Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, More

2026 is here — and already, it’s shaping up to be a big year for music. Artists like A$AP Rocky, Megan Moroney, and Hilary Duff are kicking things off with a bang, hitting the ground running with early releases in January and February. In March, we’re getting one of the most anticipated projects in a while: BTS is dropping their long-awaited comeback album, following a lengthy hiatus that has kept fans crossing their fingers for a big reunion.

And then there are other LPs that haven’t quite been confirmed, but we’re choosing to be hopeful. Madonna dropped little clues that she’d been in the studio throughout 2025, and Peso Pluma got back in action with a joint album with Tito Double P that dropped at the end of the year — meaning he could go planning another full-length release. There’s a lot in the works, but here’s what we’re most excited for in 2026.

A$AP Rocky, Don’t Be Dumb – Jan. 16

In the eight years since A$AP Rocky last released an album, a lot has happened in the Harlem-raised rapper’s life: He’s acted in two movies, been found not guilty on felony firearm assault charges, co-chaired the Met Gala, served as Creative Director for both Ray-Ban and PUMA, and, oh yeah, started a relationship (and a family) with Rihanna. Exactly which of those life experiences inform Don’t Be Dumb, his long-delayed, highly anticipated fourth album is unclear. So is the final tracklist, though he’s reportedly worked with a diverse list of collaborators, including Metro Boomin’, Tyler, the Creator, Mike Dean, Pharrell Williams, Morrissey, composer Danny Elfman, and director Tim Burton, who helped design the artwork. Rocky blamed “leaks and sample clearances” for the delay, but also left listeners with a promise: “I wanna make the best album ever.” —Christian Hoard

Lucinda Williams, World’s Gone Wrong – Jan. 20

Lucinda Williams is one of those prolific artists who is always moving. After her 2023 album Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, the singer-songwriter has been drawing inspiration from today’s turbulent times and getting ready to release World’s Gone Wrong, which drops Jan. 20. The project, out on her own Highway 20 Records label, already has a glittering cast of characters surrounding it: It’ll feature Mavis Staples, Brittney Spencer, and Norah Jones. —Julyssa Lopez

Editor’s picks

Joyce Manor, I Used to Go to This Bar – Jan. 30

Joyce Manor have set the bar high for their seventh studio LP, promising a project that finds the California pop-punk rockers at the top of their game. Produced by Bad Religion co-founder Brett Gurewitz, I Used to Go to This Bar takes nods from some of the Sunshine state’s top rockers, including Weezer, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Jane’s Addiction. Their initial offerings, “Well, Whatever It Was” and “All My Friends Are So Depressed,” are strong snapshots of just how far Joyce Manor have stretched their punk roots. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long into the new year to hear the rest of their California dreamin’. —Maya Georgi

Charli XCX, Wuthering Heights – Feb. 13

Don’t call this a Brat follow-up. Charli XCX is set to release the soundtrack album for Wuthering Heights, a complete concept record created for the upcoming film starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, arriving in mid-February. The singer said she was “immediately inspired” after reading the screenplay and went on to write several songs for the project. “I wanted to dive into persona, into a world that felt undeniably raw, wild, sexual, gothic, British, tortured and full of actual real sentences, punctuation and grammar,” she wrote on Substack. We’re ready to enter the world. —Tomas Mier

Hilary Duff, Luck … or Something – Feb. 20

Hilary Duff’s return to music has been met with a warm welcome, ramping up the excitement for her highly anticipated fourth album Luck … Or Something. (People online have been tasking Duff with a Herculean task: to save millennial pop). The multi-hyphenate hasn’t released an LP in 10 years, and there’s a ton to catch up on. “I am often asked how I still have my head on straight after growing up in this industry,” Duff said when she announced the album. “The album title is my way of answering that question. It’s luck, but there’s also a lot of weight in the ‘…or something’. Many of the things I’ve been through along the way are held there, and I feel like ultimately that’s what’s shaped me.” A former child star, who somehow came out unscathed, ruminating on her early years of fame? Count us in. After all, her lead single “Mature” has been on repeat since its release. —M.G.

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Megan Moroney, Cloud 9 – Feb. 20

Megan Moroney delivered Lucky in green, Am I Okay? in blue — and now she’s floating into a pink Cloud 9 for her third album. When announcing the project, Moroney said it was written by “the strongest, most confident version of myself.” While she hasn’t revealed a track list yet, she’s promised there’s an evolution here. “Similar to the first two albums, it’s all written about honest, personal experiences, but these songs were written by the strongest, most confident version of myself I’ve ever been,” she said in a statement. “My feet feel firmly planted in my artistry and it was fun to play around sonically, while still sticking to my roots of what my fans and I love. Cloud 9 is a state of mind, and I have no doubt this will be the best chapter yet.” —T.M.

Gorillaz, The Mountain – Feb. 27

Damon Albarn’s ninth album with the long-running more-than-a-cartoon-band is an ambitious suite of songs inspired by grief — both he and visual collaborator Jamie Hewlett lost their fathers in recent years — and time spent in India. The guest list features everyone from Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle to Syrian great Omar Souleyman to English rock group Idles to Argentine superproducer Bizarrap to the Fall’s late mastermind, Mark E. Smith, to hip-hop heroes De La Soul and Yasiin Bey. “You’re supposed to listen to it from beginning to end,” Hewlett recently told RS UK. “What we’re asking is, take the time to sit with your earphones and listen for however long the album is, and look at the artwork, and then just lose yourself in this story.” —Simon Vozick-Levinson

BTS, Title TBD – March 20

Army, the time has come! After a long hiatus, during which the members of BTS focused on solo work and fulfilled mandatory military requirements in South Korea, they’re finally reuniting on an album fans have been counting down toward. At the top of 2026, the group’s agency Big Hit Music let the world know exactly when the LP is coming: “March 20 Comeback Confirmed,” they wrote in a social media post. Now that everyone has marked their calendars, let’s start speculating about what it might sound like. All we know is that the band has been back in the studio since this summer and that they’ve said the new music will “reflect each member’s thoughts and ideas.” —J.L.

Tigers Jaw, Lost on You – March 27

Emo rockers Tigers Jaw are returning in 2026 with their seventh album, Lost on You. The LP marks the band’s first release since their 2021 album I Won’t Care How You Remember Me, with alt-rock producer Will Yip, who has worked with bands like Mannequin Pussy, The Wonder Years, and Turnover. Tigers Jaw has already previewed Lost on You with lead single “Head Is Like a Sinking Stone,” an energetic rocker that shows the band leveling up without compromising on their meditative emo roots. —M.G.

Olivia Rodrigo, Title TBD – Date TBD

2026 marks three years since Rodrigo’s propulsive second album, Guts. But she’s kept incredibly busy in the time since, tearing through an expansive world tour (paired with a Netflix film), owning the festival circuit, and capping it all off with a killer live album. She said the Guts era is officially over — but a new one, the third album her fans have dubbed “OR3” — is most likely about to begin. She’s already seemingly teased new music with a glittery red “3” shirt, and has confirmed she’s been busy in the studio. “I won’t say too much, but I think 2026 is going to be a busy year for me,” she said. What that album will be like is anybody’s guess, but we can assume its title will have four letters, consistent with Guts and her explosive 2021 debut, Sour (or, as Rodrigo says, it’s logical). —Angie Martoccio

Evanescence, Title TBD – Early 2026

Evanescence have been teasing an album for the majority of 2025, with scattered singles throughout. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Amy Lee confirmed a new LP will arrive “early next year” but she still has some lyrics to write and vocals to record. “I’m feeling some of the same inspiration level and love I felt when I was making Fallen,” Lee said. “There are certain pieces of [the band] that I’m able to recognize again and look at with an out-of-body kind of love, which is helping us create something really special.” —M.G.

Tokischa, Title TBD – Date TBD

Tokischa has spent the last few years charming fans with raucous dembow hits and a fully liberated, give-no-fucks attitude. That’s exactly what has attracted artists like Rosalia and Madonna, who have tapped her for major collaborations. All of it has been setting up the runway for her highly anticipated debut album, expected sometime this year. The best part? Because Tokischa is always authentically herself, she’s completely guided by instincts — so it’s anyone’s guess what she might do on this record. —J.L.

Kim Petras, Title TBD, Date TBD

If Kim Petras’ two recent singles, “I Like Ur Look” and “Freak It,” are any indication of what’s to come, pop fans — and Bunheads especially — are in for a treat. The singer has been teasing her next era, even offering to send NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani a copy of the album if he bans horse carriages from Central Park. The project will mark a follow-up to her NSFW Slut Pop album and 2023’s Feed the Beast and Problematique. Kim, it’s time to save pop! —T.M.

My Chemical Romance, Title TBD – Date TBD

So My Chemical Romance haven’t indicated that they will be releasing anything next year, but if their live circuit is any indication, there’s at least some hope fans will get to hear more than just an unreleased song from the band. My Chem is taking their lauded Long Live the Black Parade Tour around the world in 2026, including three dates at Wembley Stadium and a five-show stint at the Hollywood Bowl. The band hasn’t released new music in over 10 years at this point. What better time than next year with a whole global audience at their feet? —M.G.

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Peso Pluma, Title TBD – Date TBD

At the peak of his career as a leading figure in música mexicana, Peso could have quickly released a follow-up to his 2024 Éxodo, which came a year after his record-breaking LP Génesis. Instead, the Mexican hitmaker slowed things down, keeping fans on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting his next album. He’s already revealed he’s hunkered down in the studio working on new music and with a just-released joint project with his cousin Tito Double P, it looks like Peso is back in business. We don’t know when his new album will drop, but we already know it’ll be worth the wait. —Griselda Flores

Madonna, Title TBD – Date TBD

The long-awaited follow-up to Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor is officially on the way — and it’s expected to arrive in 2026. Over the past few months, the pop icon has shared glimpses of herself in the studio with Stuart Price, who produced the 2005 original. Back in September, the Queen of Pop also announced she would return to the label that helped make her a superstar, calling the release a “full-circle moment.” Confessions 2, we’re waiting for you! —T.M.