Noted Ohioans The Black Keys have announced their 12th studio album, Ohio Players, which comes out April 5th via Nonesuch Records. Its lead single, “Beautiful People (Stay High),” is streaming now.
The follow-up to 2022’s Dropout Boogie, Ohio Players boasts an impressive list of collaborators. Among the guest stars are Noel Gallagher, Greg Kurstin, Dan “The Automator” Nakamura, and Beck, the latter two of whom co-wrote “Beautiful People (Stay High)” along with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Pre-orders for the album are ongoing.
Backed by rollicking drums and a rock ‘n’ roll piano, “Beautiful People” is a soulful ode to hedonism with a chorus that gleefully proclaims: “All of those beautiful people stay high.” Its accompanying lyric video feels straight out of the 1960s, playing to the song’s retro vibe with grainy, black-and-white footage and plenty of mid-century digs.
Revisit our 2022 interview with Auerbach about the making of Dropout Boogie and two decades of The Black Keys.
Ohio Players Artwork: