Grammy Award-winning ensemble Tank and the Bangas have confirmed that their highly anticipated new album, The Last Balloon, is scheduled for release on May 15 via Verve Forecast. The project marks the conclusion of a conceptual trilogy that began with 2019’s Green Balloon and continued with 2022’s Red Balloon.
Coinciding with the announcement, the band released the lead single “Move,” featuring two-time Grammy winner Lucky Daye. The track is accompanied by an official music video, both of which are available now for streaming.
Lead vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball described the album as a definitive transition for the group. “I called the album The Last Balloon because I didn’t want anyone asking us, ‘When’s Purple Balloon coming?’” Ball stated. “It’s the end of the balloons; we’re moving into a new space now”.
Executive-produced by longtime collaborator Austin Brown and recorded at The Complex Studios in Los Angeles, the album features an eclectic roster of guests, including Ledisi, Jelly Joseph, Iman Omari & TaneRuno.
Sonically, the project explores themes of resilience and self-realization, balancing raw vulnerability with the group’s signature high-energy arrangements designed for live performance.
In support of the release, Tank and the Bangas are expanding their summer and fall tour schedule. Confirmed stops include major markets such as New York, Boston, Detroit, Washington D.C., and Asheville.
The announcement follows a significant year for the band. In 2024, their three-part spoken word project, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul, earned them a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album. This adds to a decorated history that includes a Best New Artist nomination in 2019 and a Best Progressive R&B Album nomination for Red Balloon in 2023.
Since their unanimous victory in the 2017 NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest, the New Orleans-based group has established a reputation as one of the premier live acts in the United States. The current lineup features Tarriona “Tank” Ball and multi-instrumentalist Norman Spencer II, joined by new members Deven Trusclair (drums), Kenaniah Turner (bass), Rob Kellner (keys), and Etienne Stoufflet (saxophone).