Billy Idol Releases New Song Ahead of Asbury Park Concert Date (Video)

Ahead of his appearance at the Sea. Hear. Now, Festival in Asbury Park on August 19, Billy Idol is giving fans a taste of his forthcoming album with the release of a new song, “Bitter Taste.”

The song is inspired by his motorcycle accident in 1990.

“I think everyone has been feeling more reflective [during the pandemic]. So, it seemed quite logical and natural to write something about my motorcycle accident,” Idol explains about the new song. “Certainly, the motorcycle accident was the catharsis, the wake-up moment. A little bit of me got left on that roadside. But it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the end; it was a wake-up call. Maybe on that roadside I left behind the irreverent youthful Billy and opened the door for a more attentive father and a more sensitive musician.”

Idol will release his first album in six years, The Roadside, on Sept. 17. Produced by Butch Walker, the album features collaborations with longtime guitarist Steve Stevens. 

The Roadside can be pre-ordered now on CD, on vinyl and as a limited-edition blue-vinyl LP, as well as digitally.