Thom Yorke has spontaneously cemented his first solo offering of 2022, a cinematic piano ballad titled “5.17.” Since the start of the calendar year, Yorke and Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood have dispatched two collaborative singles under their new three-piece side project, The Smile, while working on the new group’s debut album. Accounting for all Yorke-related releases this year, “5.17” arrives on the heels of The Smile’s “You Will Never Work In Television Again” and “The Smoke.”

Considerable speculation has gone into an ulterior purpose behind “5.17.” The numeric-titled ballad arrived in tandem with episode three of Peaky Blinders‘ sixth season. The acclaimed Netflix show’s director, Anthony Byrne, recently informed NME,

“Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood contributed some original stuff. I’m over the moon about all of that. The music has always been really important historically, and I was really keen to bring a dramatic score into it. We’re using that much more in this season. It’s a much heavier season so the score is taking things in a very different direction.”

Peaky Blinders had previously licensed Radiohead’s “You & Whose Army?” and “Pyramid Song” for synchronized use in the series. What’s more, a forthcoming Thom Yorke single called “That’s How Horses Are” is due April 3, the same date as the premiere of Peaky Blinders‘ season finale.

Stream Thom Yorke’s first solo offering of 2022, “5.17,” below.

Featured image: Chris Pizzello

Categories: Music