LONDON, October 20. /TASS/. The Rolling Stones have released a new studio album, Hackney Diamonds, the band’s first collection of original songs in 18 years.

On Friday, the album, which contains 12 tracks, became available on streaming platforms. It also went on sale in the retail market.

Prior to the album’s release, the band unveiled two songs from it: opening track "Angry" and a gospel-like ballad titled "Sweet Sounds of Heaven," which features performances from Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder.

"Get Closer" and "Live By The Sword" were recorded together with Elton John. The second track features the band’s original drummer Charlie Watts, who also plays on "Mess It Up." These tracks were recorded before his death in 2021.

Also collaborating on the album is Sir Paul McCartney (81), who played bass on "Bite My Head Off."

The album was received well by critics. The Times newspaper in its review called the record "a joy from beginning to end." At the same time, the publication notes that Hackney Diamonds appears to be a farewell to the rock band, which celebrated its 60th anniversary last year. The Guardian, however, notes that "if this is the end, they’re going out with a bang."

The album's name is London slang for the shattered glass left behind after burglars have smashed a window to break in, Hackney being an inner-city area of London associated with a high crime rate.

Coded announcement

In late August, the band made a cryptic announcement about the upcoming release of their new album. That is, they took out an ad on page three of the Hackney local newspaper. "Hackney Diamonds, Specialists in Glass Repair are opening a new store on Mare Street," the advert read. Instead of a dot above the letter "i" there was the band’s logo - a tongue sticking out. It was mentioned that the company was established in 1962 (the year the Stones were formed) while the text of the advert alluded to several hits by the band: "Our friendly team promises you satisfaction (I Can't Get No Satisfaction - 1965 - TASS here and after). When you say gimme shelter (Gimme Shelter - 1969) we’ll fix your shattered (Shattered - 1978) windows." Below there was a phone number and a link to the website. After clicking on it, you are taken to a page with the same advertisement. Once there, you can write to the Universal Music Group company to declare your interest in the future record.

The very name of the glass repair company is a reference to the Diamonds tour, which the Stones began last year.

The Rolling Stones are regarded as one of the most successful bands in the history of rock music. The group has twenty one top-ten hits on the British charts, with 8 number one songs. The musicians have been active for more than half a century, releasing about 50 studio and live albums, with over 250 million copies sold worldwide. The latest studio album, Blue & Lonesome, was released in December 2016 and contained covers of compositions by American blues and jazz artists.

The band’s current line-up includes three original members: lead singer Sir Mick Jagger (80), and guitarists Keith Richards (79) and Ronnie Wood (76).