Albums to Put on Repeat January 2026
By Shannon Dutra
The best thing about a new year is new music! Read on for albums to find some upcoming records I’m excited about in 2026.
January 9
Yeah, Mostly by Will Epstein
Composer and songwriter Will Epstein returns with a new album in early 2026. In September, Epstein released a single That’ll Be Me off the forthcoming album. The track is a song that finds Epstein wrestling with grief. In a statement, the artist stated he wrote it in response to the LA fires and the passing of his grandmother. Yeah, Mostly is a collection of 11 songs that function as a short story with distinct chapters. With tracks about a grandparent’s funeral, a night in Los Angeles, and other stories of life, there’s something that will appeal to every listener.
Secret Love by Dry Cleaning
Post-punk English band, Dry Cleaning, will release their third album in early January. The band released their first single from the record, Cruise Ship Designer, on Dec. 4. This album is the band's first with a new producer, Cate Le Bon.
January 23
Boycott Heaven by The Format
Six years after the pandemic halted The Format’s reunion in 2020, the indie-pop band returns with a new album in mid-January. The first single, Holy Roller, is a vulnerable one that captures the sound and themes of the band’s previous work. Announced on Oct. 6, Boycott Heaven comes 20 years after the band’s 2006 release Dog Problems. The album will be released through The Vanity Label, a project from the band’s lead vocalist, Nate Ruess, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Means.
How Did I Get Here? by Louis Tomlinson
The third album by Tomlinson also arrives in mid-January. The former One Direction member dropped the first single as part of the album’s promotion, Lemonade, on Sept. 30. The second single, Palaces, was released on Nov. 13. Tomlinson has stated that this album will feature lighter themes. How Did I Get Here? follows his previous albums, Walls, released in 2020, and Faith in the Future, released in 2022.
INDI by Callum Beattile
In November, Scottish singer-songwriter, Callum Beattile, announced his return to music with his third studio album INDI. Ahead of the album, Beattile released Two Pretenders — a single that's a poignant love song about two people desperate to find each other. Another single, Pins and Needles, was also released in 2025. INDI is Beattile’s first independent release.
January 26
Closer to Happy by JOSEPH
Indie-folk duo JOSEPH, comprised of sisters Natalie and Meegan Closner, will release their fourth studio album Closer to Happy. The first single Ready to Let You Down was released on Sept. 11. The track’s lyrics highlight how we can embrace imperfection, even if it doesn’t feel right.
January 30
Can I Get a Pack of Camel Lights? by Geologist
Brian Ross Weitz, of the band Animal Collective, leads Geologist. Can I Get a Pack of Camel Lights? is their debut album as a solo artist, which will be released at the end of January via Drag City. The album’s lead single Tonic, a distorted electronic track, was released on Oct. 28.
