by Seamus Fitzpatrick
When The Struts first unleashed “Could Have Been Me” in 2013, it was a glam-rock hit with its brash, defiant, and catchy sound. It was big enough to crack the U.S. charts. Now, twelve years later, the band has doubled down on its anthem of empowerment by re-recording it with Queen’s Brian May, whose guitar is practically synonymous with arena-sized rebellion. The result, released on September 3, 2025, is a nostalgia trip and a sonic handshake between two generations of flamboyant, fearless rockers.
From the outset, the track announces its rebirth. May’s Red Special climbs in an ascending bend figure, his unmistakable sustain supported by the band’s punchy hits. Luke Spiller’s vocals enter lower and mellower than usual, his delivery controlled with alluring tension. On the phrase “I don’t fear you,” he roughens his tone with a gravelly edge, backed by stacked vocals that raise the temperature. These micro-shifts in timbre, like added grit on one word, a sudden swell from the backing singers, a guitar fill sneaking in between lines, are what keep the song in constant forward motion.
Hand-clap rhythms that drive a quarter-note pulse straight into the chorus pushes Spiller into his upper register, and he doesn’t just soar, he radiates. His tone is commanding, emotionally saturated. The energy gathers momentum until the breakdown, with long, sustained guitar chords opening up space for a chant-ready sing-along. That calm before the storm gives May the perfect runway. His solo isn’t indulgent flash but a building in melodic rock guitar structures, weaving lyrical bends with the kind of harmonic lift only he can conjure. By the final chorus, May’s lines are entwined with Spiller’s vocals, the two trading fire and flame in a blaze.
Production choices push this collaboration firmly into modern territory. The drums snap harder than on the 2013 cut, the guitars sit in higher-gain territory, and the backing vocals are layered with a new sheen. It’s polished, but not sterile, as every texture serves the live-ready swagger the band thrives on.
Lyrically, the song’s power remains timeless. Its refusal to fade quietly, “Don’t wanna live as an untold story / Rather go out in a blaze of glory,” has only gained resonance in an era hungry for authenticity and unapologetic self-belief. When sung with Spiller’s heightened vocal character and May’s defiant guitar voice, the anthem takes on a new depth. It’s no longer just the declaration of a rising band, but a cross-generational battle cry of live bold, play loud, leave a mark.
As The Struts roll into their 2025 world tour, with “Could Have Been Me” now fortified by May’s stamp of approval, they stand as torchbearers of glam rock with an unapologetic roar of glitter, grit, and rock attitude. That’s the short of it!
