On May 5th, the Rolling Stones stood inside a converted bank building in Brooklyn, sat down with Conan O’Brien, and confirmed what fans had been speculating about for weeks: their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, is coming July 10th on Capitol Records.
The Campaign Was Half the Fun
Before the announcement was even made, the Stones had already been playing games with the internet in the most delightful way. Billboards with the band’s iconic mouth-and-tongue logo began appearing in major cities worldwide, with the words “Foreign Tongues” translated into different languages: Danish, Dutch, Filipino, Korean, and French. Then came the vinyl singles, quietly dropped to record stores under the alias The Cockroaches. By the time the official announcement landed, fans had been piecing it together for weeks like a very satisfying puzzle.
The Album Itself
The 14-track album was recorded in under a month at Metropolis Studios in West London, capturing the raw, spontaneous energy that has defined the band for decades. Producer Andrew Watt, who helmed Hackney Diamonds, is back behind the desk. And the guest list reads like a fantasy dinner party: Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, the Cure’s Robert Smith, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith all feature.
Then there is the detail that genuinely moves you. The late Charlie Watts appears on the album, a track called “Hit Me in the Head,” which Jagger described as “a real fast punk rocker,” recorded with Watts in Los Angeles before his passing. “He passed on the baton,” Richards said of Watts recommending Steve Jordan as his replacement. That one line says everything.
Six decades in, most bands would be coasting on legacy tours and catalogue releases. The Stones are in the studio with Paul McCartney, dropping mystery vinyl under fake names, and plastering billboards across the world in five languages. Foreign Tongues arrives July 10th. We will absolutely be listening.
