The Rolling Stones to Release New Album, Featuring Lady Gaga Collaboration, on Oct. 20
‘Hackney Diamonds’ and the music video for first single “Angry,” starring Sydney Sweeney, were unveiled at a press event hosted by Jimmy Fallon in London.
BY BIANCA ROACH, SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
The Rolling Stones will release their first album of original music in nearly two decades on Oct. 20, and it includes a collaboration with Lady Gaga.
At a press event in East London on Wednesday — hosted by Jimmy Fallon — the rock icons revealed details about Hackney Diamonds, the band’s new studio album. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood also unveiled the music video for the album’s first single, “Angry,” which was released Wednesday and stars Emmy-nominated actress Sydney Sweeney, who attended the event.
When Fallon asked her what crossed her mind when she got the call to star in the video, the Euphoria and The White Lotus actress said, “Oh, gosh. I mean, I freaked out, called my family, and brought my mom.” Her mom sat behind her at the event.
“I loved the song when I heard it. It’s been stuck in my head,” Sweeney added.
The band earned a standing ovation from the audience at Hackney Empire, where cupcakes with the Rolling Stones’ tongue logo were given out. The rockers said they recorded 23 songs in December, finished them in January and mixed them in February. Hackney Diamonds will include 12 tracks and were recorded in London, Los Angeles, New York City and Bahamas.
Of the album title, Jagger explained: “It’s like getting your car window screen smashed on a Saturday night in Hackney.” Jagger also called the theme of the album “angry and disgust.”
The Stones worked with producer Andrew Watt, best known for his work with Justin Bieber, Miley Cryus, Ozzy Osbourne and others. He won the Grammy for producer of the year at the show.
The band says Charlie Watts, who died in 2021, performed on two tracks; while original member Bill Wyman plays on “Live by the Sword.” And they described the album as a mix of rock songs, including some that are funky, as well as love ballads.
When Jagger called the track “Sweet Sound of Heaven” — which features Gaga — gospel-flavored, Richards giggled and said: “You’ve never been to church in your life.” The audience laughed.
Fallon also broke into his Jagger impression, replicating his accent onstage to laughs from the audience.
The Rolling Stones’ last studio album of original material was 2005’s A Bigger Bang. In 2016 they released the blues covers album, Blue & Lonesome, which won the band their third Grammy.
“We’ve been very lazy,” Jagger said about not releasing much music in recent years, though he noted the band always tours.
“We wouldn’t have put [this album] out if we didn’t like it ourselves,” Jagger said.
