“The Spectre” is a remastered vocal version of Walker’s earlier track, “Spectre”. It was revealed at Walker’s concert “Alan Walker is Heading Home” in Bergen, Norway, on December 21 and 22.

Alan Walker said of the song in an interview with Dance Music Northwest:

The Spectre, it is a newer version of my old song Spectre. It’s like what I did with Fade to Faded.

Alan Walker also said in a press release:

The reactions and feedback from people have been truly amazing, I’m very excited that it’s now being released officially. It’s a song that I specifically want to dedicate to my core fans who’ve been following me since the start.

In September 2023, The Spectre became the epicenter of a viral meme, the “Smurf cat” or its original Russian name, “Shailushai” (Шайлушай; “little scoundrel”)—videos depicting a realistic artwork of the popular cartoon character, The Smurfs, with the song used in the background. Walker took notice of this and eventually incorporated it into his shows in Southeast Asia during the period.

Two official alterations of the track had been made so far: a sped-up version in July 2022, a special slowed-down version during the Smurf cat craze. A follow-up track, “Spectre 2.0”, was released in November 2023.