New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The
Black Keys have secured the No. 1 Current Rock Album and No. 1 Current Alternative Album in US sales following the release of their highly anticipated twelfth studio album, Ohio Players, last week. The album also is the highest debut of the week on Billboard's Top Rock Albums Chart and Top Alternative Albums Chart, at No. 5 on both charts, and has reached No. 4 on Overall Current Album sales and No. 26 on the Billboard 200. Internationally, Ohio
Players is the band's sixth consecutive top 20 album in the UK, as well as top 20 in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland, among others. The album is available now via Nonesuch/ Warner Records.
Rolling Stone said of the album, which was inspired by band members Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney's recent "record hang" parties, "Whether they set their retro-rock wayback machine to
Memphis in the Sixties, the Midwest in the Seventies, or Manchester, England, and L.A. in the Nineties, it all flows together like a beautifully paced DJ set," calling it "arguably the sharpest collection of songs the Keys have come up with." Ohio
Players is a fresh departure from the band's previous releases, invoking brand-new influences while still maintaining the signature, well-loved sound they are best known for. With an emphasis on collaboration, the album features contributions from friends and colleagues, including Beck, Noel Gallagher, Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Greg Kurstin, Juicy J, Lil Noid, and others.
Mojo states that Ohio
Players is "the sound of a band rejuvenated," echoing Carney's thoughts on the record: "We had this epiphany: 'We can call our friends to help us make music.'" Auerbach adds, "No matter who we work with, it never feels like we're sacrificing who we are. It only feels like it adds some special flavor. We just expanded that palette with people we wanted to work with."
"We'd never worked harder to make a record," he continues. "It's never taken us this long to make an album. We took our time and did it right."
"What we wanted to accomplish with this record was make something that was fun," Carney says. "And something that most bands 20 years into their career don't make, which is an approachable, fun record that is also cool."
Earlier this month, The
Black Keys announced a 2024 North American headline tour in support of the new album. Ahead of this leg of the tour, The
Black Keys will also head to
Europe to debut their brand-new live show. See below for details and tickets; for all the latest, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.
THE BLACK KEYS ON TOUR:
Apr 27 Co-Op Live Manchester, UK
Apr 30 Utilita
Arena Cardiff, UK
May 3 3Arena Dublin, IRELAND
May 5 Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
May 7-9 O2 Academy Brixton London, UK
May 12&13 Zenith Paris, FRANCE
Jul 6 NASCAR
Chicago Street Race Chicago, IL
Sep 17 BOK Center Tulsa, OK
Sep 18 Moody Center Austin, TX
Sep 20 American Airlines Center Dallas, TX
Sep 21 Toyota Center Houston, TX
Sep 24 Ball
Arena Denver, CO
Sep 26 Footprint Center Phoenix, AZ
Sep 27 Kia Forum Los Angeles, CA
Sep 28 Acrisure
Arena Palm Springs, CA
Sep 29 Shoreline Amphitheatre Mountain View, CA
Oct 2 Moda Center Portland, OR
Oct 3 Climate Pledge
Arena Seattle, WA
Oct 10 PPG Paints
Arena Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 11 Scotiabank
Arena Toronto, ON
Oct 12 Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Cleveland, OH
Oct 13 Van Andel
Arena Grand Rapids, MI
Oct 16 Spectrum Center Charlotte, NC
Oct 18 Bridgestone
Arena Nashville, TN
Oct 19 State Farm
Arena Atlanta, GA
Oct 21 Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
Oct 23 KFC Yum! Center Louisville, KY
Oct 24 Nationwide
Arena Columbus, OH
Oct 26 Gainbridge FIeldhouse Indianapolis, IN
Oct 27 Thompson-Boling
Arena at Food City Center Knoxville, TN
Oct 30 Madison
Square Garden New York, NY
Nov 1 TD Garden Boston, MA
Nov 2 CFG Bank
Arena Baltimore, MD
Nov 3 Mohegan Sun
Arena Uncasville, CT
Nov 7 United Center Chicago, IL
Nov 9 Fiserv Forum Milwaukee, WI
Nov 10 Target Center Minneapolis, MN
Nov 12 Little
Caesars Arena Detroit, MI
