GRAMMY-Award-winning ensemble Tank and the Bangas have officially released their highly anticipated new studio album, The Last Balloon, available today via Verve Forecast.
The project marks the definitive final installment of the band’s color-themed album trilogy, serving as the closing chapter to the critically acclaimed Green Balloon (2019) and Red Balloon (2022). Lead vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball noted the deliberate title choice signals a clear 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 frequent collaborator Austin Brown and recorded primarily at The Complex Studios in Los Angeles, The Last Balloon finds the New Orleans-based group exploring themes of frustration, resilience, and self-realization. The project aims to balance emotional catharsis with the band’s signature bursts of joyful energy, explicitly using their dynamic live shows as a sonic blueprint for the studio recordings.
The album’s release follows a string of successful singles—”Nighttime,” “No Invite,” and “Move”—which garnered significant critical praise from publications including Rolling Stone, OkayPlayer, BET, and Essence.
Showcasing an ever-growing musical palette, The Last Balloon features an expansive roster of guest artists and collaborators, including:
Lucky Daye
Austin Brown
Iman Omari
Jelly Joseph
Tane Runo
The Last Balloon arrives during a period of sustained critical momentum for the group. In 2024, Tank and the Bangas secured a GRAMMY Award for “Best Spoken Word Poetry Album” for their three-part project, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul.
Since their breakout unanimous victory in the 2017 NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest, the band has built a formidable global reputation, frequently praised as one of the best live acts in the country. Their commercial milestones include a Best New Artist GRAMMY nomination in 2020 and a Best Progressive R&B Album nomination in 2023.
The current Tank and the Bangas lineup features founding members Tarriona “Tank” Ball (lead) and Norman Spence II (multi-instrumentalist), now joined by accompanying members Deven Trusclair (drummer), Kenaniah Turner (bass), Rob Kellner (keys), and Etienne Stoufflet (saxophone).
The Last Balloon is available now for streaming and download on all major digital platforms.