‘Still kicking everyone’s ass’: Rolling Stones release new single under alias

The Rolling Stones have once again stirred excitement among fans with the release of a brand-new song, signalling that more music could be just around the corner.

The track, titled ‘Rough and Twisted,’ dropped on April 11 under the band’s long-running pseudonym The Cockroaches, a nod to their history of secret gigs and playful marketing tactics.

The vinyl release was accompanied by its own Cockroaches-branded website, which now shows that the limited release run of vinyl and a “Who the f*** are the Cockroaches?” band t-shirt have both now sold out. 

While the vinyl-only release itself has generated buzz, it’s what it represents that has fans and industry watchers paying close attention.

The single is widely believed to be the first taste of the band’s upcoming 25th studio album, which is reportedly set for release this year.

Fans who have heard the record seem highly impressed and have had only praise to sing. 

As one Reddit user wrote, “Say what you want, I think that this song is really, really good, just love everything in it, the groove, the guitar, the harmonica, Mick's vocals, sound, everything.”

They continued by calling it a “great single” and as “bluesy as it gets” and finished with a hopeful remark on the upcoming record. 

“If the album goes this or any other direction, fantastic. Well done, Stones!!! (or should I say Cockroaches)”

Another commenter agreed:

"Well, I certainly needed this dirty groove today. Thank you, boys. You still kick everyone’s ass in your 80’s. Hats off!"

This new project is once again being produced by Andrew Watt, who previously worked with the band on their 2023 comeback album ‘Hackney Diamonds’.

Speculation around the album has been building for months, with cryptic posters and teaser campaigns appearing in London before the single’s release.

That sense of mystery, combined with the band’s decision to drop the track under an alias, has only added to the intrigue.

For a group now more than six decades into their career, the release of new music and the promise of a new album reinforces what fans have long known: The Rolling Stones are not done yet (as resilient as a cockroach, you could say).

And if ‘Rough and Twisted’ is anything to go by, the band is still capable of delivering the kind of rock and roll that made them legends in the first place.