Keith Richards Promises ‘New Music’ On the Way: ‘Hopefully We’ll Get to See You’

Keith Richards is promising some big things in 2023. In a video posted on his socials on Wednesday (Jan. 11) the Rolling Stones guitarist and solo bandleader gave fans something to get excited about when he gave an update on the plans for this year.

“Hi guys, here we are again. Wishing you all a belated Happy New Year,” said Richards in the 15-second clip in which he looks super-chill hanging in a tropical-looking locale in round shades, a green t-shirt and matching headband. “There is some new music on the way and hopefully we’ll get to see you. Anyway, let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

While Richards did not specify who the music was coming from, there have been ongoing rumblings about the band’s first album of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. At press time there was no official announcement about the follow-up to 2016’s covers album, Blue & Lonesome, guitarist Ronnie Wood reportedly confirmed to The Sun in October that the band’s firsts new album in nearly two decades will drop this summer and that it will feature some drumming from late timekeeper Charlie Watts, who died at 80 in August 2021.

At the time, Wood said the band was slated to finish tracks in Los Angeles in late 2022 and that it will feature playing from Watts and and touring drummer Steve Jordan; the unnamed album will be the first one from the group recorded without Watts.

In the meantime, fans can slake their third for Stones classics with the upcoming definitive live album, GRRR Live!, which is due out on Feb. 10. The 24-track collection features the biggest hits from throughout the legendary band’s 60-year career, including “Honky Tonk Women,” “Start Me Up,” “Get Off of My Cloud,,” “Paint it Black” and “Miss You.”

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2012 and 2013 on the 30-show 50 & Counting Tour, which included a Dec. 15, 2012 show at Newark, New Jersey’s Prudential Center that featured a number of special guests. Some of those performances are chronicled on the album, including collabs with the Black Keys (“Who Do You Love?”), Lady Gaga (“Gimme Shelter”), Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer (“Going Down”), former guitarist Mick Taylor (“Midnight Rambler”) and Bruce Springsteen (“Tumbling Dice.”) After its original airing on pay-per-view in 2012, recordings of the anniversary shows have not been available to fans until now.

Check out Richards’ message here.