Rough and Twisted

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Foreign Tongues
Studio album by
the Rolling Stones
Released10 July 2026 (2026-07-10)
Recorded2019, 2021[a], 2022–2023, 2025–2026
Studio
Length62:33
Label
ProducerAndrew Watt
The Rolling Stones chronology
Welcome to Shepherd's Bush
(2024)		 Foreign Tongues
(2026)
The Rolling Stones studio album chronology
Hackney Diamonds
(2023)		 Foreign Tongues
(2026)
Singles from Foreign Tongues
  1. "In the Stars" / "Rough and Twisted"
    Released: 5 May 2026
  2. "Jealous Lover" / "Divine Intervention"
    Released: 26 June 2026

Foreign Tongues is the upcoming twenty-fifth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, scheduled for release on 10 July 2026. Produced by Andrew Watt, the album features guest contributions from Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Robert Smith and Chad Smith. It will also feature a song recorded with Charlie Watts prior to his death.[1]

The lead single, "In the Stars", was released through YouTube and streaming services on 5 May 2026 along with double A-side "Rough and Twisted", which had previously been released only in extremely limited quantities as a physical twelve-inch single several weeks earlier under the pseudonym of The Cockroaches, which the band had occasionally used in the 1970s to perform secret shows at smaller venues.[2] A second single, "Jealous Lover", was released on 26 June.[3]

Background and release

Foreign Tongues is produced by Andrew Watt.[4] Ronnie Wood first confirmed in late September 2025 that fans would be getting a new Rolling Stones album when he told UK publication The Sun, "Yes, you will be getting a new album next year. It is done."[5] Reports dispel rumours that it will be their last album, and assert that the band have written at least 10 more songs for an album after it.[4]

The album was first teased as part of a marketing campaign for the single "Rough and Twisted", credited to pseudonym The Cockroaches, which was released on 11 April 2026,[6] including only 1,000 vinyl copies to select records stores.[7] A number of publications had also erroneously announced in the days leading up to its release that a song entitled "Mr. Charm" was rumoured to be released as the lead single for a new Rolling Stones album on 11 April 2026.[8][9]

Of the single, Will Hodgkinson of The Times stated that it had "a killer riff, a rambunctious harmonica solo from Mick Jagger, a devil-may-care spirit and the feeling that, six decades on from first crawling out of a notoriously squalid flat in Edith Grove, southwest London, to play the blues in smoke-clogged pubs and clubs along the Surrey Delta, the Rolling Stones are still a chaotic bar band forever on the verge of collapse, happiest in the most low-down dives."[4]

The album will reportedly primarily consist of new material, with a handful of leftover compositions from the band's last album, Hackney Diamonds, as well as material from the band's final session with drummer Charlie Watts in 2021, as confirmed by Jagger at a press conference hosted by the band in New York City.[10][11]

On 25 April 2026, the band posted 20 photographs onto their official Facebook page taken in different countries showing street views with posters announcing the words Foreign Tongues written in different languages, which was later to be revealed as the title of their new studio album.[12]

On 2 May 2026, the album's front cover was unveiled, a painting by American painter Nathaniel Mary Quinn entitled Trinity (2025)[13] showing Wood, Richards, and Jagger's "faces seem[ing] to merge into one", an artwork possibly inspired by the art of British painter Francis Bacon and made under the art direction of Portuguese illustrator Bráulio Amado and English art director and visual artist Mat Maitland,[14] reported to be reminiscent of a "better version of the cover to Metallica's 2016 album Hardwired... to Self-Destruct".[15] The next day, the band teased further details to be released on 5 May.[16]

On 5 May 2026, the band confirmed that Foreign Tongues is set to be released on 10 July 2026,[17] also launching the album's first single, "In the Stars", on YouTube and other streaming services,[18][19] and also included the complete audio version of "Rough and Twisted" digitally as a double A-side to "In the Stars" three and a half weeks after its physical release.[20][13]

The band released a music video for "In the Stars", featuring Odessa A'zion, on 14 May 2026.[21]

The album will feature guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Robert Smith (The Cure), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Steve Winwood. The band's recording with Watts occurred during a session in Los Angeles shortly before his death in 2021. Several tracks included on Hackney Diamonds were recorded during the same Los Angeles sessions.[19]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.2/10[22]
Metacritic78/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts DeskStarStarStarStar[24]
Classic RockStarStarStarHalf star[25]
The Irish TimesStarStarStarStar[26]
MojoStarStarStar[27]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar[28]
The TelegraphStarStarStarStarStar[29]
The TimesStarStarStarStarStar[30]
UncutStarStarStarStar[31]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Foreign Tongues received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from five critic scores.[23] The review aggregator Any Decent Music gave it a weighted average score of 7.2 out of 10 from five critic scores.[22]

Artwork

The album's cover art is a 2025 pastel drawing by American artist Nathaniel Mary Quinn. Entitled Trinity, it consists of a composite, collage-like surrealist portrait of the bandmembers' faces.[13] The artwork has met with a lukewarm reception.[32]

Track listing

Foreign Tongues track listing[33][34][35]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rough and Twisted"Jagger–Richards4:40
2."In the Stars"Jagger–Richards4:13
3."Jealous Lover"Jagger–Richards3:50
4."Mr. Charm"  
5."Divine Intervention"Jagger–Richards4:46
6."Ringing Hollow"  
7."Never Wanna Lose You"  
8."Hit Me in the Head"  
9."You Know I'm No Good"Amy Winehouse 
10."Some of Us"  
11."Covered in You"  
12."Side Effects"  
13."Back in Your Life"  
14."Beautiful Delilah"Chuck Berry 

Personnel

The Rolling Stones

Additional musicians

Notes

  1. The band's final session with Charlie Watts.

References

  1. Aswad, Jem (5 May 2026). "Rolling Stones Announce New Album, 'Foreign Tongues,' Featuring Guests Paul McCartney, the Cure's Robert Smith and More". Variety. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  2. Grow, Kory (5 May 2026). "The Rolling Stones Tease 'Foreign Tongues' Album With Upbeat Single 'In the Stars'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  3. DeRiso, Nick (25 June 2026). "Rolling Stones Unveil New Single 'Jealous Lover' With Steve Winwood". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 28 June 2026.
  4. Hodgkinson, Will (9 April 2026). "A secret song, a new album — why it's going to be a Rolling Stones summer". The Times. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  5. Simpson, Beth (30 September 2025). ""Yes, you will be getting a new album next year. It is done": Ronnie Wood confirms a new Stones album is on the way". MusicRadar. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  6. Brannigan, Paul (10 April 2026). "The Rolling Stones are releasing a new song tomorrow, but under a fake name". Classic Rock. Future. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  7. Patrick, Philip (28 April 2026). "How the Rolling Stones keep rocking". The Spectator. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  8. Cashmere, Paul (7 April 2026). "The Rolling Stones Expected to Reveal New Song "Mr Charm" and Final Album Foreign Tongues on 11 April 2026". Noise11. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  9. Cashmere, Paul (12 April 2026). "The Rolling Stones Release "Rough and Twisted" as the Cockroaches in Ultra-Rare Vinyl Teaser". Noise11. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  10. Roberts, Rachel (9 April 2026). ""Some people are seeing this as a final album": Details of the Rolling Stones' top secret new album revealed". Guitar.com. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  11. Jeffries, Mark (6 May 2026). "Rolling Stones new album details including final 'punk' track with Charlie Watts". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  12. "🌎 👀". Facebook. 25 April 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  13. "Nathaniel Mary Quinn - The Rolling Stones' "Foreign Tongues" Album Cover". gagosian.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  14. Amado, Bráulio. "Bráulio Amado album cover reveal". Instagram. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  15. Wilkening, Matthew (2 May 2026). "Rolling Stones Puzzle Seems to Confirm New Album Title and Cover Art". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  16. "Rolling Stones to make Foreign Tongues announcement Tuesday". Everett Post. ABC News. 3 May 2026. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  17. Monroe, Jazz (10 April 2026). "The Rolling Stones Prepping New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  18. The Rolling Stones YouTube > In The Stars (Official Lyric Video) (4:15)
  19. "The Rolling Stones announce new album, 'Foreign Tongues.' Here's what we know so far". AP News. AP News. 5 May 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
  20. The Rolling Stones YouTube > Rough And Twisted (Official Audio) (4:40)
  21. DeVille, Chris (14 May 2026). "The Rolling Stones Talk Tour Plans, Get De-Aged In Their "In The Stars" Video Starring Odessa A'zion". Stereogum. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  22. "Foreign Tongues by The Rolling Stones reviews". Any Decent Music. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  23. "Foreign Tongues". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  24. Cumming, Tim (1 July 2026). "The Rolling Stones speak in 'Foreign Tongues'". The Arts Desk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2026. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  25. Fortnam, Ian (17 June 2026) [Summer 2026 issue]. ""Foreign Tongues had been rock's worst-kept secret for some time before album opener Rough And Twisted dropped in April to acclaim and relief. Media duly frenzied. Mission accomplished." The Rolling Stones roll on with album number 25". Classic Rock. United Kingdom: Future. p. 66. ISSN 1464-7834. Archived from the original on 22 June 2026. Retrieved 27 June 2026 – via Louder.
  26. Power, Ed (19 June 2026). "Foreign Tongues review: The new Rolling Stones album is freewheeling, frisky and fabulous". The Irish Times. ISSN 0791-5144. OCLC 137350020. Archived from the original on 19 June 2026. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  27. Eccleston, Danny (25 June 2026) [in print: 11 June 2026]. "The Rolling Stones Foreign Tongues Reviewed: Amid some clutter and blare, the spirit of the Stones shines through". Mojo. No. 393 [August 2026]. London, United Kingdom: Bauer Media Group. ISSN 1351-0193. Archived from the original on 27 June 2026. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  28. Grow, Kory (17 June 2026). "The Rolling Stones Continue Their Late-Career Winning Streak With 'Foreign Tongues'". Rolling Stone. Penske Media Corporation. eISSN 3066-0580. OCLC 969027590. Archived from the original on 17 June 2026. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  29. McCormick, Neil (16 June 2026). "Twenty-five albums in, the Rolling Stones are still rock's most thrilling band". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. ISSN 0307-1235. OCLC 49632006. Archived from the original on 27 June 2026. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  30. Hodgkinson, Will (15 June 2026). "The Rolling Stones: Foreign Tongues review — a career high, in their eighties". The Times. News UK. ISSN 0140-0460. OCLC 61565875. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  31. "Foreign Tongues review". Uncut. London, United Kingdom: Kelsey Media. 19 June 2026 [August 2026 issue]. p. 98. ISSN 1368-0722.
  32. Mouriquand, David (6 May 2026). "The Rolling Stones: 'Foreign Tongues' & The 30 worst album covers of all time". euronews.com. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
  33. "Foreign Tongues" von The Rolling Stones bei Apple Music (in Swiss High German), 10 July 2026, retrieved 13 May 2026
  34. Pilley, Max (12 May 2026). "The Rolling Stones reveal new album tracklist – but in foreign tongues". NME. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  35. The Rolling Stones Facebook > post "Foreign Tongues track-list! Which song title has got your interest? Out July 10..." on 13 May 2026
  36. DeVille, Chris; Lapatine, Scott (5 May 2026). "The Rolling Stones' New Album Has Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood, & the Late Charlie Watts". Stereogum. Retrieved 4 July 2026.