Def Leppard kick off 2026 with heavy new rock song Rejoice
Def Leppard are back with one hell of a belter in new track Rejoice.
Def Leppard have launched 2026 with a burst of renewed energy, unveiling their powerful new single Rejoice.
Frontman Joe Elliott revealed that the song grew from a simple lyrical idea into something far bigger.
He said: “This song’s been an amazing journey from concept to conclusion. I said to Phil one day, ‘I’ve got this idea for a lyric where the narrator is at absolute rock bottom and wants to rise up to a higher level. Do you have a musical piece that might match with that?’ And he said, ‘As it happens, yes I do.’”
That musical spark came from guitarist Phil Collen, who explained that Rejoice had been taking shape long before it found its final form.
He said: “I had this riff, this idea for a song a while ago actually, so when Joe came to me I created this drum loop based with a tribal sound and it fit perfectly with this other arrangement I had. I sent it to Joe and it was like magic – he sang straight over the top of it.”
Phil added: “Then we gave it to Ronan [McHugh] who’d done a proper drum loop with different sounds. It all started gelling and just sounded like a powerful chant. We love it. It’s hard rock for us. It’s got a bit more of an ‘oomph’ than stuff we’ve been doing for a while. It’s kind of magical.”
Fans will get the chance to hear Rejoice performed live during Def Leppard’s Las Vegas residency, Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace. The residency runs through February 28, 2026, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and follows the band’s hugely successful sold-out residencies in 2013 and 2019. Alongside the new track, the shows will feature a career-spanning setlist packed with timeless hits.
Later in the year, Def Leppard will take their live show back on the road, touring the UK and Europe in June and July 2026 with special guests Extreme on most dates. The tour includes a major headline show at The O2 and marks the band’s first performance in Paris in nearly 30 years.
