Sir Mick Jagger has released two new songs.
The 74-year-old rocker wrote ‘Gotta Get a Grip’ and ‘England Lost’ – which features Skepta – in April and wanted to release them straight away, rather than wait for an album.
The Rolling Stones frontman explained the tracks are a response to the "confusion and frustration with the times we live in" and the result of "anxiety, unknowability of the changing political situation."
He added: "It’s always refreshing to get creative in a different fashion and I feel a slight throwback to a time when you could be a bit more free and easy by recording on the hoof and putting it out there immediately.
"I didn’t want to wait until next year when these two tracks might lose any impact and mean nothing."
Mick is delighted to have Skepta on ‘England Lost’, because he thinks the grime star is a very exciting new artist.
He said: "Right from the off when I started writing ‘England Lost’, I imagined having a British rapper on the track… Skepta stepped in at a moment’s notice and I just loved what he did."
The song is "ostensibly" about seeing England lose a soccer game, but the title gave it more importance.
He explained: "It’s about the unknowability about where you are and the feeling of insecurity. That’s how I was feeling when I was writing. It’s obviously got a fair amount of humour because I don’t like anything too on the nose but it’s also got a sense of vulnerability of where we are as a country."
Meanwhile, ‘Gotta Get a Grip’ is about taking charge of the future.
Mick said: "The message I suppose is – despite all those things that are happening, you gotta get on with your own life, be yourself and attempt to create your own destiny."
The veteran musician has released videos for both tracks and the songs are available to buy now.
Mick Jagger releases two new songs
