John Summit Drops Long Awaited Single ‘SHADOWS’

There is a specific kind of familiarity that exists in John Summit‘s latest release, ‘SHADOWS.‘ While his previous anthems often felt like the first sun-drenched breath of a summer vacation, this collaboration with Lavinia feels more like a midnight drive through a city that never sleeps. The track invites listeners into a seductive escape from reality, anchored by Lavinia’s haunting, ethereal vocals as she beckons the crowd to follow her “further than a million miles” into the night. It is the second major look into his upcoming sophomore album, CTRL ESCAPE, and it signals a tonal shift compared to the loud, energetic lead single, ‘LIGHTS GO OUT.’ The anthemic, saccharine vocals and the blistering tempo of the percussion suggest an artist who is no longer content with being just a club stalwart but is now focused on designing the very foundation of a new mainstage sound.

The track moves with a tectonic weight, weaving through a soundscape that takes speed garage elements similar to his 2025 single, ‘light years,’ as well as a synth line reminiscent of his breakout track, ‘Where You Are.’ This shared surrender reflects a broader album ethos where music is framed not just as a getaway, but as a communal experience where collective euphoria becomes both rebellion and belonging. CTRL ESCAPE itself looks to push boundaries by fusing heavy-hitting tech-house with dubstep and drum & bass, a pivot that has already captivated fans through viral teaser videos featuring collaborations with artists like Feid and Julia Wolf. It is a deliberate evolution toward a driving, melodic sound that aligns perfectly with the themed rollout of the new project.

With the album officially arriving on April 15, Summit is making a cheeky, self-aware nod to his former life as a CPA by choosing Tax Day for the release, but the music itself is anything but bureaucratic. This transformation is even more evident in the visuals for ‘LIGHTS GO OUT,’ which mirror the suffocating repetition of office routine before bursting into explosive freedom. It is a story of self-liberation told through the shift from cubicles to club lights, proving that while his past was spent crunching numbers, his future is dedicated to the chaos of the dance floor. He is currently releasing a new track every other Wednesday leading up to the full drop, creating a sense of relentless momentum that matches the driving energy of his latest work.

As the road to Ultra Music Festival 2026 narrows, where he is slated to close the mainstage, ‘SHADOWS’ positions itself as the necessary counterweight to his more radiant hits. Summit’s range is expanding far beyond the tech house style that first made him a household name, and his upcoming schedule reflects that global scale. From his Ibiza residency debut headlining nine Mondays at [UNVRS] to his UK summer headline at Tofte Manor and back-to-back Experts Only ski weekenders in Vail and Whistler, the trajectory is clear. Between appearances at Ultra South Africa, EDC México, and Tomorrowland, the world will be fully immersed in this new direction long before the Experts Only Festival returns to New York City in September. For those who have followed his rise from Chicago’s underground, this era serves as a definitive indicator that the most interesting version of John Summit is the one playing in the dark.