The All-American Rejects stopped by Genius to break down their Move Along hit “Dirty Little Secret,” opening up about making the 2005 song and how it helped push the band toward a more polished pop-rock sound.
“A dirty little secret can be so ambiguous,” vocalist Tyson Ritter says. “In the context of the lyrics here, having this special thing that obviously, to one party’s side, is something that there might be a little shame for and that the other party clearly knows that that’s the case. I think I was 18 when I pinned this. It’s just as simple as pretending you’re in a relationship that you don’t want anybody to know about.”
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Reflecting on the track, Ritter and guitarist Nick Wheeler note that fans have used the song to soundtrack their coming-of-age and sexual awakening — something they describe as a really “profound” interpretation of the song.
This month, the All-American Rejects will release Sandbox, their first full-length since 2012’s Kids in the Street. Next month, they’ll begin their Recess tour across Europe before heading back to North America to play festivals, including Warped Tour in Mexico.
Watch the breakdown of “Dirty Little Secret” below.
The All-American Rejects 2026 tour dates
05/30 – Placer County, CA @ The Venue at Thunder Valley
06/09 – Warsaw, PL @ Recess Tour
06/10 – Berlin, DE @ Recess Tour
06/11 – Hradec Králové, CZ @ Rock for People 2026
06/13 – Castle Donington, UK @ Donington Park Circuit
06/14 – Manchester, UK @ Recess Tour
06/16 – London, UK @ Recess Tour
06/18 – Tilburg, NL @ Recess Tour
06/19 – Paris, FR @ Recess Tour
07/11 – Kansas City, MO @ FIFA Fan Festival
07/14 – Toronto, ON @ Great Canadian Toronto
07/15 – Québec City, QC @ Festival d’été de Québec 2026
07/18 – Saint Paul, MN @ Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2026
07/25 – Las Vegas, NV @ Resorts World Theatre
08/13 – West Allis, WI @ Wisconsin State Fair
08/14 – Sedalia, MO @ Missouri State Fair
08/15 – Thackerville, OK @ Lucas Oil Live
08/26 – Syracuse, NY @ The Great New York State Fair
09/12 – Mexico City, MX @ Vans Warped Tour Mexico City 2026
09/19 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Sea.Hear.Now 2026
11/07 – Battle Creek, MI @ FireKeepers Casino
