The Rolling Stones, one of the most influential and enduring British rock bands in music history, made an exciting announcement Tuesday that their 25th full-length studio album, titled ‘Foreign Tongues’, will hit global music platforms and retail shelves on July 10. This upcoming release arrives less than three years after the band’s 2023 record ‘Hackney Diamonds’ — a project that broke commercial records by claiming the number one spot on album charts across more than a dozen countries and earned widespread critical praise from music critics worldwide. Notably, ‘Hackney Diamonds’ itself was the band’s first new studio collection in 18 years, marking a highly anticipated comeback that far exceeded industry expectations. Alongside confirming the official release date via an online announcement Tuesday, the legendary group also dropped the album’s first lead single, ‘In The Stars’, giving fans an early taste of the new material.
A behind-the-scenes video shared to the band’s official Instagram channel offered audiences a glimpse into the recording process, capturing founding members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, both 82 years old, alongside 78-year-old bassist Ronnie Wood as they collaborated in the recording studio. A public promotional event hosted in New York by comedian Conan O’Brien brought the three band members together to open up about their creative process for the new album, with exclusive previews of several unreleased tracks played for attendees.
Speaking at the event, Jagger emphasized that the band still finds deep joy in creating new music, saying, “We’re still having a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun, but also a lot of concentration.” When O’Brien complimented Jagger’s still-powerful, clear vocals — noting that many performers’ voices weaken with age, while Jagger’s remains “absolutely impeccable” and full of force — Jagger joked with the audience, “Well, I was taking a lot more drugs in 1968,” before sharing the straightforward secret to his vocal longevity: “The secret is practice… it’s simple.”
Andrew Watt, one of the producers tapped to work on ‘Foreign Tongues’, opened up about the experience of collaborating with the iconic band in an interview with AFP, calling the project the highlight of his career. “I had the time of my life. I’m the biggest fan in the world,” he said.
While the band did not officially announce a supporting concert tour during the New York event, multiple media outlets have confirmed that tour plans were considered by the band’s management team but ultimately scrapped over concerns about the health risks associated with extensive touring for the band’s aging members. The new album will feature high-profile guest appearances from two music legends: former Beatles bassist and solo star Paul McCartney, and The Cure’s frontman Robert Smith.
The official announcement came after weeks of growing fan and industry speculation that a new record was on the way. Last month, the band quietly released a limited-edition vinyl-only single under the alias The Cockroaches — a pseudonym they have used for decades to play unannounced secret shows. The track, titled ‘Rough And Twisted’, was sold exclusively at select record stores in the UK priced at exactly £10.07, a detail that led sharp-eyed fans to correctly predict the July 10 release date long before the official confirmation.