The Cockroaches’ Instagram has been posting clips to their Story of the lucky fans who have hunted down the exclusive single, playing only snippets of the song. Yesterday, (10 April) the account posted something of a teaser trailer for ‘Rough and Twisted.’ A short video showed someone queueing up a vinyl and sitting back to enjoy the rousing, guitar-laden intro before cutting off.

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Everything began on April 1, as posters with only “The Cockroaches” printed on a pink background and a mysterious QR code began to appear around London. The code lead to www.thecockroaches.com, which is the band’s site. The Stones played a secret gig at the El Mocambo club in Toronto in 1977 and used “The Cockroaches” as a pseudonym to draw away suspicion. So, fans made the connection between the Stones and the cryptic pink posters fairly quick.

The Cockroaches’ website depicts a bedroom, outfitted in 70s regalia: a mod patterned quilt, vintage concert tickets on a corkboard, a rotary phone, ‘Ziggy Stardust’ and other iconic records resting on a shelf. There is also a poster, similar to the ones seen around London, for The Cockroaches. And on the wall, a clock which reads Saturday April 11, 2026 at 1:41 PM.

Many secrets were hidden in the site including links to mailing lists, the words “Mr. Charm” and a poster for the recently released ‘Live at the El Mocambo’ album embedded in the code. But fans also found a photo of the ‘Rough and Twisted’ vinyl, with GPS coordinates printed on its back, directing fans where to go to pick up this exclusive white-label release.

The Times confirmed the release of the single before April 11, saying they had heard the song. They reported that on it, Mick Jagger sings about driving “down a rough and twisted road all the way to Puerto Rico, where the tide ebbs and flows and you do feel that something sexual may be happening along the way.” The Times also reported that ‘Rough and Twisted’ is the lead single of a new album coming in July, the name of which has yet to be unveiled. It also reported that the upcoming release will not be the last one from the rock legends, and there are at least 10 songs written for a separate release, coming at some point after the July release.

The July release will be produced by Andrew Watt, who previously worked with the band on their 2024 release, ‘Hackney Diamonds.’ Watts has also previously worked with Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osborn and Pearl Jam.

There is no word on a tour to support the unnamed July release. NME reported that a spokesperson for the band told The Times, “The Rolling Stones will play when they decide to, not before. There are no concerts planned.”

This would mark the band’s 25th studio album after the release of 2023’s ‘Hackney Diamonds‘ – their first full album release since 2005 – which included features from the likes of Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

The rock icons then took Hackney Diamonds on tour throughout North America with 20 massive shows, before apparently scrapping plans to bring the tour over to UK and Europe. The Times reported earlier this year that the band allegedly rejected a multi-million pound offer to perform four shows at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, The Times did state that a tour on this side of the ocean could be in line for 2026, which would coincide perfectly with the reported new album.

As first reported by The Sun, Jagger & co have reportedly been working on the follow-up to ‘Hackney Diamonds’ since April, with 13 songs being completed at Metropolis Studios in West London.

An apparent source told the outlet: “Originally, the plan was for them to bring their huge US tour to the UK and Europe this summer but promoters couldn’t get the dates to work. Instead the Stones decided to get back into the studio and put down their next album.”

Although nothing has been confirmed by the band, it wouldn’t take a genius to work out that a new album was going to hit the shelves soon enough. Before the release of their 24th album, Mick Jagger told The New York Times that he highly doubts it to be the “last Rolling Stones album” and that they were already “three-quarters through the next one”.

Guitarist Keith Richards joined Jagger in dropping hints, telling SiriusXM in November 2023: “There’s plenty more stuff left over. There’ll always be another album until we drop… This is what we do. We’ve gotta see this Rolling Stones through.”

Ronnie Wood shared a similar sentiment in an interview with NME: “Paul McCartney actually played on two tracks, one which we’ve got up our sleeves for, you know, more music to come. We cut about 23 songs and we only picked the first 12.”

Hackney Diamonds marked the bands first release since the death of their drummer Charlie Watts. Although it was believed that his final recordings featured on this album, these quotes from his bandmates about a large back-catalogue of unreleased tracks leaves fans with optimism that maybe we’ve not heard the last of the legendary drummer.

Fans will now be waiting patiently for an official announcement regarding a 25th Stones album. ‘Hackney Diamonds’ showed no signs of a loss of the magic that make The Rolling Stones so great, despite an 18 year gap between releases. NME gave the album a four-star review, calling it an “absolute barnstormer”.  There is little doubt that the next album will pick up where they left off.

It was a night of nostalgia and reinvention as both bands secured wins. The Beatles took home Best Rock Performance for ‘Now and Then,’ the long-awaited “final” Beatles song, pieced together using an unfinished John Lennon demo, with contributions from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and even a recording of the late George Harrison’s guitar work.

Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones claimed Best Rock Album for ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ their first album of original material in nearly two decades. The record, featuring guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, and Elton John, reaffirmed the Stones’ staying power in a genre they helped define.

The resurgence of these two titans of rock wasn’t just a coincidence. The Beatles harnessed the power of AI to bring ‘Now and Then’ to life, blending the past and present in a way no one had ever quite done before. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones embraced their blues-rock roots while pushing forward with fresh material, proving that their swagger and grit remain intact. A collaboration with Lady Gaga gave the album a tantalisingly modern twist. 

It’s rare for both bands to be celebrated at the same Grammys, let alone to win in the same night. The Beatles’ last Grammy nomination was in 1997, making this their first in 28 years. The Stones, while having been nominated 12 times, had not won a Grammy since 1995. This moment marked a reunion of sorts—not just for fans of either band but for the ongoing debate of Beatles vs. Stones that has fueled rock discourse for six decades.

Sixty years on from the peak of their rumoured rivalry, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are still shaping the music world. Their victories at the 2025 Grammys aren’t just about nostalgia—they’re about relevance, innovation, and the lasting impact of truly great music. As Paul McCartney reminds us with his repeated warnings against AI having too much power in the music industry, the world is constantly evolving, and there is something comforting, even poetic, about seeing these legends of a simpler time back at the top, reminding us that rock and roll never dies—it just gets better with age.

“Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family.

She will be dearly missed.”

The pop icon, known for songs like ‘The Ballad of Lucy Jordan ’, had previously struggled with health, battling bulimia, breast cancer and emphysema caused by decades of smoking.

In 2020, she was hospitalized after contracting Covid-19, and doctors didn’t expect her to survive – ever resilient, she pulled through and released her 21^st album, ‘She Walks in Beauty‘, a year later.

Tributes have come in, with Mick Jagger posting on Instagram describing her “a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress,” saying he was “so saddened”.

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His bandmates Keith Richards and Ronnie Woods also posted online, paying their respects. Richards gave his “heartfelt condolences to Marianne’s family”, and Wood said that “Marianne will be dearly missed.”

The singer was married and divorced three times, having her only child with artist John Dunbar. She is survived by her son, Nicholas Dunbar.

Born in Hampstead in December 1946, Marianne was known for hits like ‘Come and Stay with Me’ and ‘As Tears Go By’, and roles in films such as 1968’s The Girl On A Motorcycle. She was a prolific entertainer, releasing six albums throughout the 60’s, and even contributing backing vocals for the Beatles.

She was also famous for her relationship with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. She was first discovered by the Stones’ manager at age 16 and given ‘As Tears Go By’, one of Jagger and Richards earliest compositions. Her soft, breathy voice and the songs folky arrangement were a hit, and the song made the top 10 in the UK.

Her whirlwind romance with Jagger was a hot topic for the tabloids. She was infamously found by police wearing only a bear skin rug when they raided Keith Richard’s home in 1967, with her and Jagger subsequently arrested.

Once her and Mick had split, she went through a rough period in her life, suffering from anorexia and heroin addiction. She spent two years homeless on the streets of Soho, before she started living in a squat.

She then bounced back, re-emerging in the late 70’s with two albums. Her 1979 new-wave influenced album, ‘Broken English’, may be her standout work. Included today in various top album lists, the record was a commercial and critical success, even earning her a grammy nomination. She also received high praise for her 1987 album, ‘Strange Weather’, reinventing her sound with blues and jazz influences.

She also had a productive career in film, television, and stage, with an output spanning nearly six decades. She first appeared as herself in Jean-Luc Godards’ 1966 crime comedy film Made in Usa.

Other notable roles include in I’ll Never Forget What’sisname, famously being the first person to use the F-word in mainstream film. Her first lead part came in The Girl on a Motorcycle, playing a newlywed who absconds on her motorbike to meet with a recent lover.

More recently, she starred in 2007’s Irina Palm, with a performance that received a nomination for a European Film Award for Best Actress. She also provided voice work for the 2021 remake of Dune as a Bene Gesserit, and in 2023’s Wild Summon.

Known for their distinct fashion sense— Victorian-era punk rock attire with evident Baroque pop influences—the band has swiftly garnered attention for their theatrical and maximalist approach to music. Meeting during fresher’s week in London three years ago, the journey from their first gig, which drew an audience of 20, to supporting the Rolling Stones in Hyde Park reflects their meteoric rise within just three years.

Lead singer Abigail Morris expressed disbelief, saying, “This doesn’t feel real. Has anyone got a pillow I can scream into?” Adding a touch of humour, Guitarist Lizzie Mayland remarked, “We’re going to have to do a collective sob.”

The band faced strong competition from artists like pop-soul vocalist Olivia Dean, renowned DJ Peggy Gou, South African sensation Tyla, and soulful talent Elmiene in the Sound of 2024. The selection process involved a discerning panel of more than 140 industry experts and artists, featuring names like pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo, British singer-songwriter Declan McKenna, and the electronic duo Chase & Status.

Having clinched the prestigious Brits Rising Star prize in December, the BBC Sound of 2024 stands as another noteworthy milestone for The Last Dinner Party. The band recently faced and dismissed rumours of being “industry plants,” with their unique style and gothic ballads standing testament to authenticity.

The Last Dinner Party, consisting of Abigail Morris, Lizzie Mayland, Emily Roberts, Georgia Davies, and Aurora Nishevci, are set to release their debut album, ‘Prelude to Ecstasy,’ on February 2. Their February headline show at London’s Roundhouse on the eve of the album’s release (February 1) is already sold-out. Still, for those eager to catch them live, the band is embarking on a UK and European tour in the coming weeks, with tickets available for purchase here.

The sale of 5.9 million units this year is the highest amount of vinyl records sold in a single year in the UK since 1990. This past week, with the aid of Christmas sales, set yet another record with 250,000 records being sold in the UK, the highest amount for any week since the start of the 21st century.

The immense popularity of vinyl sales this year can positively be attributed to a number of artists, not least American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who has a staggering three albums in the top 10 biggest-selling records this year. Swift, unsurprisingly then perhaps, also claimed the honour of being the artist behind the year’s best-selling album. Her LP 1989 (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of Swift’s fifth album, 1989, originally released in 2014, sold 78,767 units. The other Swift albums that made the top 10 list include the other album she re-recorded this year, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and her latest original studio LP Midnights.

The Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds, released in October this year, came second in the top 10 list and is followed closely by Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. Other albums to feature in the list include Blur’s latest LP The Ballad of Darren, Fleetwood Mac classic Rumours, Pink Floyd’s iconic The Dark Side of the Moon, and Lewis Capaldi’s Broken by Desire to be Heavenly Sent.

Commenting on the recent surge in popularity of vinyl records, BPI chief executive Dr Jo Twist OBE said, “Led by vinyl, the resurgence of physical product underlines the resilience of the UK music market at a time when streaming consumption continues to hit record levels.

She continued, “Whilst LP sales have now been on an upward path for the past 16 years, it is encouraging to see a stabilisation in demand for CD, as well as new generations of music fans falling in love with the cassette. It is giving people more choice than ever in how they enjoy their favourite music.”

The resurgence in popularity of the vinyl record is a trend not likely to slow down anytime soon, despite streaming services dominating the airwaves. The pleasure of physically owning an LP and adding it to a colourful and diverse collection are among the reasons for buying records, as American anti-folk singer-songwriter Jeffrey Lewis eloquently illustrates in his 2019 single ‘LPs‘. Watch the music video below:

The collaboration has proven to be an inspired one as well, as McCartney had the chance to flex his guitar playing muscle, delivering a memorable and distinctive bass line for “Bit My Head Off.” Richards spoke about his friendship with McCartney and how easy he finds playing with him.

Further elaborating on the guest spot with The Telegraph, Richards said, “Paul happened to be in town…And we couldn’t keep him away, bless his heart. And hey, if you can get one of the Beatles on your track, you know, you do it. Paul’s a very amiable cat to play with; we’ve been great friends forever.”

The Rolling Stones guitar virtuoso also said the late John Lennon and George Harrison would have slotted into the Stones rather easily. “I don’t think John Lennon would have had much problem fitting into the Stones, or George, if you can imagine that sort of thing happening. We were the same generation, and we all loved the same music. When we first heard The Beatles, we were relieved that there was some other band in England on the same track that we were on. And within a few months, that track was the main track.”

The Rolling Stones continue to experience amazing success, well into the band’s 6th decade. Hackney Diamonds has thus far proven to be another critical and commercial success for the band. The Beatles, for their part, recently announced that they will be releasing their final song “Now And Then” in November.

Duran Duran have stitched together a collection of new songs, themed covers, and re-imagined versions of their older music in this exciting, 13-track album. The band, now made up of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor, have teamed up with producer, Mr Hudson to create their most ambitious and unexpected album yet.

Keyboardist, Nick Rhodes spoke about the album’s conceptions, stating, “The song ‘Danse Macabre’ celebrates the joy and madness of Halloween. It is the title track of our forthcoming album… The idea was born out of a show we played in Las Vegas on October 31st, 2022. We had decided to seize the moment to create a unique, special event…the temptation of using glorious gothic visuals set to a dark soundtrack of horror and humour was simply irresistible.”

The band’s legendary status has allowed them to collaborate with some of music’s newest and oldest talents. Long time collaborator, producer and guitarist, Nile Rogers, features on the album with the record ‘Black Moonlight‘.

In an interview with Duran Duran, Nile Rogers said, “The great thing about working with Duran Duran is that I’ve been there really almost from the beginning. I’ve been able to see that artistic arc, so I always say to myself ‘How do I take that next step?’“.

A relatively new face to the music scene, but one that has packed a punch, is Victoria de Angelis of Italian modern rock band Måneskin, who features as the bassist on Duran Duran’s cover of Talking Head’s ‘Psycho Killer‘. The unlikely bass duo of John Taylor and Victoria de Angelis has breathed new life into the Talking Heads classic.

“I’m so grateful and honoured,” Victoria stated in an Instagram post, “It was so much fun recording together with John and he was so sweet to me and encouraged me to express myself and play it my own way.”

Not only have Duran Duran collaborated with old and new, but they have also chosen to cover rock classics and gothic modern pop hits. Heard on the album is The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It, Black’ and Billie Eilish’s gothic anthem, ‘bury a friend’.

Adding to his previous comments, Nick Rhodes said, “The record metamorphosed through a pure, organic process, and not only was it made faster than anything since our debut album, it has also resulted in something none of us could have ever predicted. Emotion, mood, style and attitude have always been at the heart of Duran Duran’s DNA, we search for light in the darkness and darkness in the light, and I feel we have somehow managed to capture the essence of all of that in this project.”

You can purchase or stream the album here.

The Spanish footballing giants have said the logo in question will be the legendary tongue and lips frequently used by The Rolling Stones. The match will be played on October 28^th at the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys – as opposed to the legendary Camp Nou stadium, which is currently undergoing refurbishment. The legendary stadium will be renamed Spotify Camp Nou, upon reopening due to the clubs partnership with Spotify.

DONE DEAL!
FC Barcelona and @RollingStones sign deal ahead of the next #ElClásico thanks to @Spotify . 28/10/2023 pic.twitter.com/bfH7tpw5Lp

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 19, 2023

The Rolling Stones in a statement have said: “We’re huge football fans and honoured that Spotify have brought our Tongue & Lips logo to grace the FC Barcelona shirt to celebrate the release of the Stones’ new ‘Hackney Diamonds’ album, we’ll be cheering on the players on the pitch as well as fans around the world who will be tuning in to watch this iconic match.”

The logo will also be added to the kit for the Barcelona women’s team match against Sevilla at Estadi Johan Cruyff on November 5^th.

This isn’t the first time that Barcelona have put an artist’s logo on their kit for an El Classico match, as they have done it two times previously with their collaboration with Spotify, which started in 2022. On October 16^th 2022, Barcelona wore Drake’s Owl logo on the front of their shirts as the club lost 3-1 to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. On Match 19^th earlier this year, Barcelona then wore a shirt with the logo of Rosalia, a Catalan-based singer, as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1, with the shirts being available to the public for 399.99 euros.

Barcelona’s marketing Vice-President, Juli Guiu spoke about the club’s partnership with Spotify, as he said: “Our collaboration with Spotify has taken things to the next level, Bringing together two icons – The Rolling Stones logo and the Barca jersey – is a special moment for our fans around the world. Music and football form a special partnership with a long future ahead of them and we are happy to add another chapter to the story.”

The Rolling Stones Barcelona shirt will be available to the public on October 23^rd via the club’s website here.

Speaking to the BBC on whether arthritis has affected his playing, Richards said, “Funnily enough, I’ve no doubt it has, but I don’t have any pain, it’s a sort of benign version. I think if I’ve slowed down a little bit it’s probably due more to age. And also, I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that any more,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing it. Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens. And so you’re always learning. You never finish school, man.”

The Rolling Stones have only recently celebrated their 60th anniversary and noted the landmark with a special tour. This seemingly put the fire back into the band, with frontman Mick Jagger expressing a desire to get back into the studio to record a new LP. Commenting on the finished product and Jagger’s influence on proceedings, Richards continued, “he [Jagger] hit me in the right spot. I’ve always wanted to record the band as soon after we get off of the road, because the band is lubricated.”

The band have covered a lot of ground in their long and storied history, forming in 1962 in London with the now legendary story of Jagger and Richards meeting each other on the platforms of Dartford train station-Richards with his guitar and Jagger holding records of Chuck Berry among other blues musicians. The pair quickly struck up a friendship and the rest is rock history of the most illustrious kind.

Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones’ 24th studio album, is set to be released on 20 October and features guest spots by Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Charlie Watts and former bassist Bill Wyman.