The most anticipated albums of 2026 (and what they might sound like)
There’s no rest for the wicked, and as we put the full stops in our favourites lists from 2025 and turn our attentions towards what albums might be coming out in 2026.
Album runs aren’t what they used to be, where in previous years, we would have dates, titles and singles by now for a lot of different 2026 releases, but artists like to be a bit more spontaneous these days. While we have confirmed releases and dates from a few artists such A$AP Rocky, Charli XCX and Gorillaz, it’s the speculation surrounding the others which remains the most exciting music news at the beginning of the year.
The likes of The xx, Bruce Springsteen, and Foals have all hinted that they have work to put out there in 2026; however, it remains to be seen what these records will be called, how they might sound, and when they will actually come out. We can make educated guesses, sure, but the secrecy surrounding them is too scrumptious to pass up on.
As such, these are our most anticipated albums of 2026, both confirmed and unconfirmed, as well as some guesses on what they might sound like.
Our most anticipated releases of 2026:
The xx – Unknown
When the Coachella line-up was announced, one of the most surprising names to appear was that of The xx, who haven’t performed together for several years. The fact they’re coming back together in 2026 can’t be treated as insignificant, and while they’re yet to confirm whether new music is on the horizon, it would be strange for them to reunite without anything in their back pocket.
The members never seem to stop working, whether that’s as a collective or as solo artists, so it’s not like they would be short on ideas, but without any official confirmation, it’s hard to speculate how this new music could sound; so instead, we sit with our fingers crossed in the hope that more light will be shed on this darkness soon.
Bruce Springsteen – Solo project
Yes, it seems the world’s greatest songwriter isn’t done yet, who, while doing interviews for his biopic, Deliver Me From Nowhere, confirmed that he had been working on a new solo project, which is set for release in 2026. That’s all we know about the upcoming venture, but the mere notion of getting some fresh Bruce Springsteen material is enough to really get the blood pumping, and that excitement intensifies when we consider how it might sound.
Springsteen and Donald Trump had a pretty public feud in 2025, with the former openly criticising the latter while on tour and Trump responding via social media. It’s the most scrutiny the musician has ever come under, and it paves the way for some of his most political and pointed music yet, so this new solo project might be some of his most honest yet, and it will be interesting to see what kind of form that takes.
Charli XCX – ‘Wuthering Heights Soundtrack’
Charli XCX’s 2023 album, Brat, was more than just a piece of music; it shook the world to its very core, impacting how people dress, act, and their way of life as a whole, giving neon green a new lease of life. Following such an album is a near-impossible task, but Charli XCX has managed to take a bit of pressure off the said follow-up by working on the soundtrack for Wuthering Heights.
While there will still no doubt be a great deal of stress that comes with handling the music for such a big motion picture, the fact that it comes as part of a collective creative effort rather than just a Charli XCX offering means the pop superstar can ease herself into the post-Brat era. Regardless, we still can’t wait to hear Wuthering Heights get the hyperpop treatment, as snippets of the record sound like the most chaotic love story of all time, draped in both heavy pop and romanticism.
Björk – Unknown
Björk’s last album, Fossora, came out in 2022, and it looks like the Icelandic experimental pop sensation doesn’t intend on leaving it too long to bring out something new. As is always the case with Björk, what direction she intends on is unknown, as the artist remains as wonderfully unpredictable as ever.
Here’s what we do know: Björk will be hosting an exhibition at the National Gallery of Iceland next summer called Echolalia, which will consist of three separate “immersive installations”. Two have been named, and these are ‘Ancestress’ and ‘Sorrowful Soil’, however, it’s the third that music lovers are most curious about, which is yet to be given a name, but it will be a “new work based on music from her forthcoming album, currently in development”.
Foals – Unknown
Every single record Foals have ever put into the world has been an instant classic, whether that was the calculated math rock of their early work or the more rock-heavy offerings on recent albums.
They are constantly pushing themselves and releasing some of the greatest indie music on the market as a result, with their most recent album, Life Is Yours, released in 2022. It’s been four long years since the band put out new material, but it seems that the wait might finally be over, as in a cryptic Instagram post, Foals shared a photo of a handwritten note that said “Happy New Year! 2026 The year of the horse…”; we wait with bated breath to see what the band has in store.
A$AP Rocky – ‘Don’t Be Dumb’
It’s the rap album which has been delayed plenty of times, but now might finally be getting released. Don’t Be Dumb is set for release on January 16th, and given A$AP Rocky’s stance as one of the most exciting rappers around, paired with the fact that his last album is now old enough to ride a bike without safety wheels, this record might be one of the most anticipated rap releases in recent years.
Fans got their first taste of the album on Monday, and it seems Rocky is continuing to explore the psychedelic sounds he has previously touched upon in his career, blending indie rock, psychedelia and hip hop in a way that doesn’t sound like anything the hip hop world has experienced before, definitely contending as a record for the ages.
Gorillaz – ‘The Mountain’
Gorillaz seem unable to leave it very long before releasing new music, but so long as they keep sounding as good as they do, you won’t see us complaining. The Mountain is set for release at the back end of February, and given that the group has already released four songs from the record, we can already make a pretty good guess about how it might sound.
Tracks with the likes of Sparks, IDLES and Omar Souleyman show two constants which circulate Gorillaz’s career: They want to work with everyone, and everyone wants to work with them. With other features on the album including names like Mark E Smith, Johnny Marr and Black Thought, and the copious amounts of Indian music samples and influences, this is an LP with a sufficient amount of hype surrounding it.
