Join 350,000+ subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of
The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
10 upcoming albums to stream in the fall air
Herald the beginning of sweater season with brand-new tunes
With summer at its end, many people are thrilled with the arrival of cooler weather, warm-beverage season and changing leaves. But you can also ring in the onset of fall with a collection of new albums from big-name artists.
Mykki Blanco is a singular individual in the music space, a rapper who rose from humble beginnings to collaborate with some of the industry’s biggest names. Now, he has released his fourth studio album, “CAFE PARADISO,” marking his first LP in four years.
Unlike his prior albums, “CAFE PARADISO” follows Blanco as he “emerges completely reborn, trading the persona-driven theatrics of previous releases for something more interior, sensual and exacting,” said Transgressive Records. The LP also pulls large amounts of symbolism from Blanco’s life on the road, having lived in New York City, Portugal, Chicago, Switzerland and more. (out now)
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Leon Bridges has become one of the most influential names in the soul and R&B genres. Coming off his successful country-inspired 2024 album “Leon,” Bridges is set to release his fifth LP, “Happiness Anytime.”
The album will combine the “sonic warmth of his beloved 2015 debut ‘Coming Home’ with the adventurous groove of his Khruangbin collaborations,” said DIY Magazine. There is a “feeling that we have to fix the problems of the world; you feel inadequate or it can be debilitating. My role is to be light,” Bridges said. The LP’s eponymous single is out now. (out now)
Orville Peck, ‘Mule’
Orville Peck - Already Gone (Official Music Video) - YouTube
Orville Peck’s popular country music, as well as his proclivity for not showing his face, make him another singular musician. Now the South Africa-born artist is back with his fourth studio album, “Mule,” his third LP in just six years.
The record is a “chronological account of the year I lost my way,” Peck said on Instagram. It represents a “candid account of his journey through addiction and sobriety and how he rebuilt his life,” said Music Row, describing the “divide between the larger-than-life persona of Orville Peck and the man behind the mask.” (out now)
Sign up for our Culture & Life newsletter
Your weekly digest of stories about entertainment and leisure, delivered every Friday
Space Afrika, ‘Quiet Storm’
Space Afrika - "If This Is Hell ft. Deuén" (Official Video) - YouTube
Electronic duo Space Afrika released their debut album in 2014, and since then have been steadily rising in the techno music space. Their upcoming fourth LP, “Quiet Storm,” expands on its “predecessor’s sound and scale in every direction as a sprawling, collaborative vision shaped with profound patience and intention,” said label Dais Records.
The album’s songs “allude to spirituality and the human condition, the tension between boldness and softness, ambition and the inner demons that persist.” Numerous big names in the techno genre also contribute to the LP. A single from the album, “If This is Hell,” is out now. (out now)
Pabllo Vittar leveraged a successful career as a drag queen to launch a musical platform, becoming an icon among Brazil’s LGBTQ+ community. Now the singer is back with her seventh LP, “Lost in Lust,” which will mark Vittar’s fifth studio album in just six years.
One notable song from the album, “Rockstar,” features Villano Antillano, who “made history as the first openly transgender and nonbinary artist to enter Spotify’s Global Top 50,” said The Line of Best Fit. The LP itself “pulls from pop, dance and electronic music while keeping Brazilian influences.” The single “Rockstar” is out now. (Oct. 1)
Greta Van Fleet has been entertaining audiences for over a decade since its founding in Michigan, and the rock band’s forthcoming fifth studio album, “Palace for the People,” looks to continue a string of successes. The album sees the band “continue to explore themes of humanity, connection, resilience and transcendence — building a body of work that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant,” said Blabbermouth.
The LP itself was heavily inspired by the band’s 2022 world tour. A single from the album, “Saw You Stand,” is out now. (Oct. 9)
Geologist, ‘The Sirens,’
Geologist & Kyle Simon - The Sirens: Opening - YouTube
Now you can dig in with Geologist, as the musician’s next outing, his fourth LP, “The Sirens,” is soon hitting the market. The Baltimore-born artist, who is also a member of the experimental pop band Animal Collective, “harnessed the power of the moon to record music,” said Pitchfork.
Geologist, working with visual artist Kyle Simon, accomplished this by fitting a telescope with optical lenses. When the telescope is pointed at the night sky, light from lunar objects is then “converted into an electrical signal via an analog amplifier.” The album’s opening is available now. (Oct. 16)
Anderson .Paak and Cordae, ‘Heavy is the Crown’
Anderson .Paak and Cordae are two of music’s most innovative artists, and fans of rap can rejoice at “Heavy is the Crown,” the pair’s first combined LP. The two rappers “go way back,” having “first linked on ‘RNP’ from Cordae’s 2019 debut ‘The Lost Boy,’ and have remained frequent collaborators,” said Pitchfork.
Both seem to have a close relationship, given the LP’s album art is a nod to the 2008 comedy film “Step Brothers.” No music from the album has been released. (Oct. 23)
Elly Jackson maintained her La Roux persona after her collaborative producer left in 2012, and she has been on a roll since. She is now set to release her first album in six years, and her fourth overall, “Old Flames.”
The album’s songs address the English singer’s “breakdown of a 17-year relationship, addiction and dealing with identity,” said The Line of Best Fit. It “says things how they are: how I am and who I am. It’s been a process of admitting what I got wrong,” she told the outlet. A single from the LP, “Cabin Fever,” is out now. (Nov. 6)
Ane Brun, ‘I Thought We Were the Same’
Ane Brun - 'Hold Me' | Official Music Video - YouTube
Norwegian musician Ane Brun released two albums in 2020, then took a break from LP work. Now she’s back with a vengeance with “I Thought We Were the Same,” her 11th studio album.
The LP is “being promised as Brun’s most personal work yet,” said The Needle Drop. With her latest release, Brun “wanted to experiment with how far I could take my music into a clearer and more pop sound with distinct choruses and hooks without the music losing its nerve,” she said in a statement. The lead single from the album, “Hold Me,” is out now. (Nov. 6)
Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.
