Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor is stepping back into the solo spotlight with the announcement of his upcoming album, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World. The project marks a new creative chapter for the rock icon, arriving decades into a career that helped define arena rock on a global scale. 

Alongside the album announcement, Taylor has also released a new single titled “Come On Summer, It’s PartyTime,” offering fans an early taste of the record’s sound and tone. 

Roger Taylor Shares the Story Behind the Album 

Taylor continues to remain active as both a performer and songwriter. His return with a new solo album underscores his ongoing commitment to creativity beyond his legendary work with Queen. 

The 76-year-old musician said of the project, “There is a theme, you know, it’s in the title really, what a beautiful world we live in, don’t f*** 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.” 

He added, “It’s just horrific, a lot of insane violence. And we do seem to be f****** up the world, plastics in the sea, you know, and all these awful wars everywhere and hatred born of different religions.” 

Still, the rock icon said the album aims to provide hope. “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.” 

Anticipation Builds for the Full Release 

With a provocative album title and a fresh single already available, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World is shaping up to be one of Taylor’s most incredible solo efforts to date.  

Having produced and performed every track on the album with the support of his collaborators and live band, Taylor gave special recognition to South Africa’s Ndlovu Youth Choir, which lends its vibrant vocals to “Come On Summer, It’s Party Time.” “I was really happy when I became aware of this amazing South African choir, who sing in Zulu. They’re just wonderful,” Taylor said.

Come On Summer (It’s Party Time)

He added, “They did the most incredible cover version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, and it’s fabulous. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. So we suddenly had the bright idea of asking them to sing on some of the tracks, which they did, and I think it’s transformed those songs. It gives them a whole new dimension. I’m really thrilled with their work on that.” 

Violence Insane in a Beautiful World is set to drop on September 18.