best albums 2026 (so far)

Another year, another pile of great records.

We're at the halfway mark, so here's a selection of my favourite albums of 2026 so far. Hope you find something you like.

Dig in and let me know what you think in the comments.

Ali x Charif Megarbane — Tirakat

Habibi Funk Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music Tidal

Alice Costelloe — Move On With The Year

Moshi Moshi Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Anadol x Marie Klock — Manivelles

Pingipung, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

A$AP Rocky — Don't Be Dumb

AWGE / RCA Records, 2026

♪ Web Spotify Apple Music Tidal

Ásgeir — Julia

One Little Independent Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Bernal — Vida y Milagros

Discos 17 Dolores, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify

Blackwater Holylight — Not Here Not Gone

Suicide Squeeze Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Blanket — True Blue

Adventure Cat Records, 2026

♪ Spotify Apple Music

Charli xcx — Wuthering Heights

Atlantic Records, 2026

♪ Web Spotify Apple Music Tidal

Chet Faker — A Love For Strangers

BMG, 2026

♪ Web Spotify Apple Music

Daniel Shake x МЫ — VAMOS A VER (EP)

Daniel Shake, 2026

♪ Spotify Apple Music

Danny L Harle — Cerulean

XL Recordings, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Daphni — Butterfly

Jiaolong, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music Tidal

Evangeline — Evangeline

Fourteen One Four, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Friko — Something Worth Waiting For

ATO Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Gorillaz — The Mountain

Kong, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Haute & Freddy — Big Disgrace

Atlantic Records, 2026

♪ Web Spotify Apple Music

Jalen Ngonda — Doctrine of Love

Daptone Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Kacey Musgraves — Middle of Nowhere

Lost Highway Records, 2026

♪ Web Spotify Apple Music

Lexa Gates — I Am

48 Lights / GoodTalk / Capitol Records, 2026

♪ Web Spotify Apple Music Tidal

Maig — PROU

Atlantic Records, 2026

♪ Spotify Apple Music

MØL — DREAMCRUSH

Nuclear Blast Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Nia Archives — emotional junglist

HIJINXX / Island Records, 2026

♪ Spotify Apple Music

Otro — Peanut Ballads For A Lone Star

Drowned By Locals, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music Tidal

Saidan — Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory's Wrist

Avantgarde Music, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify

Sydney Ross Mitchell — Cynthia (EP)

Disruptor Records, 2026

♪ Spotify Apple Music

The Blue Van — Recording Club of 1996

Nordic Music Society, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

The Olympians — In Search of A Revival

Daptone Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

The Sophs — GOLDSTAR

Rough Trade Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Tyler Ballgame — For The First Time, Again

Rough Trade Records, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

underscores — U

Mom + Pop Music, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Veronica Maggio — Sciura

Universal Music, 2026

♪ Web Spotify Apple Music

Vince Staples — Cry Baby

Loma Vista Recordings, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music Tidal

waterbaby — Memory Be a Blade

Sub Pop, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

Yumi Zouma — No Love Lost to Kindness

Nettwerk, 2026

♪ Bandcamp Spotify Apple Music

as always, my internet friend, plenty of great albums came out this year — but also some killer standalone songs worth a spin on their own. give them a listen here and keep the good times rolling!