Michael Stipe performed his new song 'I Played the Fool' live on Jimmy Kimmel Live on June 2. The former R.E.M. frontman was joined by Andrew Watt, Chad Smith and Josh Klinghoffer for the appearance.
The track serves as the theme song for the HBO series Rooster, which stars Steve Carell and debuted in March. Stipe released the song in March as his first new music in three years. On the Kimmel stage, Smith played drums in place of Travis Barker, who appears on the studio version. Watt handled guitar duties while Klinghoffer contributed on keys. Stipe has been preparing his first solo album, which he expects to release later in 2026. He previously debuted another new track, 'The Rest Of Ever,' on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in April.
