“I definitely don’t plan on stopping anytime soon,” Billy Idol makes clear in an interview, as he returns with new music.
At 69, Billy Idol is celebrating a major comeback. On April 25, the British rock and punk legend is releasing a new studio album after eleven years. The new work is titled Dream Into It, and fans can look forward to nine new tracks. While Idol had released new music on two EPs since Kings & Queens of the Underground (2014), a full album had been long overdue. So why release a new studio album now? Although the EPs allowed him to share new music more quickly, he eventually realized: “I have to do just as much promotion for an EP as for an album—but unfortunately, people don’t really take an EP seriously,” he explained in an interview with the news agency spot on news.
The order of the tracks on his new album holds special meaning for Billy Idol. “Normally, you put the strongest songs at the beginning of an album—often, the second track is already the lead single,” the musician says. But this time, things are different: The tracks on Dream Into It are deliberately arranged to reflect the course of his life—from the early years to the present. He was also inspired by the upcoming documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead, which forced him to intensely confront his own past once again.
Billy Idol Duets with Avril Lavigne
On the album, Billy Idol is not only performing solo but also collaborating with three other punk icons: Avril Lavigne, 40, Joan Jett, 66, and Alison Mosshart, 46. “There are more great female singers today than ever before,” Idol raves. He is especially enthusiastic about pop-punk singer Avril Lavigne: “What she did with the song ‘77’ made it, in my opinion, three times better.”
Joan Jett joins him on the track Wildside. “We both have a wild side that’s hard to tame,” Idol explains. He first met Jett in 1978 in Los Angeles. They have already performed shows together, and drummer Thommy Price connects them as well. “So we’ve been fond of each other for a long time,” Idol sums up. For Dream Into It, he also re-recorded the song John Wayne with The Kills singer Alison Mosshart. Idol praises her: “She has one of the most impressive voices in rock ’n’ roll—she could easily sing the song on her own, she doesn’t even need me.” He adds, “Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m on it. She’s just amazing.”
How Touring Has Changed for Him
With the new songs in tow, Idol is set to hit the road in just a few days. This summer, the music legend will perform four concerts in Germany. German fans “have supported me from day one,” Idol says about his connection to the country. Even during his Generation X days, he received strong support from them. Now, they can see him live in Northeim, Bonn, and Wiesbaden. On June 27, he’ll also play a show at Königsplatz in Munich. “I can hardly wait for the concert,” Idol says with excitement.
As part of the “It’s A Nice Day To… Tour Again!” tour, the 69-year-old will be on the road for around five months. However, he approaches touring differently than he used to. “Back in the day, when you were young, you could go full throttle all day. Even when you hit your limit, you just kept going—nothing could stop you,” Idol recalls. “But now, when you hit a wall, that’s it.” Still, he’s able to give it his all by managing and focusing his energy carefully.
“This Was Always My Dream”
In 2025, the rock musician could also be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Just the thought of joining an institution that includes legends like Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, or Little Richard is “crazy” to him. It has not yet been decided who will actually be inducted. “But if we make it, Steve Stevens will be inducted with me,” Idol emphasizes about his longtime guitarist.
With that, Idol seems to have achieved just about everything in his career. Are there still more goals? For him, it’s “an incredible gift to get the chance to do what you love. Most people spend a large part of their day working primarily for the money. Maybe they like their job, but often it wasn’t their first choice. For me, this was always my dream.” And that dream is far from over for Idol: “I definitely don’t plan on stopping anytime soon,” he reiterates.
