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It\u2019s the start of a new year, and that means only one thing: there\u2019s a whole lot of new music on the way. 2026 is shaping up to be a banger of a year, with stars like A$AP Rocky<\/a>, Ari Lennox<\/a>, Poppy<\/a> and more gearing up to release new albums in January alone, alongside exciting debuts from up-and-comers such as Mon Rov\u00eea<\/a>, Clothesline From Hell and XG<\/a>.<\/p>\n There\u2019s even more just on the horizon, including Charli XCX<\/a>\u2019s companion album to Emerald Fennell\u2019s upcoming film adaptation of Emily Bront\u00eb\u2019s Wuthering Heights<\/em>, Hilary Duff<\/a>\u2019s first studio record in over a decade and the return of K-pop<\/a> megastars BTS<\/a>. Here\u2019s NME<\/em>\u2019s list of the most anticipated albums coming out this year so far.<\/p>\n Words by: Karen Gwee, Rhian Daly and Ziwei Puah.<\/em><\/p>\n 1<\/span><\/p>\n The Cribs, \u2018Selling A Vibe\u2019 (January 9, Sonic Blew)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n The Cribs<\/a>\u2019 dyed-in-the-wool punk<\/a> spirit has always had a hint of pop<\/a> to it, whether in their irresistible melodies or effortless knack for writing choruses that worm into your brain. They tap into that side of the band on their ninth album, aided by Chairlift<\/a>\u2019s Patrick Wimberly and his arsenal of modern pop production techniques. These are tunes primed to make you move, but the trio also turn their lens inwards and confront their relationship \u2013 and bond \u2013 as brothers and all the baggage from a lifetime dedicated to their craft. RD<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 2<\/span><\/p>\n Dry Cleaning, \u2018Secret Love\u2019 (January 9, 4AD)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Produced by experimental indie<\/a> royalty, Cate Le Bon, Dry Cleaning<\/a>\u2019s third album features hints of the musician\u2019s influence as the London band venture into folkier moments. From six-minute looping singles to industrial blasts of noise, \u2018Secret Love\u2019 shows the band remain as adventurous as ever. RD<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 3<\/span><\/p>\n Mon Rov\u00eea, \u2018Bloodline\u2019 (January 9, Nettwerk Music Group)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Liberia-born, Tennessee-raised musician Mon Rov\u00eea has already captivated audiences with his tender, meditative music that blends folk<\/a> traditions with modern storytelling. He\u2019s set to grow his community even more with his debut album, \u2018Bloodline\u2019, which will explore themes of identity, survival and transformation. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 4<\/span><\/p>\n Zach Bryan, \u2018With Heaven On Top\u2019 (January 9, Belting Bronco Records)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Zach Bryan<\/a> will follow up his 2024 album \u2018The Great American Bar Scene\u2019 (which featured the likes of Bruce Springsteen<\/a> and John Mayer<\/a>) with the new record \u2018With Heaven On Top\u2019, which he completed recording only in December. The album is just the start of a busy 2026 for Bryan: the country<\/a> star will spend a lot of it on the road, playing stadiums in the US, Europe and UK. KG<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 5<\/span><\/p>\n A$AP Rocky, \u2018Don\u2019t Be Dumb\u2019 (January 16, AWGE\/Polo Grounds\/RCA)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n After a years-long legal battle, A$AP Rocky was found not guilty last February for his role in a 2021 shooting incident<\/a>. His fourth album \u2018Don\u2019t Be Dumb\u2019 \u2013 preceded by singles such as \u2018Pray4DaGang\u2019, \u2018Ruby Rosary\u2019 and \u2018Tailor Swif\u2019 and coming nearly eight years after his last album, \u2018Testing\u2019 \u2013 then feels like the return of a prodigal son. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 6<\/span><\/p>\n Clothesline From Hell, \u2018Slather On The Honey\u2019 (January 16, 444%)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n The restless indie songs Toronto-based artist Adam LaFramboise makes as Clothesline From Hell aren\u2019t all as baldly aggressive as his namesake (a finishing move in wrestling that entails slamming your forearm into your opponent\u2019s neck). But there are still sinister undercurrents to his first full-length \u2018Slather On The Honey\u2019, especially the track \u2018Drug Of Choice\u2019, which features contributions from former BADBADNOTGOOD<\/a> member Matthew Tavares. KG<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n \nAdvertisement<\/span> 8<\/span><\/p>\n Madison Beer, \u2018Locket\u2019 (January 16, Epic Records\/Sing It Loud)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n American pop artist Madison Beer<\/a> will make her highly anticipated return with her third album, \u2018Locket\u2019. The record comes on the heels of her Grammy<\/a>-nominated 2024 house hit \u2018Make You Mine\u2019, which she followed up last year with the similarly dance-driven songs \u2018Yes Baby\u2019 and \u2018Bittersweet\u2019. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 9<\/span><\/p>\n Sassy 009, \u2018Dreamer+\u2019 (January 16, Heaven-Sent\/PIAS)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s been a long road for Norwegian musician Sunniva Lindg\u00e5rd, who\u2019s finally releasing her first full-length album nearly a decade after debuting as Sassy 009<\/a>. The idiosyncratic alt-pop record, titled \u2018Dreamer+\u2019, will notably feature guest appearances from Blood Orange<\/a>, BEA1991 and Yun\u00e8 Pinku<\/a>. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 10<\/span><\/p>\n Sleaford Mods, \u2018The Demise Of Planet X\u2019 (January 16, Rough Trade Records)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n \u2018The Demise Of Planet X\u2019 is billed as<\/a> Sleaford Mods\u2019 \u201cmost expansive and ambitious release to date\u201d, and you can get a sense of the broad scope they\u2019re aiming for here just via the list of collaborators alone. Indie-folk singer-songwriter Aldous Harding pops up alongside grime<\/a> MC Snowy; soul<\/a> singer Liam Bailey rubs shoulders on the tracklist with Sue Tompkins, formerly the frontwoman of Scottish indie-rockers Life Without Buildings<\/a>. Guests aside, it\u2019s a record that does what the Mods do best \u2013 capturing the state of our world with their trademark incisiveness and humour. RD<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 11<\/span><\/p>\n EXO, \u2018Reverxe\u2019 (January 19, SM Entertainment)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s been three long years, but K-pop boyband EXO<\/a> are returning with their eighth studio album \u2018Reverxe\u2019. However, the record will be their first with only six of the band\u2019s members \u2013 Suho<\/a>, Chanyeol<\/a>, D.O.<\/a>, Kai<\/a>, Sehun<\/a> and the returning Lay<\/a> \u2013 amid contractual disputes between the group\u2019s label, SM Entertainment<\/a>, and the remaining three members: Chen<\/a>, Baekhyun<\/a> and Xiumin<\/a>. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 12<\/span><\/p>\n Ari Lennox, \u2018Vacancy\u2019 (January 23, Interscope Records)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Ari Lennox is making her comeback with her third studio album, \u2018Vacancy\u2019, which will be her first release since parting ways with J. Cole<\/a>\u2019s Dreamville imprint. The R&B<\/a> star has previewed her new era with a trio of well-received singles: the flirtatious \u2018Soft Girl Era\u2019, old-school soul track \u2018Under The Moon\u2019, and the album\u2019s sultry title track. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 13<\/span><\/p>\n Louis Tomlinson, \u2018How Did I Get Here?\u2019 (January 23, 78 Productions Limited)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Written between the English countryside and Costa Rica, Louis Tomlinson<\/a>\u2019s third solo album taps into sunny sounds. Pre-release singles \u2018Lemonade\u2019 and \u2018Palaces\u2019 dive into Tame Impala<\/a>-esque psych-pop and surging, summery indie riffs, respectively, teeing the record up as a candidate for some January blues-busting. RD<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 14<\/span><\/p>\n Megadeth, \u2018Megadeth\u2019 (January 23, BlkIIBlk Records)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Megadeth<\/a>\u2019s upcoming self-titled 17th studio album might be their final record, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019ll be the end of the road for the iconic thrash metal band just yet. Frontman Dave Mustaine<\/a> has suggested that Megadeth will continue to tour for \u201canother three to five years\u201d<\/a> after the album\u2019s release. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 15<\/span><\/p>\n Poppy, \u2018Empty Hands\u2019 (January 23, Sumerian Records)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Poppy\u2019s already been on an interesting journey in her career, from her early insistence that she was an android to becoming the first solo female act to be nominated for a Best Metal Performance Grammy. Her latest chapter finds her reuniting with former Bring Me The Horizon<\/a> member and now go-to metal<\/a> producer Jordan Fish<\/a> for what promises to be another inventive record. RD<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 17<\/span><\/p>\n Searows, \u2018Death In The Business Of Whaling\u2019 (January 23, Last Recordings On Earth)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Alec Duckart aka Searows<\/a> is not the first artist to have been inspired by Moby Dick<\/em>, and he will not be the last. The Oregon-based singer-songwriter pulled from the literary epic for his new album \u2018Death In The Business Of Whaling\u2019 \u2013 but also from shoegaze and The Antlers<\/a> circa \u2018Undersea\u2019. The result is a contemplative folk record that\u2019s perfect for the winter. KG<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 18<\/span><\/p>\n XG, \u2018The Core\u2019 (January 23, XGALX)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n One of the most exciting idol acts of our generation, Japanese group and former NME Cover<\/em><\/a> stars XG are gearing up to release their long-awaited debut album. Titled \u2018The Core\u2019 and previewed by the high-energy dance single \u2018GALA\u2019, the record promises to be the culmination of years of hard work and budding potential. ZWP<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 19<\/span><\/p>\n Softcult, \u2018When A Flower Doesn\u2019t Grow\u2019 (January 30, Easy Life Records)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Canadian duo Softcult have been building a loyal following with their grungy shoegaze, feminist advocacy and consistent touring. In January, they\u2019ll finally release their debut album, which they\u2019ve said was \u201cwritten from the perspective of someone who has been radicalised by traumatic experiences, empowered by their own resilience, and who ultimately heals and blossoms into the person they were always meant to be in spite of an environment that tried to break them\u201d. KG<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/span><\/div>\n 20<\/span><\/p>\n Whitelands, \u2018Sunlight Echoes\u2019 (January 30, Sonic Cathedral)<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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