"Unravelling" is a song by English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, released as a single on 20 June 2025. Critics have noted similarities to

djent Djent () is a subgenre of progressive metal, termed for an onomatopoeia of the guitar sound that characterizes it. While sources such as ''The Guardian'' and ''Guitar World'' describe djent as a Music genre, genre, some notable musicians includi ...

for featuring an

eight-string guitar An eight-string guitar is a guitar with eight strings, or one more than the Russian guitar's seven. Eight-string guitars are less common than six- and seven-string guitars, but they are used by a few classical, jazz, and metal guitarists. The ...

(the first Muse song to do so) as well as combining EDM synths, melodramatic

rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...

vocals and

progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...

riffs. Written by frontman

Matt Bellamy Matthew James Bellamy (born 9 June 1978) is an English singer, songwriter and producer. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and lyricist for the English rock band Muse. He is recognised for his eccentric stage persona, wide tenor vocal ...

and producer

Dan Lancaster Dan Lancaster is a producer, mixer, songwriter and artist from the UK. He is best known for his mixing and production work in contemporary rock music, and has worked with prominent global acts such as Blink-182, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Bring Me ...

, the band debuted the song at their recent tour kickoff in

Helsinki, Finland Helsinki () is the capital and most populous city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipality, with million in the capital region and ...

, and will take it along on their upcoming run of European festivals.

Composition and lyrics

"Unravelling" combines the synths of ''The 2nd Law'' and ''Simulation Theory'' with the riffing of ''

Origin of Symmetry ''Origin of Symmetry'' is the second studio album by the English rock band Muse, released on 18 June 2001 through Taste Media. It was produced by John Leckie, who produced Muse's debut album, '' Showbiz'' (1999), and David Bottrill. ''Origin o ...

'', ''Absolution'' and '' Drones'', into a heavy metal, EDM,

and

space rock Space rock is a music genre characterized by loose and lengthy song structures centered on instrumental textures that typically produce a hypnotic, otherworldly sound. It may feature distorted and reverberation-laden guitars, minimal drummin ...

song with operatic vocals. The band travels "into a darker, djent-ier world" on the track, with an "intense mix of prog metal,

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

and

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

," while still sounding like Muse. The song starts with "digital hums and tension" before "detonating into a riff-heavy meltdown." Critics have noted similarities to

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1987. Since 2004, the band's lineup consists of founding members Jens Kidman (lead vocals) and Fredrik Thordendal (lead guitar), alongside rhythm guitarist Mårten Hagström, drumm ...

and

Sleep Token Sleep Token are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 2016. Its members remain Anonymous work, anonymous by wearing masks. After self-releasing their debut Extended play, EP ''One'' in 2016, the band signed with Basick Records an ...

for featuring an

(the first Muse song to do so) and Lancaster's production. The song described a failing relationship, with Bellamy using metaphors like "an insect trapped in amber" and "our love is an unlit script no one can memorise." These poetic lines have a sense of loss and confusion. The refrain and chorus build on this by describing a love without direction, a "hymn for our love with no God and no throne, adding an existential dread to the track.

Release

In February 2025, the Muse bassist,

Chris Wolstenholme Christopher Tony Wolstenholme (born 2 December 1978) is an English musician. He is the bassist and backing vocalist for the rock band Muse. He combines bass guitar with effects and synthesisers to create overdriven fuzz bass tones, a motif of ...

, said Muse would work on new material in the studio in the coming months. He discussed the possibility of a 2026 release for Muse's tenth studio album. In June, before the single's release, Muse released a series of cryptic messages and clips of "Unravelling" on social media platforms. On 12 June, Muse opened the first show of their 2025 European tour, in

, with the debut of "Unravelling". The song received its world premiere airing on 19 June at 18:30 BST during Jack Saunders' show on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

, followed by an interview with frontman

. A day later, the song was released as a digital-only single.

Charts

References

{{Muse Muse (band) songs 2025 singles 2025 songs Songs written by Matt Bellamy Warner Records singles