Waiting for new music? January 2026 has a lot to offer as Madison Beer, A$AP Rocky, Alter Bridge and more drop new albums

January 2026 feels like the start of something loud, emotional, and exciting in music. It’s one of those months where every genre has a reason to show off. Pop fans are getting honesty, hip hop heads are finally getting long waits paid off, country lovers are getting raw stories, and rock fans are being treated to riffs that feel heavy in the chest. There’s a bit of heartbreak, a bit of healing, and a bit of “turn it up and walk away from everyone” energy too.

With The Kid LAROI, Madison Beer, Louis Tomlinson, Zach Bryan, A$AP Rocky, Megadeth, and Alter Bridge all gearing up to release new albums, there’s no chance of an empty playlist this month.

Laroi has always had that “mate, I’m hurting but I’ll sing through it” energy. This time, he’s leaned into it fully. He rewrote the whole project fast, binned an older version, and started again. The singles already out feel like diary pages. It’s messy in the right way. Not messy like unfinished, but messy like real life.

Madison explained this album like keeping memories in a tiny box close to your heart. The songs feel shiny, but not fake. They sound like someone who cried, got up, fixed her hair, and walked out stronger. It’s pop that feels personal, not plastic.

Louis has grown into his own voice over the years. This album feels hopeful. He wrote parts of it while travelling, and you can feel the sun in some of the melodies. It’s the sound of someone finally making the music they always wanted to make.

Zach doesn’t sing, he talks in tune. His songs always feel like campfire stories told by a tired but honest soul. This album has 21 tracks, lots of soft feelings, lots of looking back at life, and a lot of heart.

Eight years is a long wait, innit? Rocky fans have practically made memes out of that gap. Now it’s finally here. The first singles sound sharp, strange, and confident. It’s the album of someone who knows they’re good, and doesn’t need to shout it, but will anyway.

This one’s emotional for metal fans. It’s their last album as a band. Heavy, fast, loud, and sentimental in its own fiery way. A proper goodbye era.

Hard rock lovers are getting that chunky guitar sound back. Alter Bridge albums always feel like gym music and heartbreak music had a baby. It’s loud, but with meaning.