Cryogen (song)

"Cryogen"
Single by Muse
from the album The Wow! Signal
Released24 April 2026 (2026-04-24)
Genre
Length5:03
Label
Songwriters
Producers
  • Muse
  • Dan Lancaster
Muse singles chronology
"Be with You"
(2026)		 "Cryogen"
(2026)		 "Hexagons"
(2026)

"Cryogen" is a song by the English rock band Muse. Produced by the band along with Dan Lancaster, it was released through Warner Records on 24 April 2026 as the third single from the trio's tenth studio album The Wow! Signal.

Background

In the days leading up to the release of "Cryogen", Muse teased the track through social media posts and visual imagery hinting at themes of isolation and suspended animation.[1]

Composition and lyrics

"Cryogen" blends alternative rock, hard rock, and elements of space rock into a dense and dramatic composition.[1][2] The song is driven by distorted guitar riffs, pulsing bass lines, and forceful drumming, layered with atmospheric textures that create a sense of vastness and tension.[3] The song features aggressive guitar riffs, heavy drumming, and a prominent, gritty bass tone, combined with a gothic, spacey rock sound and dynamic shifts such as a dramatic breakdown and buildup.[4][5][1]

Lyrically, "Cryogen" conveys emotional coldness and loneliness, using imagery of freezing and polar isolation to mirror heartbreak and an inability to feel or express emotion.[2][6]

Release

The single premiered live during Muse's concert at O2 Academy Brixton on 3 April 2026[5][4] and was released alongside an official visualizer 3 weeks later, on 24 April.[3] A music video for the track was released on 8 May.[7][8]

Critical reception

"Cryogen" received generally positive attention from music critics. Reviewers highlighted its return to a heavier, riff-oriented gothic space rock.[3][2] Some critics noted the song’s resemblance to earlier material by Muse, particularly in its use of spiraling guitar riffs and dramatic vocal delivery, citing Muse's 2001 Origin of Symmetry album and its single "Plug In Baby" as examples.[6][9]

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Cryogen"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[10] 40
UK Singles Sales (OCC)[11] 36
UK Rock & Metal (Official Charts)[12]34

References

  1. 1 2 3 Taylor, Steven (24 April 2026). "Muse Share Raw New Single "Cryogen" -". mxdwn Music. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Trendell, Andrew (23 April 2026). "Muse give another taster of 'The Wow! Signal' with old-school space rocker 'Cryogen'". NME. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Angulia, Michael (24 April 2026). "Hear MUSE's New Song 'Cryogen'". www.antimusic.com. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 Miller, Jody (29 April 2026). "Muse Dig Deep on "Cryogen" as Chris Wolstenholme Unleashes Crushing Low End". No Treble. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 Trendell, Andrew (4 April 2026). "Watch Muse debut new songs 'Cryogen' and 'Be With You' at intimate, explosive Brixton Academy show". NME. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 Ewing, Jerry (24 April 2026). "New Muse single Cryogen recalls classic earlier years with spiralling guitar riffs". Louder. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "A song of ice and blood: Watch Muse's video for 'Cryogen'". Yahoo Entertainment. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Noize, X. S. (8 May 2026). "MUSE Share Immersive Interstellar Video For New Track 'Cryogen' Ahead Of New Album The Wow! Signal". www.xsnoize.com. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  9. ↑ Lavis-Quinlin, Jennifer (24 April 2026). "Muse release spectacular new single, "Cryogen"". The AU Review. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 1 May 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100 - 30 April 2026 - 6 May 2026". Official Charts Company. 30 April 2026. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart on 1/5/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
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