"Stray Heart" premiered on Idiot Club, Green Day's official fan club, on October 8, 2012 and premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on the same day. It was then released as the album's lead single on October 15 in the UK. On October 18, it was announced on Idiot Club that fans could go to downtown LA to appear in the music video for the song on October 19.