Queen legend announces new solo album

Roger Taylor has announced his seventh solo album Violence Insane In A Beautiful World, arriving September 18.

Marking his first full-length release since 2021’s Outsider, which peaked at number three in the UK, the Queen drummer, songwriter and vocalist launches the record with a new single out now, Come On Summer (It’s Party Time), featuring a vibrant performance from South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir, who famously went viral for their Zulu-language rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.

The album, recorded largely by Taylor himself with long-time collaborator Joshua J. Macrae and members of his touring band, explores what he calls the tension between the world’s beauty and its escalating turmoil.

He said: “There is a theme… what a beautiful world we live in, don’t f*** it up.

“The violence in the world seems to be as bad as it ever was… but kindness is very important. It seems to be forgotten quite a lot.”

Although not a concept album, the record threads together Taylor’s reflections on global conflict, environmental damage and political unrest, while still leaning into optimism and the “eclecticism” that has defined his solo work.

The Ndlovu Youth Choir appear on three tracks; a collaboration Taylor describes as transformative: “They’re just wonderful… it gives the songs a whole new dimension.”

The album also includes an emotional cover of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy, which Taylor calls “one of the greatest ballads ever written.”

A cosmic twist accompanied the album artwork: as Taylor finalised the cover – depicting Earth from the perspective of an alien observer – NASA’s Artemis II mission captured similar images from the far side of the Moon.

Taylor says NASA staff, including Queen fans in Houston, told him the timing felt like “kismet”.

To mark the album’s release, Taylor will embark on a short UK tour – his only UK shows of 2026 – performing with the same band that joined him on the Outsider tour. The run begins September 21 in Newcastle before heading to Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Swansea and London’s Roundhouse, where Taylor last appeared as a guest of Foo Fighters in 2011.

Fans who pre-order the album via Taylor’s official store between June 10 and 13 will receive early access to tour tickets, with pre-sale codes issued on June 14 and pre-sale running June 15 and 16. General sale opens June 17 at 10am BST.

Roger Taylor 2026 UK tour dates:

September 21 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall

September 22 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall

September 24 – Birmingham, The Alexandra

September 25 – Manchester, Opera House

September 28 – London, Roundhouse

September 29 – Swansea, Building Society Arena