It’s a special, star-power-packed New Music Friday. Read on to see a full list of new albums, EPs and singles out now. First, a look at the most anticipated musical release of 2026 so far.
The Best of New Music Friday:
Harry Styles – Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally
Harry Styles is among the most beloved pop stars of this century. He’s charming, talented, and his music reaches fans around the globe. His solo music is arguably more fawned over than One Direction’s discography. He transcends the global music landscape. His new album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally handpicks a number of sounds and throws them up into the stars.
It’s hard to say enough about lead single “Aperture.” The song is being played everywhere right now. It’s unavoidable in public, playing on store speakers and radiowaves, parties and bars. Soon, it’ll be shouted by sold-out crowds at New York City’s Madison Square Garden for a month during Styles’ upcoming residency.
It’s easy to understate how important Styles’ work has been to introducing funk-pop and art rock to mainstream audiences. Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally steers away from sounding like other modern pop albums from the likes of Charli XCX and FKA twigs. Harry’s music sounds like it would belong on Death From Above. If Brazilian pop quartet CSS made a record produced by LCD Soundsystem, it would probably sound something like this. Between the funky bass undertones and James Murphy-esque vocal delivery of “Are You Listening Yet?,” plus parallels to Sound of Silver on tracks like “American Girls,” it’s easy to pick up on Styles’ influences here.
It’s possible most Styles fans, especially younger pop audiences, have no idea who some of the greats whose work rubbed off on Harry are. To be able to introduce an appreciated sound to more people should be applauded. Styles has found a sound he enjoyed and danced off with it.
This is a pop culture moment. Harry Styles records are everywhere. Arenas will be filled out with fans dressed in incredible outfits to see him. The album will be played all around the world for the rest of Styles’ life. That was guaranteed before even having dropped. That’s because of spectacular worldwide reach that few can match, and only someone with Harry’s caliber could be capable of.
New Music Friday Top Picks:
Bonnie “Prince” Billy – We Are Together Again [No Quarter]
Flying Lotus – Captain Kernel EP [Brainfeeder]
Gnarls Barkley – Atlanta [Atlantic Records/10k Projects]
Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie [Sire]
Various Artists – Help(2) [War Child Records]
Which of these tracks from New Music Friday will you add to your favorite playlists today? Any we missed? Let us know in the comments or on Instagram!
Ben is a music journalist living and working in Chicago. They joined Beyond The Stage as an intern and have stayed on the staff for several years. Now serving on the editorial board, Ben is proud to be BTS’ Music Projects Manager, coordinating coverage between international record labels and our staff. Ben has interviewed, photographed and written about bands from across the world. Ben has lived all over the United States working in television and media. They are an Emmy Award-winning writer. Ben can be found spinning records as ‘DJ Wearing Sunglasses’ in clubs and basements across the US.
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