'We were lazy!' Rolling Stones unveil first album of new songs in 18 years

The Rolling Stones have announced details of their first album of new songs in nearly two decades, entitled Hackney Diamonds.

- Ben Beaumont-Thomas

Featuring a constellation of guest stars including Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and former Stones bassist Bill Wyman, it also contains the final recordings with the band by late drummer Charlie Watts, who appears on two tracks.

Hackney Diamonds - east London slang referring to broken window glass outside a robbery - has the still-thrilling sight of "Jagger-Richards" mentioned throughout the songwriting credits. It's the first time Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have written an album of new music since A Bigger Bang in 2005, and the first studio album of any kind since 2016's collection of blues covers, Blue & Lonesome.

Chipping in as co-writer on three songs is the album's producer Andrew Watt, known for helming an array of recent hit albums by artists as varied as Elton John, Justin Bieber, Iggy Pop, Post Malone and Miley Cyrus.