What songs and albums are coming out in 2026? Some artists let their fans know ahead of time, while others tease the audience to leave them guessing. The only thing we know for sure is that there is new music being released, and we should be excited for some of it.
Lana Del Rey, Noah Kahan, and other artists have hinted or explicitly told us their New Year’s plans. There is a lot of good music to come out in 2026, but it is not without controversy. Some artists are dealing with big issues and releasing music in spite of it.
Stove from Lana Del Rey
Despite her best efforts, Lana Del Rey’s newest album has been on the rocks. The artist began by teasing a country-themed album called Lasso, but this was quickly scrapped. Since then, she has switched it to be Americana- and timeless-themed.
In August, the artist said the next album would be called Stove and would be released at the end of January. Going back to Lasso, the album will be country-centered.
One reason for the delay of this album was the addition of six new songs. One of these includes a diss track on Ethel Cain. These songs are proving to be autobiographical, more than she may have initially planned.
After wanting to do a country album years ago, Del Rey is excited to bring her ideas back out. Hopefully, there will be no more delays, and her fans can listen to this album in early 2026.
Beer’s heart is in Locket
On Wednesday, October 22, Madison Beer made the release of her new album official: January 16, 2026. In this, she also released the cover art as an image of herself holding a locket.
Beer comments that each song in the album is like a chapter about her life and takes the listener on an emotional rollercoaster.
With the album, she released three singles: “Yes Baby,” “Bittersweet,” and “Make You Mine.” She sang the last two singles at a Victoria’s Secret fashion sho,w where she sported the iconic wings. The second one already has an official music video.
Beer claims that the songs are full of duality, both upbeat and emotional. Her love for the album pulls intrigue and anticipation for the release.
Kanye West: Bully or bullied?
The long-discussed album BULLY by West is once again delayed. It is scheduled for release on January 30, 2026.
The album was initially supposed to come out in September, November, and then December. West has been teasing the album for about a year, sharing snippets and videos from some of the songs from the album. In addition to delays, the album has gone through some name changes. West had it titled CUKKK and In a Perfect World.
Most of the album’s tracklist is released with snippets of lyrics for most of the songs. “Preacher Man” has the most views and is already available for streaming.
Some wonder if Kanye West is still relevant or worth listening to. With his past behaviors to other artists and collaborators, people wonder what his next album will be like.
I’m on Cloud 9 listening to Moroney’s new album
One of the most exciting releases of the new year, Megan Moroney, is releasing her third album on February 20.
Not only does this mean more music, but it also comes with a tour–right after her sold-out one two months prior. Cloud 9 is anticipated to be the next big thing in music and a huge launch for Moroney’s already strong career.
By announcing this tour, Moroney earned “Storyteller of the Year,” an award she won at a Hitmakers event in December of this year.
One song from the album “6 months later” already earned her a spot on Billboard 100, rising within the top 10 on the list.
Let’s just say that everyone is looking forward to this album. If you want to get tickets for the tour, it’s wise to do it sooner rather than later.
Duff coming back is luck, alright
After over a decade of no new music, Hillary Duff is ready to reclaim her place on the Top 100 list. Her album Luck… or Something releases on February 20th, 2026.
The last album she released was in 2015. This is Breathe In. Breathe Out. Duff feels that her newest album is about the luck that got her to this place in her life, but also the things that shaped who she is.
With this album, she is also coming back to the stage. Additionally, a docu-series about her return is to be directed by Sam Wrench. This will feature personal footage and behind-the-scenes looks at her comeback.
Don’t toy with me, Meghan
Despite the controversy surrounding her fitness journey, Meghan Trainor is releasing her seventh album. Recently, the artist has gone through a weight shift, and people are wondering about the legitimacy of her credibility. As an artist who always said to love your body, fans wonder how true she is to that after losing weight.
April 24 is the official release date of Trainor’s newest album Toy With Me. A single from the album titled “Still Don’t Care” discusses the backlash she got from her fitness journey.
The album still includes self-love pop songs, much like her other albums. The songs are focused on loving yourself despite what people say about your recent changes. She also brings her family into the album and the love she has for them.
It took the artist eight months to complete the album. After all that time, she cannot contain her excitement. Releasing a single has not been enough, a tracklist is also available. Parts of the lyrics for more than five of these songs are available online.
New Noah Kahan?
On Tuesday, December 2, Noah Kahan released a mysterious pre-save link on Spotify and Apple Music through his website.
Kahan also made a secret TikTok account with the username “@thelastofthebugs”. This made fans believe this may be the name of his newest album. Not only did he make an account, but he has also been posting teaser videos on it. Some of these videos directly say what the album will entail. On December 14, Kahan promised banjos in his newest album.
The artist admitted that he knows his fans have been waiting for his next album very patiently and wonders how people will perceive it. He commented that he is not allowed to say when it is going to be coming out, only that his fans will not have to wait forever.
With the buildup of these hints, Kahan should release his album in the next year. If he waits too long, he will have to deal with angry fans.
Rodrigo getting Sour
Olivia Rodrigo’s iconic Guts rings came off in August, but the artist is itching to get back on the road. She said that she thought to write an album called Guts and one called Sour, but needs time to consider. While the title of the album is in her grasp, she needs to be 100% sure this is the way she wants to go.
She has said that she is working on making a third album, but there is no release date. Sour, or whatever the name ends up being, could be released in 2026, but it could be later.
With fans knowing she’s working on it, they will not be patient if this third album takes a while to come out. Hopefully, we will hear from Rodrigo next year.
More music
Of course, these artists are not the only ones releasing music this year. Later in February, we will see Wuthering Heights from Charli XCX. Nick Jonas is giving us a solo album, Sunday Best, also in February.
With the albums already set for 2026, music listeners are in for a real treat. As the year goes on, we will hear from more artists than these, but we know that we should be excited for the music scene of 2026.
