Earthling and Bowie's best song in over a decade, further commenting: "It would be another decade and a half before he was this good again." A year later, Consequence of Sound placed "I'm Afraid of Americans" at number 66 on their list of Bowie's 70 best songs, writing: In 2017, Vices Jill Krajewski commented on the song's relevance during the presidency of Donald Trump, stating: "'I'm Afraid of Americans' has a darker resonance today not through its chorus, but in a context that gives it unnerving prescience: a snapshot of the [era we live in today]." She argued that the "working-class everyman" ('Johnny') were responsible in sharpening the political divide and widespread hate on the internet, presenting a sense of unease living in America as she concludes, "I am afraid of Americans". The same year, Lior Phillips of Consequence of Sound opined that "The title is a picture-perfect distillation of what it means to live in this world." Live versions Following its release, Bowie performed "I'm Afraid of Americans" frequently on concert tours and television appearances. He first performed the track ahead of Earthlings release on 9 January 1997 at his fiftieth birthday concert in New York City with the band Sonic Youth. The song then made regular appearances throughout the Earthling Tour later that year. A July performance was released on Look at the Moon! in 2021 as part of the Brilliant Live Adventures series (2020–2021), while another performance recorded in New York on 15 October 1997 was released on LiveAndWell.com in 1999, which was officially issued as part of Brilliant Live Adventures in 2021. Another live version from the Hours Tour was released in 2021 on David Bowie At The Kit Kat Klub (Live New York 99) as part of Brilliant Live Adventures. Bowie performed the song again at Howard Stern's forty-fourth birthday concert in 1998. Bowie's 25 June 2000 performance of the song at the Glastonbury Festival was released in 2018 on Glastonbury 2000. Another live version, recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre, London on 27 June 2000, was released on the bonus disc accompanying the first releases of Bowie at the Beeb in 2000. A performance from his 2003 A Reality Tour was included on the A Reality Tour DVD (2004), and later on the A Reality Tour album (2010). Reznor has performed the song live with Nine Inch Nails as well. Track listing All tracks