10 upcoming albums to stream as the leaves change
Be honest — what good is an autumnal equinox without some new tuneage? Below, we've rounded up 10 of the most buzzed-about upcoming albums to get you excited for the cooler temps and hotter coffees ahead.
Olivia Rodrigo, 'GUTS' (Sept. 8)
You wanna talk brutal? Try waiting more than two full years for new music from Olivia Rodrigo, the 20-year-old pop wunderkind behind operatic earworms like "drivers license" and "deja vu." Luckily, the wait is almost over: "GUTS," Rodrigo's sophomore album, drops Sept. 8. "I made the bulk of this album during my 19th year on this earth," the singer wrote in a statement. "A year that, for me, was filled with lots of confusion, mistakes, awkwardness, and good old-fashioned teen angst." Singles "vampire" and "bad idea right?" are out now.
Tyler Childers, 'Rustin in the Rain' (Sept. 8)
Country raconteur Tyler Childers will drop his sixth studio album, "Rustin in the Rain," on Sept. 8, just as summer passes the torch to autumn. "This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to Elvis," Childers said of the project in a press release. "Some covers, one co-write, and some I even wrote in my best (terrible) Elvis impersonation, as I worked around the farm and kicked around the house." Lead single "In Your Love" is out now.
Mitski, 'The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We' (Sept. 15)
Indie-rock oracle Mitski will follow up 2022's excellent "Laurel Hell" with "The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We," the singer revealed in a voice memo in late July. Singles "Bug Like an Angel," "Heaven," and "Star" are out now.
Kylie Minogue, 'Tension' (Sept. 22)
If there is one lesson to learn from this year, it's that Kylie Minogue, the Australian diva behind LGBTQ+ anthem "Padam Padam," is still a star. Unlike her last two albums, Minogue said that "Tension," her 16th LP out Sept. 22, lacks a unifying theme. Rather, her writing process "was about finding the heart or the fun or the fantasy of that moment and always trying to service the song," the songstress noted in a press release. "I would say it's a blend of personal reflection, club abandon and melancholic high." Stream "Padam Padam" now.
Wilco, 'Cousin' (Sept. 29)
New music is everywhere (beware) thanks to Wilco's forthcoming "Cousin," the band's 13th studio album, out Sept. 29 The project was produced by Cate Le Bon, marking the first time since "Sky Blue Sky" that Wilco has used an outside producer in its work. In lead single "Evicted," frontman Jeff Tweedy said he was "trying to write from the point of view of someone struggling to make an argument for themself in the face of overwhelming evidence that they deserve to be locked out of someone's heart," per a press release.
Sufjan Stevens, 'Javelin' (Oct. 6)
Channel your spooky side with "Javelin," the latest from softspoken Sufjan Stevens, out Oct. 6. "Javelin" represents Steven's first solo "album of songs since 2020's 'The Ascension' and his first in full solo singer-songwriter mode since 2015's 'Carrie & Lowell,'" according to a press release posted on his website. The sure-to-be hauntingly beautiful project is also accompanied by a 48-page book of art and essays, which includes "meticulous collages, cut-up catalog fantasies, puff-paint word clouds, and iterative color fields."
Chief Keef, 'Almighty So 2' (Oct. 13)
"Almighty So," Chief Keef's 2013 mixtape, is "one of the rapper's most inventive and essential" projects, as described by Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre. "So naturally," Pierre continued, its long-awaited sequel "comes with major expectations." To be clear, Pierre is referring to "Almighty So 2," Keef's much-delayed follow-up that's scheduled to drop Oct. 13, but has been moved around and shuffled so much, per XXL Mag, that listeners might not believe the news until they press play on Spotify themselves.
Taylor Swift, '1989 (Taylor's Version)' (Oct. 27)
If there is a Taylor Swift-sized hole in your heart after missing the superstar's catalog-spanning Eras Tour, fret not: "1989 (Taylor's Version)" will be yours soon. The re-recorded project will be released Oct. 27, the same day the original version dropped in 2014, and will feature a total of 21 songs, including 5 previously unreleased tracks. Once the new "1989" hits stores, Swift must only drop her version of 2017's "Reputation" and 2006's "Taylor Swift" to complete her quest to re-record her first six albums.
Dolly Parton, 'Rockstar' (Nov. 17)
Country heavyweight Dolly Parton will try her hand at rock music with her new album "Rockstar," out Nov. 17. The project was inspired by Parton's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and will see the star team up with other musical legends for a "30-song collection" of originals and covers, according to a release. "I am very honored and privileged to have worked with some of the greatest iconic singers and musicians of all time and to be able to sing all the iconic songs throughout the album was a joy beyond measure," Parton said. Is there anything this woman can't do?
Nicki Minaj, 'Pink Friday 2' (Nov. 17)
The year of Barbie continues with Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday 2," the forthcoming follow-up to the rapper's beloved (and highly successful) 2010 album of a similar name. Minaj, whose devoted fanbase identifies its members as Barbz after one of the rapper's doll-inspired alter egos, last released a full-length project in 2018, though she has continued to chart since then with a number of well-performing features and singles. "I love you guys so much. I am so grateful for the years of support & love you guys have given me," Minaj said in an online announcement. "At times maybe I didn't even deserve all that you have poured into me. Nonetheless, you. will. love. this. album." Lead single "Last Time I Saw You" is out Sept. 1.