Legendary QUEEN drummer, songwriter and vocalist Roger Taylor has unveiled details of his new solo album, “Violence Insane In A Beautiful World”, which is scheduled for release on September 18 through Columbia Records.
The album is introduced by the uplifting lead single, “Come On Summer (It’s Party Time)”, which features a remarkable guest appearance by South Africa’s The Ndlovu Youth Choir, a group that gained international recognition through its acclaimed Zulu-language rendition of QUEEN’s classic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
“Violence Insane In A Beautiful World” marks Roger Taylor’s seventh solo studio album, further expanding a solo career that began in 1977. It is also his first full-length release since “Outsider”, the critically acclaimed and fan-favorite album that reached the U.K. Top 3 in 2021.
In support of the new record, Taylor will embark on a U.K. tour. Fans who pre-order the album will receive exclusive early access to tickets before they become available to the general public.
Although “Violence Insane In A Beautiful World” is not a concept album in the traditional sense, it is united by a central theme, as Roger explains: “There is a theme, you know, it’s in the title really, what a beautiful world we live in, don’t fuck it up. There seems to be all this insanity at the moment. The violence in the world seems to be as bad as it ever was, at any point, and certainly in my lifetime. It’s just horrific, a lot of insane violence. And we do seem to be fucking up the world, plastics in the sea, you know, and all these awful wars everywhere and hatred born of different religions”.
However, the tone of the album is hopeful, as Roger says: “It’s a beautiful world, you know. And kindness is very important, I think, it seems to be forgotten quite a lot. So, that is basically the sort of underlying theme.”
With the exception of a beautifully crafted cover of “Jealous Guy”—which Roger describes as “one of the greatest ballads ever written”—Taylor wrote, produced, sang, and performed every track on “Violence Insane In A Beautiful World” himself. He was assisted by longtime collaborator Joshua J. Macrae, members of his live band, and, on three standout songs, South Africa’s acclaimed The Ndlovu Youth Choir from Limpopo.
“Violence Insane In A Beautiful World” track listing:
01. A Beautiful World (feat. The Ndlovu Youth Choir)
02. Violence Insane
03. What Really Matters
04. Don’t Photograph Food
05. I See You Now
06. Chump
07. Spit In His Eye
08. Jealous Guy
09. Come On Summer (It’s Party Time) (feat. The Ndlovu Youth Choir)
10. A Great Big Beautiful World (reprise) (feat. The Ndlovu Youth Choir)
