Ally Evenson – Speed Kills

Tipped for an imminent breakthrough, acclaimed alternative-pop singer-songwriter Ally Evenson will unveil her anticipated sophomore full-length album, SPEED KILLS, on February 20, 2026, via Assemble Sound/Atlantic Records.

To herald the release, she has also dropped a new single and music video titled “Strawberry.”

“Strawberry” represents yet another creative leap forward for the rising songstress. From the song’s jump, her voice materializes out of thin air only to disappear back into the ether alongside strains of shuddering guitar chords. A distorted beat carries the rhythm, and Ally laments, “I miss when you loved me.” She tries to grasp onto the last vestiges of a fractured romance, reflecting through the pain, “Tell me I’m sweeter than candy, but I fucked it up and you let me.”

Bag over her head and rope around her, the accompanying visual — which references “It Takes Two” by Argentine photographer Diego Goldberg — places Ally in the foreground strapped to a chair, while a love triangle’s revolving door swings open and closed in the background. The clip artfully speaks to the confusion and emotional hangover of the song.

Speaking on the song’s inspiration, she shares, “I wrote ‘Strawberry’ about the first gay relationship I was ever in. I ruined it, and it was on me. I was very scared of being gay, and I let the relationship fall through my hands. ‘Strawberry’ captures the feeling perfectly.”

“This song is about the one who got away,” she adds. “To really drive that knife even further into the listener’s chest (it’s a secret knife because the sonic palette of the song is so joyful), the lyrics in the bridge reference Pitseleh by Elliott Smith.”

Over the course of 14 tracks, SPEED KILLS sees Ally process the aftershocks of a breakup: the ensuing anxiety, profound sadness, newfound confidence, and ultimately, self-actualization. Meanwhile, elite pop songcraft, boundary-breaking production, and an unapologetic homage to nineties alternative form the soundtrack to this emotional rollercoaster. Co-producing with longtime collaborator and trusted musical confidant nydge, she’s in the driver’s seat on SPEED KILLS.

She sums it up best, “All of these songs are about me and my life. You’re getting who I am on SPEED KILLS. This is a study of myself.”

Ally first teased this new chapter with the supercharged “Phetamines.” “Phetamines” arrived on the heels of the mischievously playful “The Line.”

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