Record Boy | THE ROLLING STONES "Foreign Tongues" | Rock is still posted on the walls of the city

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The Rolling Stones are no longer just "rock of the past."

Every time a new album is released, it makes the shelves of their old albums shine as well.

Far from being buried by time, time itself keeps passing them by again and again.

The tongue logo is still laughing on the walls of the city today.

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To commemorate the release of The Rolling Stones' 25th album, "Foreign Tongues," their first in three years, Tower Records is holding a "Tawalove!" campaign.

The campaign begins on July 10, 2026.

In addition to displaying "Tawalove!" B1 posters at Tower Records and TOWER RECORDS mini stores nationwide, there will be a poster giveaway lottery for those who purchase eligible products, as well as the distribution of smartphone-sized stickers as part of an old catalog campaign.

These days, music information often just flows by through streaming links and social media timelines.

However, Tower Records' campaigns still have a slightly different feel to them.

You go to the store.

You see the poster.

You look for the new release shelf.

Your eyes also wander to the old catalog shelf.

Before you know it, you're picking up an album you hadn't planned on buying.

That kind of "detour" with music is what it's all about.

When you look at the visuals for this campaign, the first thing that jumps out at you is, of course, that Stones tongue logo.

Even though it is one of the most famous logos in rock history, it never looks old no matter how many times you see it.

If anything, it looks stronger as the times change.

It works even as a small thumbnail on a subscription service.

It works on a T-shirt.

It works on a poster.

It works as a smartphone sticker.

In other words, it is a symbol that does not disappear even when the medium changes.

In this "Tower Love!" poster, that mark is displayed in the center along with the smiles of the three members.

The wood-grain wall in the background, the white "Tower Love!" text, and even the huge "SAMPLE" watermark start to look like part of a rock exhibit.

The other visual for "Foreign Tongues" is also impressive.

A person's face that looks somewhat like a collage against a red background.

Below that, the words "ROLLING STONES" and "FOREIGN TONGUES" are written in yellow.

The title "Foreign Tongues" is also interesting.

Literally translated, it means foreign tongues or foreign languages.

However, in the case of the Stones, it doesn't just mean foreign languages.

Blues, rock and roll, R&B, country, reggae, dance music.

Throughout their long career, they have also been a band that has rolled many "foreign languages" around on their own tongues.

In other words, the Rolling Stones themselves may have always been "Foreign Tongues."

They swallow something foreign, chew it up, grin, and spit it out.

Every time they do, it becomes the sound of the Stones.

What is interesting about this campaign is that it shines a light not only on new releases but also on old ones.

'Foreign Tongues' has me reaching for past CDs, vinyl records, and video works.

This is also the strength of the band known as the Stones.

A new release comes out.

And then, I want to listen to their old works again.

A single new album illuminates a massive shelf of the past.

The history of rock does not just move in a straight line.

It circles around and around on the shelf.

Songs I listened to when I was young come back to me now with a different resonance.

Songs that felt flashy back then sound strangely deep when I listen to them now.

Conversely, songs I should have known for a long time can suddenly sound youthful.

I think the Rolling Stones are a band that is very strong in that rotation of time.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood.

Just having these three standing together and smiling carries the scent of rock that needs no explanation.

It is not youth.

It is not just nostalgia either.

Tenacity.

Lightness.

The faces of men who are still fully intent on playing.

That is what is good.

The phrase 'Tower Love!' might be a little embarrassing, but it suits the Stones well.

A project that Tower Records pushes in all stores with love for artists and fans.

The fact that the subject is The Rolling Stones is quite heart-stirring.

Rock once spread from record stores in the city.

Posters were put up, there were listening stations, we hesitated in front of the shelves, and were encouraged by handwritten POP signs from the staff.

Of course, the way we listen to music has changed now.

But the act of seeing a poster in a store still has a unique power.

Music encountered on a smartphone just passes by.

But music posted on the walls of the city is waiting for us.

"Hey, are you still listening?"

"Do you still need rock?"

With that kind of look.

The Rolling Stones' new work "Foreign Tongues".

And Tower Records' "Tawa-Love!" campaign.

This is not just a release commemorative project, but also news that rock is still coming out into the city.

The tongue logo is sticking its tongue out again today.

Towards the era.

Towards aging.

Towards the atmosphere of the streaming heyday.

And, it is probably saying this.

Rock is still being posted on the walls.

Rock is still lined up on the shelves.

Rock is still laughing.

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