Rolling Stones - Foreign Tongues.
The Rolling Stones’ album, which was officially released on July 10, 2026, is titled Foreign Tongues and is the 25th studio album by the band, which is rightly often regarded as the greatest band of all time. The impressive running time of sixty-two minutes is spread across fourteen tracks that seem to stylistically span at least the last four decades of these rock legends’ work. On one of the download platforms, there is even an additional bonus track in thein the form of the ballad “Bad Luck Hideaway”, where, in addition to Charlie Watts’ drums, the lead vocals are shared between the two main protagonists, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Charlie’s drums can also be heard on track number eight, “Hit Me in the Head”. The album’s sound is contemporary, dense, and at the same time appropriately raw. The work done by producer Andrew Watt (Wotman)—who, at 36 years old, has a truly impressive list of credits (Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and many others), has also faced criticism aimed primarily at the suppression of certain hallmarks of the Rolling Stones’ work.
The first three tracks—“Rough and Twisted,” In the Stars , and Jealous Lovers—sung in a Jagger-esque falsetto—were gradually released, whether as a very limited number of 12-inch singles, MP3s, or YouTube videos. The verse of the opening track somewhat evokes the nearly half-century-old “Black Limousine” (“Tatto You”, 1981), which is a nice touch. In the Stars is a clear hit built around a strong guitar riff. The chorus, supported by backing vocals, works well. The rhythm section is no longer in the hands of the band’s original members; on most tracks, the bass and drums are handled by “youngsters” Darryl Jones and Steve Jordan. Other musical icons appear among the guests—Robert Smith, Bruno Mars, Chad Smith, and Steve Winwood—but they don’t stand out on the album. The Rolling Stones don’t shy away from contemporary topics; for example, in the song “Mr. Charm”, they take aim at Elon Musk, and “Covered by You”, featuring Paul McCartney on bass, also carries strong political undertones. The sixth track, Ringing the Hollow, offers a brief foray into country and western with its slide guitar. Never Wanna Loose You could also have been on one of their older albums; in terms of sound and vibe, it could easily belong somewhere from thirty years ago. Slightly out of place is You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse. Keith has once again taken on a thoughtful track with a romantic theme. In Some of Us, he assures us that love is treacherous and takes many forms—we just need to realize that some of us are on our knees. Jagger, Richards, and Watt chose a disco beat for the catchy Side Effects. The closing track, preceding Chuck Berry’s Beautiful Delilah, is the ballad Back in Your Life, in which one can hear inspiration drawn from their own song Wild Horses (Sticky Fingers, 1971). Ron Wood’s originally nine-minute solo was cut to less than half its length, but it’s still one of the album’s finest moments, thanks in part to its seemingly dissonant opening.
The album *Foreign Tongues* will delight Rolling Stones fans above all, who can take satisfaction in the fact that their favorites have produced a very good album that, in every respect, holds up incomparison with what the Stones have offered the world over the course of their more than sixty-year career. One could not reasonably have expected more.