In the hallowed, Victorian-era halls of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank in Brooklyn, the Rolling Stones proved on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, that they are far from "toiling in obscurity." In a star-studded launch event for their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood held court with host Conan O’Brien to unveil a project that promises to be their most diverse and urgent in decades.
Set for a global release on July 10, 2026, the 14-track album arrives less than three years after their Grammy-winning Hackney Diamonds. This rapid follow-up signals a late-career creative explosion, fueled once again by producer Andrew Watt. During the event, Jagger described the record as a rejection of genre boundaries: "The Stones are a rock band that also has the capacity to do ballads, country music, or dance music," he noted. "We don't get stuck in one kind of style."
A "Punk-Rock" Farewell and Celestial Guests
One of the most poignant moments of the afternoon was the confirmation that the album features a final recording from the legendary Charlie Watts. Jagger described the track, titled "Hit Me in the Head," as a "real punk-rocker" that the band finished in Watts' honor. The late drummer’s presence continues to be the "glue" for the band, even as Steve Jordan has taken over the kit for the new material.
The guest list for Foreign Tongues reads like a Hall of Fame roster, including:
- Paul McCartney: Returning for his second Stones collaboration in three years.
- Robert Smith (The Cure): Adding his signature atmospheric touch to the record.
- Steve Winwood: Bringing a soulful, classic rock energy.
- Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers): Providing additional percussion fire.
Conan O'Brien, who claimed to have listened to the album 25 times already, compared its "vibrancy and urgency" to the band's 1972 masterpiece, Exile on Main St.. This immediacy is no accident; Jagger revealed the entire album was recorded in just four weeks at Metropolis Studios in London.
The "Mr. Ugly" Visuals and Viral Rollout
The album artwork, which the band calls "Mr. Ugly," was created by New York painter Nathaniel Mary Quinn. It is a grotesque, beautiful amalgamation of the three members' faces—a literal "merging of the minds" that Jagger made sure to point out was "not computer-generated."
The rollout itself has been a hot topic. It began with "The Cockroaches" (a classic Stones pseudonym) releasing a white-label 10" vinyl of the track "Rough and Twisted" to select record stores, followed by a global billboard campaign featuring the band's iconic tongue logo with the album title translated into dozens of "foreign tongues."
Fans won't have to wait long for more. The band has announced a three-night "takeover" of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, with Jagger appearing Wednesday, Richards on Thursday, and Wood on May 13. While a tour hasn't been officially confirmed yet, Jagger told the press, "I would love to tour the album... I hope to do it as soon as that's possible."
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