Red Hot Chili Peppers announce new album and share ‘Black Summer’ – listen

Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced details of their 11th studio album and dropped the first single, ‘Black Summer’.

The Californian punk rock titans will release the typically sprawling, 17-track ‘Unlimited Love’ on April 1. ‘Black Summer’, the first taste of the new album, is streaming now on all major platforms – you can see the Deborah Chow-directed video below.

‘Unlimited Love’ will be the band’s first record since the return to the fold of guitarist John Frusciante. The 51-year-old’s two previous stints with the group produced their most critically and commercially successful material, including the multi-platinum likes of ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’, ‘Californication’ and ‘By the Way’.

Frusciante left the band after the conclusion of the mammoth ‘Stadium Arcadium’ tour in 2008 in order to focus on electronic solo projects. His return was confirmed in December of 2019, and he played his first shows with the Chili Peppers for 13 years in February of the following year, at a memorial service for the film producer Andrew Burkle. 

Speaking about ‘Unlimited Love’, he said: “When we got together to start writing material, we began by playing old songs by people like Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson, The Kinks, The New York Dolls, Richard Barrett and others. Ever so gradually, we started bringing in new ideas, and turning jams into songs, and after a couple of months the new stuff was all we were playing. The feeling of effortless fun we had when we were playing songs by other people, stayed with us the whole time we were writing. For me, this record represents our love for, and faith in each other.”

Now, he’s joined frontman Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith in issuing a broader statement, confirming the release of ‘Unlimited Love’ via Warner Bros. on April Fool’s Day. “We (John, Anthony, Chad and Flea) spent thousands of hours, collectively and individually, honing our craft and showing up for one another, to make the best album we could,” said the group, adding that their only goal during the ‘Unlimited Love’ sessions was to “get lost in the music”.

“Our antennae attuned to the divine cosmos, we were just so damn grateful for the opportunity to be in a room together, and, once again, try to get better,” they went on. “Days, weeks and months spent listening to each other, composing, jamming freely, and arranging the fruit of those jams with great care and purpose. The sounds, rhythms, vibrations, words and melodies had us enrapt.” 

Concluding the statement, they said of ‘Unlimited Love’ and its in-the-works-tour: “We yearn to shine a light in the world, to uplift, connect, and bring people together. Each of the songs on our new album ‘Unlimited Love’, is a facet of us, reflecting our view of the universe. This is our life’s mission. We work, focus, and prepare, so that when the biggest wave comes, we are ready to ride it. The ocean has gifted us a mighty wave and this record is the ride that is the sum of our lives. Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy it. ROCK OUT MOTHERFUCKERS!”

The full track listing for ‘Unlimited Love’ is as follows: 

1. ‘Black Summer’ 
2. ‘Here Ever After’ 
3. ‘Aquatic Mouth Dance’ 
4. ‘Not the One’
5. ‘Poster Child’
6. ‘The Great Apes’
7. ‘It’s Only Natural’
8. ‘She’s a Lover’
9. ‘These Are the Ways’
10. ‘Whatchu Thinkin’
11. ‘Bastards of Light’
12. ‘White Braids & Pillow Chair’
13. ‘One Way Traffic’
14. ‘Veronica’
15. ‘Let ’Em Cry’
16. ‘The Heavy Wing’
17. ‘Tangelo’

Red Hot Chill Peppers had already confirmed a slew of European dates before the announcement of ‘Unlimited Love’, including UK stadium shows. You can see the full itinerary below. 

Red Hot Chill Peppers, June 2022:

4 – Seville, Estadio La Cartuja De Sevilla

7 – Barcelona, Estadi Olimpic

10 – Nijmegen, Goffertpark

15 – Budapest, Puskas Stadium

18 – Firenze – Firenze Rocks

22 – Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford

25 – London, London Stadium

29 – Dublin, Marlay Park 

July 2022:

1 – Glasgow, Bellahouston Park

3 – Leuven, Rock Werchter

5 – Cologne, RheinEnergieStadium

8 – Paris, Stade de France

12 – Hamburg, Volksparkstadion