The Rolling Stones are releasing their first album in 18 years, and the countdown to the official announcement has left fans with their mouths wide open–kind of like the band’s (in)famous logo, come to think! The album, Hackney Diamonds, is set to drop on September 6th, so read on as we discuss what we know about it.
“A New Stones Era” for The Rolling Stones
With a career spanning over six decades, the Stones have left an indelible mark on the music industry. From their early blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll hits like Satisfaction and Paint It Black, the band has consistently delivered timeless music that’s resonated across generations.
Hackney Diamonds will be their first serving of original music since the 2005 album A Bigger Bang. And while details are being held close to the vest until the official announcement, one thing we know is that Andrew Watt had a hand in producing the album. For those unfamiliar with the name, Watt is an industry staple whose past work includes producing albums for the likes of Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Iggy Pop and many others.
On Sept 2, the band teased us with a snippet of their first single, Angry, on a dedicated website. A flood of heavy traffic on the site caused streaming slowdowns and interruptions on Saturday, prompting speculation that Mick and Keith were intentionally adding to the stir with the apparent glitches–and having a bit of fun by telling frustrated fans … DON’T GET ANGRY WITH ME!
No official tracklist’s been released, but the dedicated Stones-watchers at IORR.org, the website for the band’s international fan club, report that they recently filed these new song titles with ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers:
- “Angry”
- “Bite My Head Off”
- “Depending On You”
- “Dreamy Skies”
- “Driving Me Too Hard”
- “Get Close”
- “Live by the Sword”
- “Mess It Up”
- “Morning Joe Cues”
- “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”
- “Tell Me Straight”
- “Whole Wide World”
Keefer’s Countdown
On September 1, social media lit up with an announcement from Keith Richards himself, who teased a ‘New Stones Era’ for the seminal rockers:
A new Stones era
Worldwide September 6th
Join at https://t.co/WX6fZU0wSi
💎♪ pic.twitter.com/1twj6PXVkE— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) September 1, 2023
Social media wasn’t the only place to explode with the news, as the Stones’ lips and tongue (or is it tongue and lips?) soon splashed the façades of multiple buildings all over the world.
On their website and Instagram, photos from the international campaign showed the logo suddenly appear like glowing graffiti on landmarks such as the MoMA in New York City, Paris’ Arc de Triomphe, and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
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Mark your calendars and get ready to tune in on Wednesday to experience the return of The Rolling Stones. If their teaser’s anything to go by, the new album is sure to make rock n’ roll hearts young and old thump like big bass drums.
