Jack White Surprise Announces ‘Frozen Charlotte’ Solo Album in ‘Third Man Release Lab’ Video, Shares Propulsive ‘Dollar Bill’ Single

Jack White lives to zig just when you think he might zag. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame star surprised fans this week when he teased his upcoming seventh solo album, the 13-track Frozen Charlotte, during the free online series Third Man Release Lab, in which his team does deep-dives into his Third Man Records label’s quirky release process.

The very end of the episode casually announced the project via a short interstitial video of a man in a silver skull mask dancing and shadow boxing in front of a “content” sign and holding up a placard reading “new album,” which cut to a shot of a white porcelain statue with a blue skull head. White also teased the album, due out on July 10, on his Instagram in a video in which he pours pink paint over a skull figure dubbed “Frozen Charlotte: Velvet Model,” which shows up in the video for the album’s new single, “Dollar Bill.”

In keeping with the maximum joyful chaos approach, a new YouTube account called “The Frozen Charlatan” — the name on the nameplate in the “content” video mentioned above — features a 30-second preview of the galloping blues “Dollar Bill.” A linktree takes you to two versions of the LP, Chrome and Blue, with the latter featuring a description of the project, which it reveals was recorded at White’s Third Man Studio in Nashville.

“Frozen Charlotte – the 7th studio album from Jack White shows the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer at his best; backed by an incredible band (Patrick Keeler on drums, Dominic Davis on bass, Bobby Emmett on keys) whose collective hand is scorching hot after coming off a tour of universally-acclaimed performances,” it reads. “Instead of resting on a ‘job well done,’ they went straight to work in the studio and laid down what became Frozen Charlotte.”

The songs, which include two previously released singles White performed on SNL earlier this year, “G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs” and “Derecho Demonico,” are reported to be a carryover from No Name, tapping the same “raucous, raw and frenetic energy,” while bringing their own unique tone and feel. “Frozen Charlotte is an intense rock and roll punch with never far behind blues underpinnings…all of which fits right at home with long time fans while leaving an inviting open door to newcomers alike,” it reads.

The LP is the follow-up to 2024’s No Name album, which Third Man initially gave away to unsuspecting customers at the label’s record stores with no official announcement or traditional monthslong teaser campaign. Frozen Charlotte‘s artwork can currently be seen in White’s first art exhibition, These Thoughts May Disappear, which is open through Sept. 13 at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery in London; a massive version of skull figure also loomed large on the set of White’s April SNL performance, proving he’s the king of the long con.

The other tracks on Frozen Charlotte include: “There’s Nobody There,” “Raising the Grain,” “You’ll Never Fix Me,” “Nobody Knows,” “I Can’t Believe What I’m Hearing,” “Thick as Thieves,” “All Alone Again,” “She’s in a Frenzy,” “Making Contact” and “Neighbors Blues.”

White will hit the road for a summer tour beginning on July 10 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

Listen to “Dollar Bill” below.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.