The Rolling Stones Announce First New Album In 18 Years ‘Hackney Diamonds’ Featuring Lady Gaga

The ROLLING STONES have just unveiled their latest musical venture, “Hackney Diamonds,” their first in 18 years. The announcement was made along with the premiere of the video for its first single, the electrifying “Angry.”

The big reveal took place during a press conference in East London, where Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood gathered with Jimmy Fallon to discuss the creation of their upcoming album. This will mark their 24th studio album, slated for release on October 20.

This album, which boasts a collaboration with Lady Gaga, holds particular significance as it represents the band’s first full collection of original compositions since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang.” It also marks their first musical endeavor since the passing of their esteemed drummer, Charlie Watts. Jagger shed light on the intriguing title, “Hackney Diamonds,” revealing it to be a playful reference to what can happen to windshields when nights out turn rowdy.

In Jagger’s own words, “We wouldn’t be putting this out now if we didn’t really like it. We didn’t want to make just any record and put it out. So we wanted to make a record. Before we went in, we said we all want to make a record that we really love, ourselves. People may like it, other people may not. But we must say this, we are quite pleased with it. … We hope you’ll like it.”

Besides delving into the album’s creation, the band took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about their very first press conference back in the Swinging Sixties, where they made a modest purchase of pints of beer for NME and Melody Maker. They also shared insights into Ronnie Wood’s penchant for “keeping everything moving” through collaborations with other artists, and the amusing anecdote of Keith Richards surreptitiously smoking backstage at The Tonight Show. A highlight of the event was Fallon’s attempt at a Jagger impression, met with laughter from the iconic frontman who quipped, “That’s not how I speak.”

The band also treated fans to a glimpse of the album’s tracklist, comprising 12 tracks out of the 23 recorded for the project. Wood praised the infectious riff of “Whole Wide World” and highlighted the escapism in “Dreamy Skies,” a theme Jagger humorously declared never truly materializes. Notably, Lady Gaga contributed her vocals to “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” prompting Wood to exclaim Stevie Wonder’s name when Fallon revealed the track. “Live by the Sword” was described as “slightly retro,” and Richards playfully addressed “Tell Me Straight,” a song he takes the lead on, saying, “I can tell you straight that I have no idea what it’s about.” He then pointed at Jagger with a sly grin, adding, “He tried to steal it, so it must be good.” Laughter filled the room as the legendary band members shared their tales and insights into their latest musical offering.