Sammy Hagar Suggests His Latest Song Could Lead to a Full Album
via Sammy Hagar / YouTube
A Song That Sparked Questions
Sammy Hagar raised eyebrows earlier this year when he released his new single, Encore, Thank You, Goodnight. Many fans thought the title hinted at retirement, as if the Red Rocker was preparing to close the curtain on his long career.
Hagar quickly cleared the air. The track, he explained, was written as a tribute to his late bandmate Eddie Van Halen. “It’s simply, a goodbye to that part of my life,” he said, making it clear he still has plenty more music to share.
A Residency and a Live Album
Hagar recently debuted his new Las Vegas residency, a project that has been captured on an upcoming live release. Sammy Hagar & The Best of All Worlds Band – The Residency will be out Oct. 10 and features 18 songs recorded during the shows.
The album highlights his years with Van Halen while also touching on his solo work and music from Montrose. Alongside Hagar, the band includes bassist and vocalist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff, and keyboardist/vocalist Rai Thistlethwayte. Together they deliver a set that covers several eras of Hagar’s career.
Looking Toward 2026
The residency is set to continue in 2026 with more dates beginning in March. But Hagar admits he is also thinking about new music, though he remains unsure about how it might take shape.
“I do have some new songs I’ve written. I don’t know why. I’m not motivated to, [for example], block out the time and go do a new record,” he said. “I’m just not motivated to do that, and I would never do it for business reasons, so I’ve got to wait until I’m totally motivated.”
The Song That Could Change His Mind
Despite his hesitation, Hagar has finished a few tracks that may lead him back into the studio. “I finished about three songs just out of the ether,” he explained. “They came and I’m in love with one of them so much that it’s starting to motivate me to write more songs so I can make a new record, so people can hear this one song called ‘Addicted.’”
He laughed about revealing the title, admitting it could be some time before fans hear it. “I don’t know why I’m even telling you that title, because you may not hear it for a year, but I love making music,” he said. What holds him back, he admits, is not the creative process but everything that comes with it. “Every time I make music, then all this stuff I have to do around it—taking the photos, making the video [and all of those kinds of things]—it takes so much of my time. You know, I want to spend more time on the beach and more time on stage.”
A Surprise Collaboration
Another project stirring excitement is Hagar’s recent studio session with Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. The collaboration came to light after a photo of the three surfaced on social media.
“That’s so crazy. It’s like, Chad wrote a great song. I mean a great song,” Hagar said. “He called me and said, ‘Dude, you know what a fan I am. I’ve been listening to you my whole life and you’ve been such an inspiration. You always write these really upbeat songs. You know, about making people feel good and giving them encouragement [with songs] like Dreams.’”
How the Song Came Together
Kroeger even used artificial intelligence to shape the track. “He wrote a song, thinking of me and channeling me vocally,” Hagar explained. “According to Hagar, the Nickelback frontman used AI to take his own voice and make it sound like the former Van Halen frontman, so it would match up with how he himself would sing it. But the songwriter knew he had to get the real deal on board for the final recording. ‘He’s going, “Dude, I want you to sing on the song.” And I go, “Of course, I’ll sing on your song.”’”
Hagar added that Tommy Lee also contributed drums, though he kept most details under wraps. “I don’t want to give too much away, because this is Chad’s thing, this is Nickelback,” he noted.
The Power of Social Media Buzz
The session may or may not be released, but the photo alone made headlines. “Chad and I’ve been laughing about it ever since, because whenever you put up an Instagram post that has no premeditated thought to it and it’s interesting enough, it blows up,” Hagar said. “It blew up, you know, it’s getting like, three million views and stuff. [But] it was just meant to be a quick little silly thing. And honestly, I was being honest—we don’t know what we’re doing, right? Who knows if it’ll even come out. We just went in the studio and just recorded a song.”
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Upcoming Shows
Fans eager to catch Hagar live won’t have to wait long. His Best of All Worlds residency will pick back up in Las Vegas from Mar. 11 through Mar. 21, with another run scheduled for Sept. 18 to Sept. 26. Ticket details are available on his official website.
