The Rolling Stones have been an iconic English rock band since their formation in London in 1962. They were part of the “Big Four” British Invasion bands of the mid-1960s, along with The Beatles, The Who and The Kinks, where United Kingdom rock and pop music dominated American charts and reshaped pop culture.
Known as the bad boys of rock and roll, The Rolling Stones’ current lineup includes the lead vocalist and harmonicist Mick Jagger, rhythm and lead guitarist and backing vocalist Keith Richards and bass guitarist Ronnie Wood. The Rolling Stones recently released their milestone 25th British studio album called “Foreign Tongues” on July 10.
The studio album features several distinct musical genres, grounded in guitar-driven rock, blues, disco and country elements, adding expressive complexity to the tracks. This is not the first time they have experimented with genres. Throughout their 60-year career, The Rolling Stones have blended genres similarly, attracting more audiences with different preferences. Foreign Tongues honors this tradition through collaborating with legendary artists to amplify their genre-blurring sound.
Not only that, but because The Rolling Stones worked with artists of all ages for the album, their fan base has multiplied. Bruno Mars, who rose to fame in his mid-20s in 2010 after the release of his debut single “Nothin’ on You” (with B.o.B) and his smash-hit solo debut, is one of the younger artists featured on the album. Conversely, Paul McCartney, who was a founding member and bassist of The Beatles, is also on The Rolling Stones’ newest album. As mentioned, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles were rivals during their youth as musical artists. With their many collaborations on “Foreign Tongues,” The Rolling Stones draw attention across generations.
Foreign Tongues’s main themes include relationships, mortality and societal disillusionment. Songs like “Jealous Lover,” “Side Effects,” “You Know I’m No Good,” “Never Wanna Lose You” and “Back In Your Life” all focus on the destructive consequences of modern-day romance. They tend to center on control, toxicity and lingering psychological feelings and trauma. Another key reflection of The Rolling Stones is their growing age. “Hit Me in the Head” is a direct confrontation with death, with Jagger aggressively yet bluntly confessing his own inevitable doom, nearing sooner rather than later. In comparison, “Mr Charm” is a remembrance of the past and about trying not to let it go in anger. Societal disillusionment dives deep into topics like the American Dream in “Ringing Hollows,” economic greed and the search for power in “Divine Intervention” and fatalism and escapism in their lead single “In The Stars.”
“Rough and Twisted,” The Rolling Stones’ first track, features Jagger on lead vocals and harmonica, backed by dueling electric guitars of Richards and Wood. Pianists Matt Clifford and former bassist Ben Waters add a bluesy vibe on boogie-woogie piano, accompanied by James King on saxophone. Inquisitive lyrics, such as “Why don’t you take me? / Down those rough and twisted roads? / Why don’t you teach me? / Teach me all those foreign tongues,” shrewdly set the tone for the album. “Drive me where I wanna” gets repeated toward the end of the song, echoing this longing for the unknown.
Their third track, “Jealous Lover,” is driven by Jagger’s falsetto, featuring Richards and Wood on electric guitars, Darryl Jones on bass guitar and Steve Jordan on drums and percussion. Special guest Steve Winwood plays the Rhodes piano and organ. Compared to the first two tracks, the lyrics shift from the vocalist to the outside subject, who’s embodying pure possessiveness.
Jagger sings, “Hands off, jealous lover / Your words harsh and mean / You pray like a mantis / You’re feeding off me.” The track gives off a push-and-pull energy, capturing a lyricist who’s trapped in someone else’s games but cannot seem to get enough.
“Divine Intervention” features electric guitarist and frontman of The Cure, Robert Smith. Jagger sings, “Divine intervention / Is out of the question / And life is a gambling game.” The irony of the title is that rather than relying on a higher power, everyone is just trying to make something of themselves on their own. In turn, the song explores societal collapse and corruption surrounding the current world.
Unlike the rock and blues sound of “Divine Intervention,” The Rolling Stones’s next track, “Ringing Hollow,” introduces a classic country-rock arrangement that differs from The Rolling Stones’ typical feel. Driven by acoustic and electric guitars, it features Jordan on drums, Jones on bass and keyboards from Clifford. Rhythmically, this song presents itself as a slow number. Jagger sings, “Lady Liberty don’t look so good / When there’s a tear in her gown.” Lady Liberty represents criticism toward the current state of the United States. The song calls out injustice delicately, addressing the topic without overwhelming audiences.
“Hit Me in the Head,” their eighth track, features Jagger, Richards and Wood playing their traditional roles. The late Charlie Watts plays drums. Like “Jealous Lover,” “Hit Me in the Head” once again highlights the essence of a toxic relationship, as the chorus sings, “Baby, you took a little chunk of my heart / One of these days gonna fall down dead / And I’ll go a lot quicker if you hit me in the head.”
“You Know I’m No Good” is a cover featuring Jagger on vocals and harmonica. Amy Winehouse originally wrote the song and released it in 2006. Produced by Mark Ronson for her sophomore album, “Back to Black,” it quickly became one of Winehouse’s most defining songs. Jagger admitted that he had a massive appreciation for that song in particular, saying, “I felt that I could have written that song, because it’s like a minor-key harmonica lead.”
As another tribute to iconic artists like Winehouse, “Covered in You,” The Rolling Stones’ eleventh track, features the one-of-a-kind guest star McCartney on bass guitar, which adds a special energy into the song’s retro sound. The chorus goes, “Covered in you, covered in you / Coming a bit unscrewed / Covered in you, covered in you / Feeling a bit unglued.” The track sounds like infatuation and emotional attachment, portraying it as something all-consuming.
Lastly, “Side Effects” continues the band members’ established roles. The song explores the downturn of abuse and the struggle to self-medicate, using the repetition of “side effects” to strengthen the feeling of emotions getting the best of someone and using abusive substances as a result.
“Foreign Tongues” has earned critical acclaim, with NPR writing that the response to the new studio album “has been appropriately gleeful.” The Rolling Stones released a powerful studio album that combines romance, aging and modern havoc, leaving audiences with a refreshing and remarkable comeback. “Foreign Tongues” feels like going back in time. Although it focuses on crucial aspects that define current times, it is an incredibly enjoyable listening experience that is highly recommended for anyone who hasn’t already heard it.
Julia Magdei is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the summer 2026 quarter. She can be reached at jmagdei@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Zara Baker.
Interested in becoming an intern or a contributing writer for the Entertainment section?
Contact us at entertainment@newuniversity.org!