This is framed as a triumphant creative reunion — Michelle Branch and Gregg Alexander coming back together to breathe new life into an iconic Grammy-winning collaboration with Santana. It's nostalgic, it's polished, and it signals both artists are in a confident creative space. The Kurt Cobain-namechecking track? That's positioned as artistic fearlessnes.
Insiders note that Branch has been relatively quiet on major releases since her last high-profile run, making this video premiere a strategic reintroduction to the pop landscape. Meanwhile, Gregg Alexander's New Radicals legacy carries serious weight in the alt-pop world — any new music from him gets scrutiny. The Cobain namecheck is already dividing opinion online.
The original 'The Game of Love' by Santana and Michelle Branch reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for best pop collaboration with vocals. Gregg Alexander, founder of New Radicals, has reunited with them for an uplifting reimagining — plus he has a separate new song that namechecks Kurt Cobain.
Michelle Branch is back in the conversation, but let's be real — this release is as much about Gregg Alexander flexing his creative range (Cobain namecheck included) as it is about nostalgia. The industry loves a comeback story; whether audiences actually tune in for round two of 'The Game of Love' remains to be seen.
Michelle Branch and the mastermind behind New Radicals, Gregg Alexander, have reunited — and this time they've brought an updated version of 'The Game of Love' with them. The original collaboration between Branch and Santana dropped years ago and became a genuine pop-radio staple, climbing to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ultimately snagging a Grammy for best pop collaboration with vocals. Now Alexander is stepping back into that world with an exclusive reimagining, giving fans a fresh take on a song that's been lodged in collective memory since its initial release.
The timing of this reunion raises eyebrows for industry watchers. Branch has navigated public personal turbulence over the years — including her widely covered split from Patrick Carney and legal proceedings stemming from that relationship — so any high-profile creative return carries extra weight. Coming back with a reimagined version of one of her biggest hits is a calculated move, to say the least.
It positions her not as someone returning from difficulty, but as an artist with serious catalog staying power. Alexander, for his part, has kept a relatively low profile since New Radicals' peak, making this collaboration a rare public appearance in his creative orbit. But the 'Game of Love' video isn't the only thing Alexander is releasing.
Billboard's exclusive coverage also notes that he's diving into new solo territory with a track that namechecks Kurt Cobain — a move that's already generating chatter online. Cobain references in 2026 are nothing new (Nirvana's legacy has been invoked countless times), but the fact that it's coming from the same creative force behind New Radicals' most beloved songs adds an extra layer of intrigue. Alexander has always operated outside conventional pop structures; a Cobain namecheck feels less like trend-chasing and more like a deliberate artistic flex.
The original 'Game of Love' was buoyant, breezy, and built for radio — qualities that helped it stick around far longer than most collaborations of its era. Whether this reimagining captures the same magic or simply serves as an artifact of nostalgia remains to be seen. What IS clear is that both Branch and Alexander are betting on the enduring appeal of a song that already proved itself at the Grammy level. The question now is whether audiences in 2026 have room for another version — or whether this lands as a triumphant return or a footnote in an already-crowded catalog.
