Grian Chatten has publicly said he dreamed of collaborating with Lana Del Rey. And yet, for the first time in Fontaines D.C.'s career, the guest voice they've finally brought into a song belongs to Rosalía instead. That twist is worth sitting with — it's not a case of missing out on who they wanted, but landing on another voice equally fluent in singing drama straight into melody.
"Where Is Gone?" is the third single from the Dublin band's fifth album, "Dopamine Chamber," arriving after the previous two tracks, "Marianne" and the moodier "Tongue." It's noticeably more grandiose and theatrical in tone. The album drops Friday, October 16, following 2024's Mercury Prize-nominated "Romance."
The track opens with an epic-feeling intro before pulling back into a stripped-down, melancholic verse, with Chatten singing first: "The face you pull / With pervert lines / The perfect way / To say I love you / On a rainy day / In my head." Rosalía follows: "The picture frame / It shows your face / It's only worth what you pay / In this world / I could care less, so careless / But baby when you smile." Their voices intertwine on the chorus: "I remember when they held me up against the summertime / And the tears would fall / Baby if you try / There's no harm in saying / Leave it, let it die."
For guitarist Carlos O'Connell, the collaboration carries personal weight too. Having reconnected with his Spanish heritage in recent years, he had this to say about Rosalía: "I've been a fan since her first album, which is stunningly beautiful. What really moves me is how she keeps Spanish musical tradition alive — spiritually, that's close to what we're trying to do with Irish music. For someone who carries both heritages, it's beautiful to watch that happen. She's an artist who keeps amazing me at every stage of her career."
NME gave "Dopamine Chamber" a five-star review, calling the album "a dark, exhilarating reflection of the end times." The review singled out this collaboration track: "If you're expecting the Rosalía collab 'Where Is Gone?' to be a pop banger, think again — it's more of a Morricone-meets-Bond-theme breakup ballad, calmly accepting that sometimes it's okay to say let it go, let it die." The review also noted that even 2024's "Romance" had daydreamy, upbeat moments like "Favourite," but this new record barely offers a truly bright moment anywhere. "Precisely because it doesn't force in a radio-ready hit, the album feels more complete. It proves you can fill stadiums on the strength of the music alone, without needing a 'Sex On Fire'-style crowd-pleaser."
The night before the album drops — Thursday, October 15 — Fontaines D.C. will celebrate the release with an intimate show at London's Roundhouse, with proceeds going to mental health charity CALM. It's a stark contrast to the stadium-scale shows the band has grown accustomed to lately, including two upcoming nights at Slane Castle next summer, a show at Heaton Park in Manchester, and 2027 dates already announced across Italy, Germany, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand — making this Roundhouse gig feel especially close to the fans.
