Today, The Rolling Stones have released the video for the single “Mr Charm” from their latest studio album, the excellent Foreign Tongues (reviewed by SonicAbuse here). Directed by Henry Scholfield who has previously worked with the likes of Billie Eilish, Stromae, Dua Lipa and Stormzy, the video stars Golden Globe winning actor Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, Succession, Big Little Lies). The video was shot in Palmdale, California. Alexander Skarsgård becomes the latest actor to work with the stones in recent months after Anya Taylor-Joy & Charles Melton who stared in the video for Jealous Lover and Odessa A’zion who stared in the groundbreaking video for In The Stars.
The video for Mr Charm is joined with a single release on streaming services that includes the release of a new song not previously released on streaming platforms before, Bad Luck Hideaway. The song, a duet between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards also features drums from Charlie Watts which were recorded from the sessions at British Grove. The song, was produced once again by Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt. A new lyric video for Bad Luck Hideaway is also out today here.
Foreign Tongues, was released on 10th July via Polydor Records, topping the charts in 14 countries globally. The album received widespread critical acclaim, with The Times hailing it as “a career high” and awarding it five stars, while The Telegraph also awarded five stars, praising the record’s “vitality, wit, richness, energy and joy“. The 14-track collection follows less than three years after the band’s universally acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning Hackney Diamonds, which topped charts worldwide and achieved multi-platinum success.
In the lead-up to the announcement of Foreign Tongues, the band have been subtly building anticipation for the new project, including the limited white label release of the track “Rough and Twisted” only on vinyl under the name The Cockroaches. Circulating among fans and collectors, the release has already sparked excitement and speculation around the sound and direction of Foreign Tongues, offering an early glimpse into the album’s raw and exploratory energy.
Recorded during an exceptionally creative period, Foreign Tongues was brought to life in under a month at Metropolis Studios in West London, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood reuniting with Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt, who also helmed Hackney Diamonds. The result is a dynamic and forward-looking record that captures the band’s unmistakable sound while pushing into new sonic and lyrical territory, further cementing their unparalleled legacy.
