The Rolling Stones announce “Foreign Tongues”

The Rolling Stones have announced their new studio album, Foreign Tongues, which will be released July 10 through Polydor/Universal Music. The 14-track album follows 2023’s Grammy Award-winning Hackney Diamonds, which topped charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum success.

The album will be previewed with the lead single “In the Stars,” which was released digitally on May 5 alongside the album opener “Rough and Twisted.” A physical release for “In the Stars” is scheduled for May 15. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood are also set to attend a media launch for Foreign Tongues in Brooklyn, New York.

Ahead of the announcement, the band teased the project with a limited white label vinyl release of “Rough and Twisted” under the name The Cockroaches. The vinyl circulated among fans and collectors and fueled speculation about the direction of the new album.

Foreign Tongues was recorded at Metropolis Studios in West London during what the band described as an especially creative stretch. The project was completed in under a month and reunites the Stones with Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, who also produced Hackney Diamonds.

The album features performances from Jagger, Richards, and Wood alongside longtime collaborators Darryl Jones, Matt Clifford, and Steve Jordan. It also includes a special appearance from late drummer Charlie Watts from one of his final recording sessions before his death in 2021. Guest musicians on the album include Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, and Chad Smith.

Reflecting on the recording process, Mick Jagger said: “I love doing these recording sessions in London at Metropolis. It was a very intense few weeks recording Foreign Tongues. We had 14 great tracks and we went as fast as we could. I like the room there as it’s not too big so you can feel the passion in the room from everyone.”

Keith Richards added: “The Foreign Tongues album has a continuity from Hackney Diamonds and it was great to be working in London again, and to have that London vibe around us. It was a month of concentrated punch. To me, it’s all about the enjoyment of it. I’m blessed to be able to do this and long may it last.”

Ronnie Wood commented: “The atmosphere in the room was so creative, and the whole band was on top form throughout the whole process. Very often we nailed it on the first take. I hope everyone loves it.”

The album artwork was created by American artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn, who said: “Creating the album cover for the Rolling Stones is an artistic honour – a dialogue with one of the most enduring forces in cultural history”

Foreign Tongues will be released in multiple formats including CD, deluxe CD editions, cassette, standard and limited edition vinyl variants, retailer-exclusive editions, and special box sets. “In the Stars” will also be available on CD and vinyl.

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