The Rolling Stones have released a new video for ‘In The Stars’, using deepfake AI technology to digitally recreate younger versions of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood ahead of the release of new album Foreign Tongues.
by Paul Cashmere
The Rolling Stones have stepped directly into the debate around artificial intelligence in music with the release of the video for ‘In The Stars’, a clip that uses deepfake technology to digitally de-age the band into versions resembling their late 1970s selves. The video arrives ahead of the July 10 release of the Stones’ 25th studio album Foreign Tongues, the follow-up to 2023’s Hackney Diamonds.
Directed by French filmmaker François Rousselet, the video stars actress Odessa A’zion alongside AI generated recreations of The Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Produced by AI studio Deep Voodoo, the clip places the de-aged band inside a warehouse party performance setting, blending live action footage with synthetic visual effects designed to resemble the Stones during the Tattoo You era.
A’zion described the opportunity as a career milestone. “Are you kidding me? It’s my dream,” she said in a statement released with the video. “The first record that I ever got that I listened to from start to finish was Tattoo You. I’m obsessed with the Rolling Stones. This is in my bucket list for sure.”
The video includes several moments designed to emphasise the realism of the digital recreation, including close-up interaction shots between A’zion and the recreated Jagger. Production credits reference body doubles, deepfake artists and an “AI data wrangler,” indicating the extent of the hybrid process behind the visual effects.
The release places the Stones inside a rapidly evolving conversation about AI’s role in entertainment. Deep Voodoo, the company behind the clip, previously worked on Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 video for ‘The Heart Part 5′, which digitally transformed Lamar into several public figures, and also handled de-aging effects for Billy Joel’s 2024 single ‘Turn The Lights Back On’.
Richards has previously expressed scepticism about digital technology overtaking music creation, while acknowledging AI’s potential as a production tool. Speaking in 2023, Richards said AI “can either be a tool, or it can be a toy,” adding that “most times, all of these things become toys.” Jagger has also approached the topic cautiously, previously saying he had not seriously considered virtual avatar performances similar to ABBA’s digital concert residency.
The video rollout also continues the promotional campaign surrounding Foreign Tongues, an album first teased through a cryptic street poster campaign in London earlier this year. Posters referencing the pseudonym “The Cockroaches” appeared throughout Camden before the limited white label release of ‘Rough And Twisted’, which was initially issued on vinyl only before being formally connected to the new album.
Produced once again by Andrew Watt, Foreign Tongues features contributions from Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, Steve Winwood and Chad Smith. The album also includes recordings featuring late drummer Charlie Watts, captured during sessions before his death in 2021.
While AI generated visuals are becoming increasingly common in music marketing, reactions remain divided across the industry. Some artists and audiences view the technology as a creative extension of visual effects traditions already used in film and music videos. Others argue that digitally recreating performers, particularly younger versions of living or deceased artists, raises ethical concerns around authenticity and consent.
The Stones’ use of the technology arrives at a time when AI tools are becoming more sophisticated and commercially accessible. In film, television and music, synthetic imagery is now routinely used for de-aging actors, recreating archival performances and generating hyper-realistic digital doubles. What separates ‘In The Stars’ from many earlier examples is the prominence of the AI effect itself as part of the video’s core concept.
Musically, Foreign Tongues appears positioned as a continuation of the energy that drove Hackney Diamonds, the band’s first album of original material in 18 years. Richards said in a recent statement that recording in London again gave the project “a continuity from Hackney Diamonds” and described the sessions as “a month of concentrated punch.”
The album is scheduled for release on July 10 through Capitol Records and Polydor Records. Alongside ‘In The Stars’ and ‘Rough And Twisted’, the record reportedly includes a cover of Amy Winehouse’s ‘You Know I’m No Good’ and a version of Chuck Berry’s ‘Beautiful Delilah’.
Tracklisting for Foreign Tongues:
Rough And Twisted
In The Stars
Jealous Lover
Mr. Charm
Divine Intervention
Ringing Hollow
Never Wanna Lose You
Hit Me In The Head
You Know I’m No Good
Some Of Us
Covered In You
Side Effects
Back In Your Life
Beautiful Delilah
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first-Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Instagram
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
X (Twitter)
