’80s Pop Icon Reunites With Singer Who Saw Her in Concert as a Kid for New Single ‘Bad Case of Loneliness’

In the 1980s, Rufus Wainwright was a kid in the audience at a Bangles concert. Decades later, he’s singing alongside the band’s co-founder.

Susanna Hoffs has reunited with Wainwright for her new single “Bad Case of Loneliness,” the final preview of her forthcoming album The List, which arrives Sept. 18 via her Baroque Folk Records.

The collaboration brings things full circle for Wainwright, who still vividly remembers seeing Hoffs and the Bangles when he was young.

“My first ever big arena concert was the Bangles back in the 80s and I remember it crystal clear,” Wainwright said in a press release. “To be able to sing with Susanna now is such a joy, plus the top of a mythic ladder I started building then as a kid. Thrilling.”

It’s not the first time the two have sung together. Hoffs and Wainwright recently teamed up for a cover of the Turtles’ “Happy Together” for the 2025 film The Roses, which was directed by Hoffs’ husband Jay Roach.

Written by Hoffs with CJ Camerieri and Ryan Lerman, “Bad Case of Loneliness” grew from a particularly painful realization: Sometimes being with someone can make a person feel even more alone.

The song explores vulnerability and acceptance, with Hoffs and Wainwright backed by a band that includes pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz, Lerman on guitar, Spencer Zahn on bass, Benny Bock on UDO and JT Bates on drums.

Like the rest of The List, the track was recorded live at Hoffs’ Los Angeles home.

Related: ‘Queen of ’80s Pop’ Announces New Album & Tour 40 Years After First No. 1 Hit

The unusual recording setup reflects how the album itself came together. Hoffs and a group of close friends would gather around her kitchen table, sharing stories that eventually became songs. Those conversations touched on heartbreak, an empty nest, new crushes, mistakes and memories of relationships that might have been.

The result is a collection of 12 original songs dealing with love, loss, loneliness, resilience and reinvention.

Produced by Hoffs and Camerieri, The List also features contributions from Dan Wilson, Edie Brickell, Desure, Jesse Harris, Ny Oh, Grant Milliken and Larry Goldings, among others.

“Bad Case of Loneliness” follows previously released singles “Casablanca” and “This Island.”

‘The List’ Tracklist

• “Casablanca”
  “Where Do We Go”
  “None of Them Were You”
  “Time”
  “Bad Case of Loneliness”
  “Learn a Lesson Twice”
  “Fool”
  “Vertigo”
  “This Island”
  “Good Luck”
  “Without You”
  “What Are Wings For”

Susanna Hoffs’ 2026 Tour Dates

Hoffs will also spend much of September on the road supporting The List, beginning with a Sept. 5 show at Largo in Los Angeles.

The itinerary includes several dates with Billy Idol, appearances at the Sea.Hear.Now and Oceans Calling festivals and a sold-out five-night residency at New York City’s Café Carlyle.

• Sept. 5 – Los Angeles, CA – Largo
• Sept. 10 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater*
• Sept. 11 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater*
• Sept. 13 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center*
• Sept. 14 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk
• Sept. 16 – Riverside, MO – Morton Amphitheater*
• Sept. 19 – Asbury Park, NJ – Sea.Hear.Now Festival
• Sept. 21 – New York, NY – The Carlyle
• Sept. 22 – New York, NY – The Carlyle
• Sept. 24 – New York, NY – The Carlyle
• Sept. 25 – New York, NY – The Carlyle
• Sept. 26 – New York, NY – The Carlyle
• Sept. 27 – Ocean City, MD – Oceans Calling Festival

*with Billy Idol

Related: The Bangles Turned This Simon & Garfunkel Folk Classic Into an ’80s Rock Anthem