First released on June 8, 2018, “Solara” is the first Smashing Pumpkins song in 18 years featuring three quarters or the band’s original lineup (frontman Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin). The only original Pumpkins member not on the track is bassist D'Arcy, who conceded a well-publicized interview slamming Corgan and the band at the time the reunion rumors began surfacing.

The song was first spoken of by Corgan on March 27th of 2014 in the context of being a possible addition to the tracklist of their previous album, Monuments to an Elegy. It wasn’t until drummer Jimmy Chamberlin rejoined the band and put his special brand of percussive treatment to the track that “Solara” was album ready. As Corgan put it, “We always thought the song was strong, but we couldn’t find the magic in it…The minute we put it in Jimmy Chamberlin’s hands, it’s like, ‘Oh, there’s the magic.’

The track was produced by Rick Rubin, who had worked with the band before on the Adore outtake “Let Me Give the World to You”. Rubin also produced Corgan’s second solo album, Ogilala.