In his first interview since getting heart surgery, GRAMMY-winning Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger has offered some new details about his health and his band's previously postponed tour.

"I'm feeling pretty good," he told Toronto's Q107 radio station. "Been rehearsing a lot lately in the last few weeks … This morning [I did] a bit of gym. Nothing crazy. Then I go into rehearsal with the rest of the band."

The tour, originally set to kick off in late April, was rescheduled due to Jagger's surgery after doctors advised him to get medical treatment. The vocalist had surgery to replace a valve in April. 

On the upcoming No Filter U.S. tour, the band reportedly plans to perform some material they haven't played live before, noting how fans don't like too much of the untraditional. "Most of the time people don’t want too much unusual. People like a little bit unusual. They don’t want 100 percent unusual,” he said.  

Jagger is also well aware of what fans like, alluding to including plenty of crowd favorites on the tour's setlist. "The favorite ones people like to hear are, you know, ‘Paint it Black, ‘Honky Tonk [Women]’ and ‘Satisfaction’ and things like that. We don’t always necessarily do all of them," he said. "We sometimes drop one or two, but there’s maybe 10 favorites. I don’t know how people would feel if you didn’t do any of them. I think people would say, ‘Oh, that’s a bit unfortunate, I came to hear this'"

Back in the fall, the news that the iconic British rock band was coming to the U.S. had the band every bit as exicited as their fans. "It's great to be playing back in America," Stones guitarist Keith Richards said in a tweet at the time. "Feels like we're coming home."

The 75-year-old frontman also commented on how the Stones' touring pattern has changed over the decades. "I don’t do it all the time, [like] 12 months a year," he said. "When you’re young, that’s what you do. [Today I] spend three or four months on the road in a year and that seems to be quite a good balance.”

The tour is now set to kick off in Chicago on June 21 and close out in Miami on Aug. 31. 

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What is it like to listen to new Rolling Stones music in 2024? You might think of overabundant slickness ,everything-to-everyone commerciality, a sense of rock-by-committee. But if your immediate association with the band is their status as an industry unto themselves — with the music as an afterthought — then you may not know the Rolling Stones.

"This is a performance-based record; this is live. That's why it speeds up and slows down and pushes and pulls — the only way the Stones should be." That's what GRAMMY-winning producer Andrew Watt — the "sprightly young fellow" that Paul McCartney recommended to the band — told Rolling Stone of the Stones' new album, Hackney Diamonds.

But it goes deeper than that. In a scathing review of Hackney Diamonds, Pitchfork declared the Stones to "gleam like sickly wax figures. Jagger, terrifyingly, has never sounded so youthful." Has Jagger been rendered animatronic? A resounding no — at 80, he simply remains a force of nature — as do his fellow surviving Stones, guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood.

"I've never seen anybody push themselves to the level that this guy pushed himself to in the studio," Watt continued to Rolling Stone. "He never left a vocal without a full deep sweat, putting every single thing he had into it every time." Best of all, this wasn't in the pursuit of perfection, but a beautiful racket.

"What's so f—ing cool," Watt continued, "is sometimes he'd do a take and he'd be like, 'I'm singing too good. I need to do that again and throw that away more… give it more feeling.'"

Across seven decades, the Stones have more than earned their stripes as the self-dubbed "World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band" — and so much of it has to do with that feeling.

That's why they're in the upper echelon, toe-to-toe with the Beatles in that tired binary, despite never pursuing a fraction of their innovation or ambition. Because when it comes to bluesy yearning, broiling salaciousness and that guitar weave, no guitar band has ever come close.

As veteran music journalist Rob Sheffield once put it, "Part of Mick's vast intelligence was to understand that he didn't have that kind of sincerity in his empty heart, and he was too crafty to make a clown of himself trying to fake it. He knew he couldn't out-Beatle the Beatles. So the Stones chose different turf to conquer. The Stones are Stonesier. The Beatles are merely better."

There's no way that a single article can contain all the facets of the Stones. But if you saw the news of Hackney Diamonds — their first album of original material in 18 years — and find yourself catching the bug again, here's a brief breakdown of their vast catalog.

The Brian Jones Era (1962-1969)

The thing about the greatest rock 'n' roll bands is that they tend to have ghosts following them around — e.g. integral, original members who lost their way, or their life, early on.

The Beatles did, in the incorporeal form of Stu Sutciffe. So did Pink Floyd, in Syd Barrett. Today, the spirits of Dennis and Carl Wilson silently observe the Beach Boys. The list goes on and on.

The Stones might have the ultimate band ghost in Brian Jones — their bowl-cutted, blonde angel who actually started the group, back in 1962.

Many decades on, Paul McCartney got flak for calling the Stones a "blues cover band," which obviously didn't take into account the Glimmer Twins' numberless, unforgettable originals. But that was what they were, from the jump.

If you haven't heard their 1964, self-titled debut, subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers, it's a proto-punk banger — with revved-up takes on "Route 66" and Chuck Berry's "Carol," among other selections from across the garage R&B canon.

Very soon after, the Stones began writing inspired originals, like "As Tears Go By" and "Get Off of My Cloud." (Not to mention, er, one you may have heard about "girl reaction.") Around the time of 1966's Aftermath — their first masterpiece — Jones was decorating their tunes with outré instrumentation, like the ominous sitar on "Paint It, Black."

Jones continued to make inspired contributions to the Stones' palette, including in their still-underrated 1967 goof on Sgt. Pepper's, Their Satanic Majesties Request.

As he became eclipsed  by Jagger and Richards, Jones became more and more unmanageable, culminating in his ousting and drowning in a pool in 1969.

This earliest incarnation of the Stones has its partisans: it's arguable that they never went on to write a song as lovely as the acoustic "Back Street Girl," for example. But with the passing of the torch to Mick Taylor, the stadium-sized version we all know and love was rapidly approaching.

The Mick Taylor Era (and after) (1969-1976)

While Taylor's tenure as Stones axeman lasted only five years, the former Bluesbreaker might be the greatest guitarist the band ever enjoyed.

After a couple of cameos on 1969's epochal Let it Bleed — the one with "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on it — Taylor joined the band proper for 1971's Sticky Fingers, one of their most beloved albums by far.

Therein, that aforementioned weave is on full display, between Richards and Taylor: they should teach the rhythmic underpinning of "Brown Sugar" and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" in school. 

Plus, the immortal, still soul-inflaming ballad "Wild Horses" contains perhaps their most elliptical, haunting lyric: "Let's do some living after we die."

Despite Jagger's vocal dislike of the album, the double-disc Exile on Main St. is considered their masterpiece for very good reasons: Despite the brilliance of albums like Aftermath onward, they hadn't quite made an album that hung together cohesively, with a clear arc.

But Exile on Main St. — famously recorded grungy, topless and stoned in a rented French villa, as tax exiles — is worth many, many listens, front to back. It begins gakked out and flying high, as on "Rocks Off," then ends clear-eyed, hungover and grappling for salvation, as on "Shine a Light."

The Stones never quite revisited the heights of Exile on Main St. — although its lumpy, potent follow-up, 1973's Goats Head Soup, deserves more flowers.

After 1974's It's Only Rock n' Roll — chiefly known for the oldies favorite of a title track — Taylor left on short notice, following personality differences and rancor over credits.

He was replaced by the Faces' Ron Wood — essentially the Stones' version of Ringo, in that he was never considered a technical whiz, but the glue that continues to hold colorful, volatile personalities together.

Forging On With Ron (1976-present)

Jagger, Richards, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts' first album with Wood was 1976's Black and Blue, their most exhausted album by some margin. (Which doesn't mean it's bad at all: bone-weary Stones has a patina all its own, and "Memory Motel" belongs in the time capsule.)

But this rudderlessness proved to be a fluke: they followed it with 1978's Some Girls, at the height of punk and disco. That album's highlights, like "Miss You," "Beast of Burden" and "Shattered," restored the band to their debaucherous glory.

The follow-up, 1980's Emotional Rescue, was fine, but a bit of a bunt. Especially compared to the following year's Tattoo You, a terrifically echoey and plasticine document of their stadium prowess with a lead single implanted in our heads from birth: "Start Me Up."

Unfortunately, the ensuing '80s were as unkind to the Stones as they were to 95 percent of their contemporaries — although 1989's rewarding Steel Wheels is an ugly duckling worth hearing at least once. That year, their inimitable bassist Wyman left the group, never to fully return.

The Stones released a grand total of two albums in the '90s, mostly raking it in as titans of the live circuit. In 2005, they released A Bigger Bang, which would turn out to be their final album until 2016, in the back-to-basics blues-covers release Blue & Lonesome.

Tragically, in 2021, Watts — their steely, enigmatic engine driver, and a reluctant rock star if there ever was one — passed away of cancer.

Before his death, they'd fitfully hit the studio. But this time, they set a hard deadline, with a plucky, 30-something producer — and the result was the Stones' most acclaimed album in many decades.

Watts: A Light Goes Out (2021-present)

It's hard to put into words how bone-snappingly vital the Stones sound on 2023's Hackney Diamonds, deep into the AARP demographic.

The lead single, "Angry" — nominated for Best Rock Song at the 2024 GRAMMYs — finds Watts' appointed heir, Steve Jordan, leading the charge, with the three soul survivors powered by that old piss and vinegar.

From there, all the way to the Muddy Waters coda ("Rolling Stone Blues") that gave the band their name, Hackney Diamonds is a triumph.

The ridiculously high-profile guests throughout, like Elton John ("Get Close"), McCartney ("Bite My Head Off") and Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder ("Sweet Sounds of Heaven"), never feel like they're buoying the proceedings; they sound like the Stones' most voracious fans, living the dream. (As McCartney put it after tracking his viciously fuzzy bass part: "I just played f—ing bass with the Stones — and I'm a f—ing Beatle."

Jagger and Richards are adamant this isn't the end: half an album's already in the can. Who knows where it'll go — but one thing is certain, they'll never dilute or compromise this stew. That feeling — the one they've been chasing since they were flop-haired teenagers — is much too important.

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"Is my future all in the past?" laments Keith Richards on "Tell Me Straight," the grungiest number from the Rolling Stones' 26th studio effort (or their 24th if you're from the UK), Hackney Diamonds. Despite approaching the age of 80, a milestone Mick Jagger passed this summer, the answer isn't the obvious one.  

Indeed, while most of their peers have long since settled into retirement, rock 'n' roll's most enduring partnership is still attempting to extend their legacy. And for the first time since 2005's A Bigger Bang, with an album of largely original material, too. It's an approach which appears to have re-energized the Stones so strongly they now sound, musically anyway, like a band bursting out of the blocks rather than one nearing the finish line.  

In fact, the group were so productive during their recording sessions that they already have a follow-up 75 percent completed. If it's even half as vibrant as its predecessor, then fans are in for another down and dirty treat. 

Of course, Hackney Diamonds is inevitably tinged with sadness, too, being their first LP since the death of Charlie Watts in 2021. However, with recording sessions beginning the year previously — the pandemic, Richards' arthritis struggles, and apparently Jagger's general lack of enthusiasm causing the lengthy delay — the legendary drummer still makes a couple of posthumous contributions. 

But as implied by its title, a London slang term for the remains of a window smashed by thieves, the record's overall tone is loud, punchy, and purposeful. Here are five takeaways from the band's latest triumph.  

The Band Get By With A Little Help From Their Friends 

Boasting appearances from no fewer than four genuine musical icons, including two with knighthoods to their name, Hackney Diamonds is by far the most star-studded album in the Stones' 61-year career.  

That's Elton John tinkling the ivories on the funky "Get Close" and barroom stomper "Live By the Sword," while Paul McCartney appears to have been forgiven for last year's spot of shade-throwing ("I'm not sure I should say it, but they're a blues cover band, that's sort of what the Stones are"): he provides the fuzzed-up basslines on the expletive-filled punk of "Bite My Head Off." 

Yet it’s the double whammy of Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder on the slow-burning "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" who make the biggest impression. The former delivers the strongest powerhouse vocals of her career during a call-and-response which echoes the Merry Clayton-assisted classic "Gimme Shelter." Wonder, who toured with the Stones back in the '70s, meanwhile, works his usual magic on the keys to imbue the seven-minute epic — possibly the finest track the Stones have recorded this century — with an authentic gospel edge.  

The Stones Aren't Afraid To Get Nostalgic 

While Hackney Diamonds largely avoids talk of mortality, loss or other somber themes you may expect from a band whose youngest permanent member, Ronnie Wood, is 76, it's not afraid to get a little nostalgic.  

The blistering "Whole Wide World" essentially plays out like a beginner's guide to the Stones' '60s years, whether it's reminiscing about their pre-fame stint in a "filthy flat in Fulham" or bemoaning the era when both the tabloids and the cops watched their every move. And amid the bluesy harmonica and slide guitars on "Dreamy Skies," Jagger pines for a getaway with nothing but an AM radio playing country crooner Hank Williams for company. 

The trip down memory lane most longtime fans will be interested in, however, is "Live by the Sword." Thanks to appearances from Watts and former bassist Bill Wyman, it's the closest the Stones have got to their imperial phase line-up since 1989's Steel Wheels.  

Mick Jagger Is Still A Horndog 

He might now be an octogenarian, yet judging by the amount of relationship talk on Hackney Diamonds, Jagger still has the libido of a rocker half his age.  

"Driving Me Too Hard" and "Bite My Head Off" both add to the Stones' arsenal of woman trouble anthems, while on "Get Close," Jagger roams around the streets at midnight to make a potentially lascivious pact ("I bargained with the devil, I need heaven for one night").

Further evidence the singer still isn't ready for the pipe and slippers lifestyle yet comes with "Mess It Up," a disco-infused tale of a vengeful ex who's stolen his mobile phone, unlocked his passwords, and shared a particular photo among all her friends. We're left to guess how incriminating said image is.    

It Brings Things Full Circle 

Hackney Diamonds doesn't entirely abandon the covers approach that defined 2016's Blues and Lonesome. Following ten original compositions, it wraps things up with a stripped-back rendition of "Rolling Stone Blues," the Muddy Waters classic which played a significant part in Jagger and Richards' story. 

Not only did the 1950 number — a loose interpretation of Delta blues standard "Catfish Blues" — inspire the band’s name, it was also one of several records a teenage Richards was carrying under his arm during that pivotal train station reunion with his childhood friend. Recognizing they both shared similar musical tastes, the pair began hanging out again and the rest is rock and roll history.  

This is the first time the Stones have celebrated such a sliding doors moment on record and should the proposed 25th album fail to materialize, a hugely touching way to bring things full circle. 

It's Their Best Album In More Than 40 Years 

The Stones have occasionally captured the brilliance of their chart-topping days over the past 40 years, with the mammoth world tour-launching Steel Wheels, outtakes collection Tattoo You, and their last MTV hurrah Voodoo Lounge all containing best of-worthy material. But Hackney Diamonds is their first LP that can be considered as truly essential since 1978 return-to-form Some Girls.  

While the majority of latter-day Stones efforts have come across as merely promotional tools for their latest stadium trek, their latest stands on its own two feet. In fact, there isn't a dud among its 11 tracks, with everyone from co-producer Don Was to regular live musicians Matt Clifford, Darryl Jones, and Steve Jordan at the top of their game.  

"I don't want to be big headed," Jagger told Jimmy Fallon at the album's East London launch last month. "But we wouldn't have put this record out if we hadn't really liked it." The rock god needn't have worried about sounding immodest. In fact, he could have got away with shouting about it from the rooftops. 

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Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

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He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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As we close out the month, this New Music Friday has loads of fresh beginnings and highly anticipated reunions.

Several big-name collaborations dropped on Sept. 29, from an electric team-up of the Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga to an R&B and rap fusion from Jungkook and Jack Harlow. 

Two nostalgic releases arrived as well, with Lil Wayne's new album Tha Fix Before Tha Vi continuing his "Tha Carter" series, while *NSYNC fans were treated to the boy band's first new song in 20 years with "Better Place."

Dive into these seven new releases that blend the old generation with the new. 

Jungkook ft. Jack Harlow — "3D"

BTS singer Jungkook takes us through a nostalgic journey with "3D," a song reminiscent of an early 2000s boy band hit. The hypnotizing lyrics illustrate his close connection to someone he can't reach, so he'll watch them in 3D.

"So if you're ready (So if you're ready)/ And if you'll let me (And if you'll let me)/ I wanna see it in motion/ In 3D (Uh-uh)," he sings in the chorus. 

Jack Harlow pops in, dropping a few verses boasting about his global attraction with women. "Mr. First Class" claims he can "fly you from Korea to Kentucky," as he closes out the song.

With an addictive chorus and groovy baseline, this track has a different vibe from his "Seven" collaboration with Latto. The song marks Jungkook's seventh solo single and second of 2023.

Rolling Stones & Lady Gaga ft. Stevie Wonder — "Sweet Sounds of Heaven"

The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder blended their talents, to create a harmonic symphony of a song that lives up to its heavenly title. Seven minutes of gospel- and blues-inspired rhythms, enriched by Gaga and Mick Jagger's distinct riffs, make this collaboration an immersive experience. Stevie Wonder grounds the track with his command of piano and melodic tempo.

The track is the second peek of the Rolling Stones' upcoming album, Hackney Diamonds, their first LP release in 18 years; their first release, "Angry," arrived Sept. 6. With production from GRAMMY-winning Andrew Watt, the soulful essence makes "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" an exciting taste of the long-overdue album.

*NSYNC — "Better Place"

Yes, you read correctly. After two decades and a recent reunion at the 2023 MTV Video Music awards, *NSYNC is back with a new single, "Better Place," appearing in the new animated Trolls movie (due Nov. 17). With a nostalgic dance-pop beat, familiar production and breezy lyrics, this single is a remarkable comeback.

"Just let me take you to a better place/ I'm gonna make you kiss the sky tonight," they sing in the chorus. 

The reunion was first teased Sept. 14, through a video of the group's emotional studio session, as Justin Timberlake shared on Instagram. "When the stars align… got my brothers back together in the studio to work on something fun and the energy was special," he wrote in the post. 

PinkPantheress — "Mosquito"

Dive into this musical daydream as PinkPantheress serenades us on her new single, "Mosquito," a dreamy, lucid song reminiscent of old-school R&B. After recently hopping on the energetic remix of Troye Sivan's "Rush" and teaming up with Destroy Lonely on "Turn Your Phone Off," PinkPantheress is transporting us through a new era, full of charm and surprises.

"Cause I just had a dream I was dead/ And I only cared 'cause I was taken from you/ You're the only thing that I own/ I hear my bell ring, I'd only answer for you," she sings in the chorus. 

Co-crafted by GRAMMY-winning producer Greg Kurstin, this song is a transcending, surreal experience. This single isn't about romance, instead she takes us through her entanglements with treasures and money. That's further portrayed in the lavish video, which features a European shopping spree starring "Bridgerton" stars Charithra Chandran, India Amarteifio and "Grown-ish" star Yara Shahidi.

Ed Sheeran — Autumn Variations

The era of mathematical-themed albums seems to be over, as Ed Sheeran has entered a new chapter with Autumn Variations, his second project this year. Sheeran is singing from his heart, sharing soulful tales from emotional events in his life including the death of his dearest friend Jamal Edwards and his wife's health challenges during pregnancy — an extension of the stories he told with May's Subtract.

Autumn Variations is very raw, stripped down and authentic as he takes us through his personal journey. Amidst this, Sheeran still brings in some buzzing tracks including catchy songs like "American Town," "Paper Bag" and "Amazing."

Lil Wayne — Tha Fix Before Tha Vi

Lil Wayne celebrated his 41st birthday with a special present to his fans: the release of a new album two days later. The alluring 10-track project,"Tha Fix Before Tha Vi" dives into past vibes with songs like "Tity Boi," a reference to 2 Chainz's initial stage name, which may be a reference to the upcoming joint album between the two. Each song has a different feel including "Tuxedo," which features a more punk-rock melody and "Chanel No.5 ft. Foushee," which features a sensational beat.

His first album since 2020, Tha Fix Before Tha Vi features rather unexpected collaborators, including Jon Batiste, Fousheé and euro. With different sounds and features than past projects, we could possibly be entering a new Weezy era. 

Thomas Rhett & Morgan Wallen — "Mamaw's House"

Country superstars Morgan Wallen and Thomas Rhett unite for "Mamaw's House," a country-folk track relishing the memories of their grandparents' home and cozy fireplace tales. 

"It's where I spent my summers and she put me to work/ Shellin' peas and shuckin' corn until my fingers hurt/ No tellin' who I'da been without Mamaw's house," Rhett sings in the second verse. 

Rhett said the duo decided to write about their small-town culture — Rhett is from Valdosta, Georgia, while Wallen hails from Sneedville, Tennessee — and the significant presence of grandparents brought to their upbringings. 

"This song just kind of brings up how our mamaws used to act when we were little kids," Rhett told Audacy.. "It's an ode to all the grandmas out there."

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