in the U.S. are being eroded, but not Byrne. 

This song could come across as performative in the wrong hands, but in Byrne’s, you believe his conviction in the causes he strives to get recognition for.