Song of the Week delves into the fresh songs we just can’t get out of our heads. Find these tracks and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, The Rolling Stones are back with their second single from the upcoming Hackney Diamonds, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.”
On paper, a seven-and-a-half-minute jam from a legacy rock band whose most celebrated material lies decades behind them sounds like a punishment. And yet, this new The Rolling Stones song, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” actually… rocks? And not just because of the guests? What year is it!?
An anthemic, surprisingly emotional cut from their upcoming album Hackney Diamonds, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” sounds more impassioned, more inspired, and (by some miracle) more youthful than a Rolling Stones song in 2023 has any right to be. From the guitar licks to Mick Jagger’s roaring lead vocals, the performances brim with life.
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Appearances from Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga make the tune all the better. The former holds down a soulful piano melody, while the latter proves that she’s still one of the most impressive voices in contemporary pop. The interplay between Gaga and Jagger’s voice, in particular, makes the extended track feel like it breezes by in an instant.
With a false ending and some light studio chatter thrown in for good measure, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” is easily one of the best late-stage songs The Stones have to offer. If the rest of Hackney Diamonds follows suit, rock fans of all ages will be in for quite the treat.
— Jonah Krueger
Editorial Coordinator
