The Strokes diss Anthony Fantano on their new album

In the often-heated world of music criticism, where opinions are currency and feuds are common, Anthony Fantano has recently found himself squarely in the spotlight, not as a critic, but as the subject of music dissing. The clash is with one of rock’s foundational acts, The Strokes, who have dropped a lyrical jab about Fantano on their upcoming album.

The new material from The Strokes, titled Reality Awaits, is set to release tomorrow, July 24th, and it features the track Lonely in the Future. Embedded within the song are lines that point directly at Fantano, offering a pointed critique of his critical approach: “I heard that twenty fucking years ago, I did / Fantano, word for word, when I was a kid / Stick to the technical ’cause that’s great / But you would not recognize art in any age.”

This seemingly casual lyric is clearly aimed at Fantano’s past assessments of other artists. The context suggests the reference stems from his review of Casablancas’s band, the Voidz, whose 2024 album Like All Before You received a decidedly negative rating from Fantano.

The friction isn’t limited to just one party. The controversy extends beyond The Strokes and Fantano into the wider music commentary sphere. Casablancas himself weighed in on this dynamic during a recent podcast appearance, echoing themes present in the new song. He suggested that while Fantano excels at methodical analysis—describing studio choices and technical details—he lacks true artistic taste.

Casablancas made it clear that Fantano should focus strictly on “analysis when he’s methodically and scientifically describing things.” However, Casablancas added a stinging qualifier: when it comes to genuine art taste, he is dismissible.

Fantano has already acknowledged the lyrical attack. He responded via social media with a simple “Welp,” offering a brief and somewhat nonchalant reply to the intensity of the music world’s response.

The resulting interaction highlights the often-absurd relationship between artistic commentary and the critics who dissect it. Whether viewed as an aggressive play or a humorous exchange, this lyrical feud demonstrates how deeply intertwined the worlds of art creation and critical evaluation can become.