The end of the year, after Spotify Wrapped arrives and the playlists start to repeat themselves, there always seems to be a bit of a music drought. The excitement of the year’s top releases comes to a halt, and listeners find themselves craving something new. 2025 was no different.
Luckily, the new year of 2026 is here to bring in fresh music. Exciting artists are planning their releases, ready to give listeners plenty of new songs for their rotations.
Much of the conversation has been centered around upcoming releases from artists like Harry Styles and Noah Kahan. Beyond those highly anticipated albums, many other talented musicians are stepping into the spotlight, dropping new LPs in the coming months.
In an industry that has long been male-dominated, women and nonbinary artists continue to push boundaries and expand the sound of music, and these are some of the artists shaping the sound of 2026.
February 13: Sarah Kinsley
Although an EP and not a full album, “Fleeting” by Sarah Kinsley came out on Feb. 13 and deserves some love. This EP takes the listener through the whirlwind of heartbreak.
“Fleeting” starts with “Lonely Touch,” which came out as a single earlier this year. This song is Kinsley’s usual loved tone — fun and upbeat — despite the themes of vulnerability and yearning. The second track, “Truth Of Pursuit,” has a very 80s feel and explores pursuing delusional romance.
“Reverie” follows and switches up the mood to absolutely devastating, crushing the idealistic fantasy of a relationship. “After All with Paris Paloma,” continues this sadness of a lingering heartbreak, reflecting on the fall of the relationship. The last and title track, “Fleeting,” brings us back to an upbeat synth-pop vibe about feelings being temporary and embracing change.
Kinsley is a storyteller. “Fleeting” brings the listener through the full story from a delusional fantasy relationship to heartbreak, then to moving on and embracing change, reassuring the listener that heartbreak is temporary or perhaps semi-permanent.
Honorable mention: Charli XCX “Wuthering Heights” – Feb. 13
February 27: Mitski
Mitski is next in line with her release of “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” on Feb. 27. Listening events will be held at record stores around the world on Feb. 21, to hear the new album ahead of the release.
Two songs have been released so far as singles, including “Where’s My Phone?” and “I’ll Change for You,” both with accompanying music videos. “Where’s My Phone?” released first with a weird, yet engaging video. The song uses a phone to highlight our connection to technology and disconnection from reality.
Mitski’s new album, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me,” is bound to bring us even more odd but good tunes.
March 27: Snail Mail
The next album on the timeline is “Ricochet” by Snail Mail, coming March 27. Two songs have been released so far, including “My Maker” and “Dead End.” “My Maker” features themes of morality and self-reflection, while “Dead End” focuses more on nostalgia and old relationships. These songs have an almost country-ish rock sound, making for good head nodding. Coincidentally, the last track on the album is named “Reverie,” which is also a song on Kinsley’s new album, “Fleeting.”
April 3: Arlo Parks
Coming April 3 is Arlo Parks’ “Ambiguous Desire,” almost three years after her last album release of “My Soft Machine.” She has dropped two singles to hold us over until April, including “HEAVEN” and “2SIDED.” “HEAVEN” has a mellow vibe that feels like driving with the window down. “2SIDED” is a bit grungier with a more electronic mood that feels more fit for dancing to at night.
April 24: Miss Grit
“Under My Umbrella” by the underrated Miss Grit releases April 24. I first heard Miss Grit in early 2024 when she opened for The Last Dinner Party. My jaw was on the floor. The sound of her music is something I hadn’t heard before, and the set was so cool to watch with her projections. They stay true to their unique sound and visual identity with their new album, as reflected in the new singles. Miss Grit says she is digging deeper with this album, revealing even more and not holding back. “Tourist Mind” and “Stranger” offer us insight into the upcoming release.
May 8: MUNA
MUNA continues to release queer anthems, including their upcoming album “Dancing On The Wall,” which comes out May 8. They released the title track along with a vintage-themed music video on Feb. 10. The electro-pop song is also about heartbreak, but in a different way than the other songs in this timeline. It is about knowing a relationship isn’t working, but remaining in the toxic loop anyway. MUNA’s songs always make for a good upbeat dance, and I am excited to see where they will go with this vintage theme.
Honorable mention: Maisie Peters – May 15
The collective themes of music in 2026
It seems to me that there is sadly a theme of heartbreak in almost all of the upcoming albums featured in this article. While all of the singles released so far have some similar themes, they each express them in their own ways with different stories and music styles, making 2026 a year to look forward to for music.
