Ezra Koenig wrote the lyrics for Only God Was Above Us between 2019 and 2020, with recording in Manhattan, LA, London, and Tokyo. Co-produced by Koenig and Ariel Rechtshaid, with contributions from Chris Tomson and Rostam Batmanglij, it was mixed by Dave Fridmann and mastered by Emily Lazar. Inspired by a 20th-century NYC aesthetic, the title comes from a May 1, 1988 New York Daily News article about Aloha Airlines Flight 243, quoting a passenger: "Only God was above us." Described as "direct yet complex," the album is the band's grittiest, most beautiful, and melodic. Singles "Capricorn" and "Gen-X Cops" dropped on February 16, 2024, with videos.