Robert Smith turns up twice on the Rolling Stones’ Foreign Tongues
The Cure frontman adds chiming guitar to “Divine Intervention”, then reappears on synth and backing vocals elsewhere on the Rolling Stones’ new album.
Robert Smith’s 2026 collaborations did not stop with Olivia Rodrigo. The Cure frontman also appears on the Rolling Stones’ Foreign Tongues, released on 10 July, contributing to two tracks on the band’s twenty-fifth studio album.
His most visible credit is “Divine Intervention”, where he plays guitar rather than sings. The part is woven into the track’s bright, chiming detail, a Cure-adjacent texture inside the Stones’ loose rock-and-roll frame without turning the song into a stylistic impersonation.
More than the advertised cameo
Smith also appears on “Never Wanna Lose You”, adding synthesizer and backing vocals. The two credits show different sides of his studio vocabulary: the recognisable guitar colour listeners expected, then a less obvious supporting role built into the arrangement.
The album’s guest list is unusually broad, including Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, as well as a posthumous appearance from Charlie Watts. In that company Robert’s contribution still feels distinctive—not because it dominates, but because it is used as texture rather than celebrity decoration.
Foreign Tongues arrived little more than a month after Smith debuted “What’s Wrong With Me” at Primavera and spoke publicly about the next Cure records. The cluster of activity makes 2026 a notably outward-looking year: The Cure are back on the road, while their singer is also moving easily through other artists’ music.
Sources and further reading: Pitchfork: “Divine Intervention” credits · Associated Press: album announcement · RTÉ: Robert Smith collaboration report