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What are the most anticipated albums of 2026?
What music will we listen to in 2026? Numéro has selected the most anticipated albums of the upcoming months, from Lana Del Rey to Ariana Grande, Charli xcx, Beyoncé, Addison Rae, Madonna and Olivia Rodrigo.
By Violaine Schütz,
and Camille Bois-Martin.
Published on 28 August 2025. Updated on 3 June 2026.
The most anticipated albums of 2026
2025 kicked off with new releases from Bad Bunny, Selena Gomez, Franz Ferdinand, and Mac Miller. On the French scene, singers Solann, Miki, and Eloi made waves with their latest records.
During Fall 2025, Rosalía, FKA twigs, Aya Nakamura, Parcels, Jehnny Beth, Olivia Dean, Flora Fishbach, Myd and Ethel Cain came back with new albums.
Over the course of 2026, Tyla, Charlotte Cardin, and many other artists could also release new projects. Our editorial team gives you an overview of the most anticipated albums of 2026.
Olivia Rodrigo’s third album slated for June 2026
American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has been teasing her return for several months. She had hinted that 2026 would be a “busy year” for her, and her social media regularly showed her in the studio. Then, she officially announced the release of a highly-anticipated third album, following the critical and commercial success of Sour (2021) and Guts (2023).
Set for release on June 12th, this new record is titled You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. Another romantic title in keeping with the promotional videos shared by the singer, in which she is seen attaching padlocks to bridges around the world, from Paris to Los Angeles. Her first single, released on April 17th, gave us a better sense of the project’s musical direction…
You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo, coming out on June 12th, 2026.
The Strokes announce a seventh album
After unveiling the track Going Shopping a week ago, The Strokes have confirmed the rumours surrounding their new album. In an Instagram post and a short ten-second video shared on YouTube, the New York rock band revealed that their seventh record will be released on June 26th, 2026.
Titled Reality Awaits, the project marks their big return after a long absence. The album is expected to stay true to The Strokes’ signature rock sound. Johann Rashid created the cover art, which depicts a man on horseback in the Wild West. It reinterprets a Marlboro advertisement, previously revisited by Richard Prince in 1989…
Reality Awaits by The Strokes, coming out on June 26th, 2026.
Madonna gets ready to make a comeback on the dancefloor
The iconic Madonna is set to leave her mark in 2026 with a highly anticipated new album. And not just any album… The Queen of Pop is reportedly working on a direct follow-up to Confessions on a Dance Floor, titled Confessions II. Released in 2005, the original record had the whole world dancing. The mere announcement is enough to reignite fans’ excitement, as it remains one of the high points of her career.
While little information had leaked about the project until now, it is shaping up to be a return to the club energy and hedonism that helped define Madonna’s legacy. Unveiled on April 15th, 2026, the promotional visuals confirmed the project’s festive spirit. Shot by Rafael Pavarotti, the pop icon appears in fishnet stockings, a short silk dress and a purple veil, or in a bodysuit with blue leather gloves and a silver bomber jacket.
According to information gathered from YouTube and Instagram, the album will be highly dance-driven, with dance-pop and disco influences. The release date is scheduled for July 3rd, 2026, by Warner Records, the label where her career began. Fans are also hoping for features from pop stars Addison Rae, Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande. As a matter of fact, Madonna is wearing the latter’s Swarovski jewelry collection on her album cover.
Confessions II by Madonna, coming out on July 3rd, 2026.
Music, fashion, film, Charli xcx’s new project
It’s the news no one was expecting. Already at the center of attention since the release of the film Wuthering Heights (2026), for which she composed the soundtrack, Charli xcx is riding the wave of her success with another project. After deleting every post from her Instagram account, the British singer posted a black-and-white photo of herself in the studio in April 2026, wearing headphones. The caption? “I love making things.”
In June 2026, Charli xcx announced the release of the album Music, Fashion, Film, on July 24th. A new record she made in only ten days during a stay at Studio Boyer in Paris in October 2025. According to the singer’s comments in British Vogue, this seventh studio album will be driven, in part, by guitars. She admitted that the dancefloor was dead and that the time had come for rock… The album cover is already iconic, featuring Martin Scorsese, Marc Jacobs and John Cale.
Music, Fashion, Film by Charli xcx, coming out on July 24th, 2026.
A*POP, Tyla’s new opus expected for the summer
After carving out a niche for herself at the crossroads of global pop, African influences and contemporary R’n’B, Tyla, 24, is about to take things to the next level with A*POP. Her upcoming album is scheduled for release on July 24th. Announced as a turning point in her career, the project should further cement her status as a major artist on today’s music scene.
A first preview was unveiled on April 17th with the track She Did It Again, in collaboration with Zara Larsson. It condensed everything that makes her so powerful, from catchy melodies to sensual rhythms and a resolutely international aura. Still shrouded in mystery, her new album project is already shaping up to be one of the most eagerly-awaited releases of the summer.
A*POP by Tyla, coming out on July 24th, 2026.
Petal by Ariana Grande
After a much-talked-about return in 2025, Ariana Grande is ready to release a new album, Petal, scheduled for release on July 31st, 2026. While 2026 is already shaping up to be a busy year with the launch of The Eternal Sunshine Tour — her first tour since 2019 — it will also bring a series of new songs, including the single Hate That I Made You Love Me.
The star has also unveiled a series of new photographs of herself. Romantic, melancholic and ethereal images that set the tone for her eighth album. The record seems to be more intimate than overtly pop or dance-oriented.
Petal by Ariana Grande, coming out on July 31st, 2026.
Sexistensial, Robyn’s new record
Since the latest release of the track Dopamine (2025), Swedish artist Robyn seems to be entering a new phase of her musical journey. True to her signature dance music, the singer takes just a few minutes to remind us why she remains a key figure in alternative pop-dance. Enough to rekindle speculations about a new album, several years after Honey (2018). Two singles, Sexistential and Talk to me, did come out on January 7th, 2026.
Sexistential by Robyn, coming out on March 27th, 2026.
Kehlani’s long-awaited comeback
A key figure of R’n’B, Kehlani is reportedly about to unveil her fifth studio album this year. Driven by the growing success of the track Folded – nominated for Best R’n’B Song and Best R’n’B Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards – this new project could become one of the highlights of the upcoming months. Conceived as a direct follow-up to Crash (2024), the album could include the single Out The Window.
For her musical comeback, Kehlani surrounded herself with top-tier producers, including Pop Wansel (Rihanna, Alicia Keys) and Pharrell Williams. The singer has also confirmed a collaboration with Usher. All signs point to an album that could live up to the high expectationsof her audience…
Kehlani’s new album is scheduled for release in March 2026.
The long-awaited return of Björk
Four years after Fossora (2022), Björk is preparing for a major musical comeback in 2026. Still in development, her highly-anticipated new album will mark yet another chapter in the Icelandic artist’s experimental journey. According to early reports by the Reykjavík Art Festival, the project will be unveiled in May 2026.
Titled Echolalia and presented at the National Gallery of Iceland, an exhibition will take over the entire museum, showcasing Björk as the conductor of a project blending music, visual arts, performance and new technologies. A promising glimpse of a record once again shaping up to be a total work of art.
The release date of Björk’s new album is unknown yet.
Lana Del Rey’s new opus
The American artist announced the release of her tenth studio album, initially slated for May 21st, 2025, but then delayed. Following the stunning Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (2023), Lana Del Rey is reportedly taking a southern gothic turn with her new project, once titled Lasso, then The Right Person Will Stay, and finally Stove. Still, she confirmed that her new songs won’t stray far from her signature style.
The record could also explore country influences — a genre experiencing a renaissance thanks to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter. In the meantime, fans can enjoy the country-rap duet Tough with Quavo, as well as the beautiful single Henry, Come On.
Stove by Lana Del Rey is scheduled for release in May 2026.
Is Beyoncé taking a rock turn?
After the country-infused Cowboy Carter era (2024) and her triumphant 2025 tour, Beyoncé is teasing the final chapter of the trilogy that began with Renaissance (2022). Among leather outfits and heavy metal merch, everything leads us to believe that her upcoming album will be rock. One tale-tell sign is the rock aesthetic she embraced in August 2025 in The Denim Cowboy promotional video for Levi’s. The final scene shows Beyoncé at night, on a motorcycle, with short curly hair, denim jacket, and strongly hints at a musical pivot to electric guitars.
The release date of Beyoncé’s new album is unknown yet.
A collaboration between Addison Rae and Madonna?
With her ultra-pop single Diet Pepsi, American singer Addison Rae enjoyed massive success on social media in the summer 2024. Shot in black and white, the video channels the sensuality of other pop icons, such as Lana Del Rey. The aesthetic continued to resonate with audiences with the release of Aquamarine in October 2024, a more dance-pop-leaning single. Directed by Sean Price Williams (The Sweet East), the video further cemented Addison Rae’s status as a rising pop act to watch closely.
The pop star also made waves by lending her voice to a remix of Von Dutch, one of the standout tracks from the landmark album Brat, featuring Charli xcx and A.G. Cook. It marked a major milestone for the American artist, who initially rose to fame on TikTok, where she remains one of the platform’s most followed celebrities. However, the young artist is now entirely focusing on pop music and cinema (Thanksgiving).
Following the release of her brilliant debut album Addison (2025), Addison Rae keeps rising. Nominated for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, she is now taking X (formerly Twitter) by storm with rumors of a collaboration with Madonna on the latter’s upcoming album. A thrilling prospect given how close the two artists’ universes are. Even better? The star behind the hit Headphones On (2025) and Fame is a Gun (2025) is reportedly set to release a new album in 2026.
The release date of Addison Rae’s new album is unknown yet.
Will Doechii drop a new album in 2026?
Rapper Doechii closed out 2025 with the splendid Girl, Get Up, a single released on December 30th in collaboration with SZA. The track has reignited rumours of a possible new studio album following her electrifying mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal (2024). Expectations are high for the artist, who also appears on A$AP Rocky’s latest record and has established herself as one of today’s most talented rappers in just a few years.
Doechii’s new album does not have a release date yet.
Rihanna’s grand comeback?
This isn’t just one of the most anticipated albums of 2026… It is also the most anticipated one of 2024, 2023, 2022, and even earlier. For the past few years, singer Rihanna has been deeply focused on her cosmetic and lingerie brands, Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty. Still, many fans continue to dream of her return to music… With her husband A$AP Rocky‘s upcoming album, Don’t Be Dumb, it is rather easy to imagine a featuring with the singer on that record. Will 2026 finally be the year of a brand-new release from Riri? We can only hope.
The release date of Rihanna’s new album is unknown yet.
The xx: A comeback seven years later?
Seven years after their sublime album I See You (2017), The xx finally seem ready to write a new chapter. Back in the studio since 2024, the British trio is reportedly working on a fourth album. Their first collective sessions in years. The news was confirmed by singer Romy in an interview with NME, where she described a creative process that is deliberately free and “quite open” musically speaking. While few details have been unveiled, one thing is certain — the return of The xx is already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated musical events of 2026.
The release date of The xx’s album is unknown yet.
Massive Attack is making a big comeback
Another good news, Massive Attack are also making a major comeback in 2026. The Bristol collective recently teased their new songs, five years after their EP Eutopia (2020). Staying true to their political commitments, the group, led by Robert Del Naja, announced that the new tracks will be released both digitally and physically under a new label. This move follows their departure from Spotify earlier this year, in protest against the platform’s CEO investing in military technologies. A bold stance, in keeping with the spirit of their music, and one that makes this comeback all the more exciting.
The release date of Massive Attack’s new album is unknown yet.
A new Ariana Grande album in the works?
Following a high-profile return in 2025, Ariana Grande now seems ready to drop a new record. With 2026 already shaping up to be a major year thanks to the launch of The Eternal Sunshine Tour, her first tour since 2019, many see this as a strong indication of a new musical project in the making. Her subtle teasers and an increasingly busy schedule suggest that 2026 could mark not only her long-awaited return to the stage, but also the release of new songs.
Take for instance her latest Instagram post a week ago, in which she shared photos of herself in the studio. Whether at the microphone or tweaking compositions on her computer, the American singer has left her fans buzzing, each coming up with their own theories about the release of her eighth album.
The release date of Ariana Grande’s new album is unknown yet.
Will Dua Lipa be back this autumn?
After dominating the pop charts in recent years, following the global success of Radical Optimism (2024), Dua Lipa seems ready to open a new chapter. Several clues hinted at a new album slated for autumn 2026, amid persistent rumours and carefully teased hints.
A recent series of photos of the singer in the studio shared on Instagram is the perfect illustration. Enough to fuel speculation, especially as the British tabloid newspaper, The Sun, has also reported that a project is in the works. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but her return is already shaping up to be one of the year’s major musical events.
Dua Lipa’s new album does not have a release date yet.
Céline Dion’s big comeback
On March 30th, Céline Dion took Paris by storm. After moving the French capital with her performance on top of the Eiffel Tower for the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Canadian singer returned to the iconic monument to announce the upcoming dates of her Paris tour, starting in September 2026.
As the tickets for her concerts at Paris La Défense Arena sold out within just a few days, Céline Dion unveiled a new single this week. Written by Jean-Jacques Goldman, the track Dansons came out on April 17th, 2026. All signs hint at a possible new album… Although very little information is known at this stage, the singer has reportedly spent the past few weeks in the studio.
Céline Dion’s new album does not have a release date yet.
