# Freakin' Out (Dexter and the Moonrocks song)
**"Freakin' Out"** is a 2026 single by the American rock band [Dexter and the Moonrocks](https://www.edgepedia.org/dexter-and-the-moonrocks), released on March 11, 2026 through Who's Dexter Enterprises, Severance Records, and Big Loud Rock under exclusive license to [Mercury Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/mercury-records), a division of UMG Recordings[1](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/aw46fn71galxf). Written by all four band members and produced by Taylor Kimball, it became the band's first entry on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and its second number one on the Alternative Airplay chart[1](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/aw46fn71galxf) • [2](https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/dexter-and-moonrocks-blast-1-billboard-alternative-airplay-freakin-out).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | March 11, 2026, as a single; later included on the debut album *Friends That I Don't Like* (October 2, 2026)[3](https://www.audacy.com/kroq/news/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-sound-space-performance) |
| Length | 3:37[1](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/aw46fn71galxf) |
| Writers | James Tuffs, Ryan Fox, Ty Anderson, Ryan Anderson[1](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/aw46fn71galxf) |
| Production | Produced, recorded, and mixed by Taylor Kimball; second engineer Adam Urbańczyk; mastered by Ted Jensen[1](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/aw46fn71galxf) |
| Label | Who's Dexter Enterprises / Severance Records / Big Loud Rock, under exclusive license to Mercury Records (UMG)[1](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/aw46fn71galxf) |
| Billboard peaks | #1 Alternative Airplay (five weeks); #5 Rock & Alternative Airplay; #6 Hot Rock & Alternative Songs; Hot 100 top 40[2](https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/dexter-and-moonrocks-blast-1-billboard-alternative-airplay-freakin-out) • [4](https://darkmode.wppool.dev/www.billboard.com/music/rock/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-freakin-out-debut-album-interview-1236321377/) • [5](https://chartsdatabase.me/rock_airplay) • [6](https://chartsdatabase.me/rock_songs) |
| Spotify streams | 217,622,163 total, about 885,000 per day, as of October 14, 2026[7](https://kworb.net/spotify/artist/72sOBVpZpUwHq7i0vb26lT_songs.html) |
## Background and release
Dexter and the Moonrocks formed outside Abilene in [West Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-texas) and call their style "western space grunge", a fusion of country influences with the grunge the members grew up on[8](https://soundcloud.com/soundcloud-stories/voice-notes-dexter-and-the-moonrocks-on-ritalin-3). "Freakin' Out" was tracked with producer Taylor Kimball and released on March 11, 2026[8](https://soundcloud.com/soundcloud-stories/voice-notes-dexter-and-the-moonrocks-on-ritalin-3). Guitarist Ryan Anderson told *Atwood Magazine* that the single's success triggered an onslaught of new fans nearly five years after the band formed, and that the band had planned a singles-only year until the song took off, at which point they wrote their debut album in May and recorded it in June and July[9](https://atwoodmagazine.com/dxfk-dexter-and-the-moonrocks-friends-that-i-dont-like-album-interview-music-feature/) • [10](https://rocksound.tv/features/interview-dexter-and-the-moonrocks-on-the-purpose-personality-of-debut-album-friends-that-i-dont-like).
The song's lyrics describe panic and dislocation, with a chorus about "takin' pills and sleeping in a car" and verses about being unreachable on the road[11](https://www.shazam.com/en-us/song/1879596115/freakin-out). Billboard describes the band's songwriting as marrying country's confessional lyrics with grunge's heavy guitars and strong melody[4](https://darkmode.wppool.dev/www.billboard.com/music/rock/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-freakin-out-debut-album-interview-1236321377/).
## Chart performance
**Radio.** The single reached #1 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart in June 2026, the band's second leader on that ranking after "Sad in Carolina" in 2024, and spent five weeks at the top[2](https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/dexter-and-moonrocks-blast-1-billboard-alternative-airplay-freakin-out) • [4](https://darkmode.wppool.dev/www.billboard.com/music/rock/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-freakin-out-debut-album-interview-1236321377/). It also broke onto Pop Airplay[4](https://darkmode.wppool.dev/www.billboard.com/music/rock/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-freakin-out-debut-album-interview-1236321377/). In the chartsdatabase archives it stood at #10 on Alternative Airplay with a #1 peak after 27 weeks, and #10 on Rock & Alternative Airplay with a #5 peak after 26 weeks, as of October 17, 2026[12](https://chartsdatabase.me/alternative) • [5](https://chartsdatabase.me/rock_airplay). On the Alternative Radio 2026 yearly chart through October 16 it ranked #2 behind [Tame Impala](https://www.edgepedia.org/tame-impala)'s "Dracula"[13](https://www.popradiotop20.com/Alt-2026-Yearly-Chart.htm).
**Streaming and the Hot 100.** "Freakin' Out" was the band's first song to appear on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, where it sat in the top 40[2](https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/dexter-and-moonrocks-blast-1-billboard-alternative-airplay-freakin-out). On Spotify it peaked at #16 on the US weekly chart with 5,422,244 streams that week and #158 globally with 9,404,834[14](https://kworb.net/spotify/track/2SaWT781xr3hHLdbVt5DB7.html). By October 14, 2026 it had 217,622,163 total streams and was adding about 885,000 per day, by far the band's most-streamed track ahead of "Ritalin" at 24 million[7](https://kworb.net/spotify/artist/72sOBVpZpUwHq7i0vb26lT_songs.html). The sound had been used in 277,000 Instagram Reels as of October 16, 2026[15](https://soundmatcha.com/sound/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/).
## Aftermath
The song anchors the debut album *Friends That I Don't Like*, released October 2, 2026, and closes the band's album-launch setlists, appearing last at shows in Lubbock, Austin, and Sydney in October 2026[3](https://www.audacy.com/kroq/news/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-sound-space-performance) • [16](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dexter-and-the-moonrocks/2026/cooks-garage-lubbock-tx-1b7f6134.html). A re-release version of the track is listed on Apple Music under the single *Freakin' Out (Oops All Drop)*[17](https://music.apple.com/us/song/1893467227).
## References
1. [Freakin' Out, Dexter and The Moonrocks, Qobuz](https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/aw46fn71galxf)
2. [Dexter and the Moonrocks blast to #1 on Billboard Alternative Airplay with 'Freakin' Out', ABC Audio Digital Syndication](https://digital.abcaudio.com/news/dexter-and-moonrocks-blast-1-billboard-alternative-airplay-freakin-out)
3. [Watch a special In-N-Out Burger Sound Space performance from Dexter and The Moonrocks, Audacy](https://www.audacy.com/kroq/news/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-sound-space-performance)
4. [Dexter and the Moonrocks on 'Freakin' Out' Success, Debut Album & More, Billboard](https://darkmode.wppool.dev/www.billboard.com/music/rock/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-freakin-out-debut-album-interview-1236321377/)
5. [Rock & Alternative Airplay Chart Archive (2009–2026), Charts Database](https://chartsdatabase.me/rock_airplay)
6. [Hot Rock & Alternative Songs Chart Archive (2009–2026), Charts Database](https://chartsdatabase.me/rock_songs)
7. [Dexter and The Moonrocks – Spotify Top Songs, Kworb](https://kworb.net/spotify/artist/72sOBVpZpUwHq7i0vb26lT_songs.html)
8. [Voice Notes: Dexter and The Moonrocks on "Ritalin", SoundCloud Stories](https://soundcloud.com/soundcloud-stories/voice-notes-dexter-and-the-moonrocks-on-ritalin-3)
9. [Interview: Dexter and the Moonrocks Let It All in on Debut Album 'Friends That I Don't Like', Atwood Magazine](https://atwoodmagazine.com/dxfk-dexter-and-the-moonrocks-friends-that-i-dont-like-album-interview-music-feature/)
10. [Interview: Dexter and The Moonrocks On The Purpose & Personality Of Debut Album 'Friends That I Don't Like', Rock Sound](https://rocksound.tv/features/interview-dexter-and-the-moonrocks-on-the-purpose-personality-of-debut-album-friends-that-i-dont-like)
11. [Freakin' Out, Dexter and The Moonrocks, Shazam](https://www.shazam.com/en-us/song/1879596115/freakin-out)
12. [Alternative Airplay Chart Archive (1988–2026), Charts Database](https://chartsdatabase.me/alternative)
13. [Alternative Radio Top 20, 2026 Yearly Chart, PopRadioTop20](https://www.popradiotop20.com/Alt-2026-Yearly-Chart.htm)
14. [Dexter and The Moonrocks – Freakin' Out, Spotify Chart History, Kworb](https://kworb.net/spotify/track/2SaWT781xr3hHLdbVt5DB7.html)
15. [Freakin' Out, Dexter and The Moonrocks, SoundMatcha](https://soundmatcha.com/sound/freakin-out-dexter-and-the-moonrocks/)
16. [Dexter and The Moonrocks Setlist at Cook's Garage, Lubbock, October 2, 2026, Setlist.fm](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dexter-and-the-moonrocks/2026/cooks-garage-lubbock-tx-1b7f6134.html)
17. [Freakin' Out, Song by Dexter and The Moonrocks, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/song/1893467227)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Compositions and songs › Pop, rock, and metal songs › Alternative rock songs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license