Singing the Thin Line between Rock and Politics: Rourke’s “I Can’t Breathe”

For L.A. singer-songwriter Rourke, there is no line between music and politics.

His new single, “I Can’t Breathe,” was inspired by empathy: for men killed unjustly at the hands of those sworn to protect them. For the struggle of the Black experience.

Tell me why
The hate in your eyes
Blinded that badge of lies
To my tender dying eyes

The song is one of ten tracks off the album Starstruck, due for release in May 2026. Politics can be found elsewhere on the collection, too. For instance, “Rise” was inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama. “Star Spangled” is an acoustic guitar and harmonica version of the national anthem.

Rourke got some major league help on the record. Rami Jaffee, an old friend and member of the Foo Fighters, played keyboards. Richard Fortus of Guns N’ Roses added guitar. Drums were added by Estonian Janis Song.

Alan Damien produced the album from his Sherman Oaks studio, helping to expand early acoustic demos into full-band productions.

“I Can’t Breathe” was written as a through-composition. Rather than the standard verse-chorus form of most rock and pop songs, Rourke’s song is built on five non-repeating sections.

Each section is dedicated to a different aspect of the Black experience. He says, “It starts with fear, then anger, sadness, frustration. And then the outro is hope.”

The outro is a real highlight of the song. Shifting into a slower tempo with two strummed guitar chords, the song takes a meditative and, indeed, hopeful turn. Rourke sings like a mantra, over and over: “Someday the blackbird will fly.”

The song was most directly inspired by the death of George Floyd in 2020 and the ensuing protests. But Rourke’s song tells a bigger story. Rourke explains, “What George Floyd said, ‘I can’t breathe,’ Elijah McClain said a year before him and Eric Garner said five years before him.”

The album Starstruck has been a long time coming: five years, in fact. Rourke did not seriously begin writing music until about 2016. Then, he started recording acoustic demos, which he imagined would be the substance of the album. Later, after meeting producer Damien, he was able to flesh the songs out into full-band arrangements.

Now the album is ready to see the light.

Rourke, who went to film school, does all the visual art for his music. The album’s cover is a photograph taken by Rourke of a shredded American flag draped over a barbed wire fence, a metaphor for the damaged state of politics in the United States.

Although Rourke’s music dives headfirst into hot-button topics, he does not want to add to the division in the country. “I’m not trying to be divisive,” he says. “I want this music to be kind of a unifying voice.”

“I Can’t Breathe” is out now, with promotional support from Starlight PR. Listen now, and follow Rourke at the links below.

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