Red Hot Chili Peppers Release New Single, “Black Summer,” Ahead of New LP

As the clock struck midnight on Friday morning (February 4), the Southern California-born Red Hot Chili Peppers released their latest single, “Black Summer.”

The new single portends the band’s new album, Unlimited Love, which is set to drop April 1. That album is produced by the legendary Rick Rubin.

The new nearly four-minute-long song begins with the guitar loop the band had teased on social media earlier this week. The vocals come in from frontman Anthony Kiedis. It’s an especially delightful song as it’s the first single reuniting the band with former longtime guitarist John Frusciante.

“Our only goal is to get lost in the music. 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,” the bans said in a joint statement. “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. 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.

“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!”

“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,” added Frusciante.  “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.” 

See the official track list below along with the band’s upcoming tour with a giant list of guests, including Thundercat and A$AP Rocky.

Check the new single below.

TRACKLISTING

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 Chili Peppers 2022 Tour Dates:

06/04 – Seville, ES @ Estadio La Cartuja De Sevilla $
06/07 – Barcelona, ES @ Estadi Olimpic $
06/10 – Nijmegen, NL @ Goffertpark $
06/15 – Budapest, HU @ Puskas Stadium $
06/18 – Firenze, IT @ Firenze Rocks
06/22 – Manchester, UK @ Emirates Old Trafford $
06/25 – London, UK @ London Stadium ~
06/29 – Dublin, IE @. Marlay Park ~
07/01 – Glasgow, UK @ Bellahouston Park ~
07/03 – Leuven, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/05 – Cologne, DE @ RheinEnergieStadium $
07/08 – Paris, FR @ Stade de France ~
07/12 – Hamburg, DE @ Volksparkstadion $
07/23 – Denver, CO @ Empower Field at Mile High *
07/27 – San Diego, CA @ Petco Park *
07/29 – Santa Clara, CA @ Levi’s Stadium +
07/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ SoFi Stadium +
08/03 – Seattle, WA @ T-Mobile Park ^
08/06 – Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium %
08/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park ^
08/12 – Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium ^
08/14 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park ^
08/17 – E. Rutherford, NJ @ Metlife Stadium ^
08/19 – Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field ^
08/21 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre ^
08/30 – Miami, FL @ Hard Rock Stadium ^
09/01 – Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium ^
09/03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank Park ^
09/08 – Washington, DC @ Nationals Park ^
09/10 – Boston, MA @ Fenway Park #
09/15 – Orlando, FL @ Camping World Stadium ^
09/18 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field ^

$ = w/ A$AP Rocky and Thundercat
~ = w/ Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals and Thundercat
* = w/ special guests HAIM and Thundercat
+ = w/ special guests Beck and Thundercat
^ = w/ special guests The Strokes and Thundercat
% = w/ special guests The Strokes and King Princess
# = w/ special guests St. Vincent and Thundercat

Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Rock Under The Stars