All right, New Year, 2026. Let's go.

Hey, everyone. It's Anthony Fantano. You know who it is. I'm bald. Yeah, that's right. Unfortunately, I have no plans to grow hair in the year 2026. But I do plan to review a lot of good and probably also bad music, which is why I thought I would come through the video over here and essentially go over the albums that I am anticipating most for this year.

We'll give you some titles, some release dates when we have them. But outside of any hard numbers, this video is, again, pretty much me hoping that we get some interesting releases this year in 2026. Let's go.

Okay, can we start off by saying, Drake, is this a safe space? But yeah, Drake's Iceman record, whether you love the guy or hate the guy, whether you have high hopes for this record, or you think it's going to be complete trash before you've even heard a second of it, for sure, it's going to be one of the biggest and most talked about releases of the year. Especially coming off the battle, the beef, and all the weird visual Pinocchio rollout stuff. So yeah, Iceman definitely happening this year.

I would say ASAP Rocky, but he already dropped. Don't Be Dumb is out. And I'm very much looking forward to diving into it.

2026, can we say the F word, Frank Ocean? I mean, we hold out hope for Frank. We want new Frank. It's a possibility. But I wouldn't bet on it, not even on one of those events, betting markets that are popular now. Don't do that.

All right. Also, though, Beyoncé should be completing her trilogy this year. In what form or sound will it take? We've had Dance Beyoncé, we've had Country Beyoncé. Next, is it going to be, I don't know, a free form Jazz Beyoncé? I guess we'll just have to see. Either way, I think the releases so far in this series have been super quality, so I am looking forward very much to the last installment.

We've also got J. Cole dropping The Fall-Off this year. We've already got a teaser and a track from that. It seems like he's been building up the hype really well behind the project, even though it has taken a minute to get it out there into the world.

Also going to be active this year and very much anticipating the new Doechii album. Love that she started off the year with Sza on "Girl, Get Up". Bop of a track, very personal, and thoughtful bars on that one. For sure, given the amazing highlights off of Alligator Bites. I have no reason to not expect her to smash it on this record.

And while I'm sure there are going to be some people in the comments hoping that Kendrick Lamar is active this year, who I'm really hoping to see, honestly and truly, is Baby Keem? Where is Baby Keem? Where is that guy? It's been so long since his last record. For sure, the dude has to have four or five phones by now. Can we get a new Baby Keem? He came onto the scene or had his breakout moment sounding like one of the most eccentric and out there and zany new voices that was making waves in the mainstream. Was certainly pulling Kendrick Lamar out of his shell a little bit and making him a little less serious and having some fun on some singles and tracks here and there. Can we hear some more Baby Keem, please?

Also really want to hear some Snow Strippers this year. They had a really cool run with some projects and mixtapes a little while and I'm wondering how they are going to build off of that momentum after being a little quiet in 2025.

Also wondering how EsDeeKid - and the greater UK rap scene, I guess you could say - are going to capitalize on all of the attention and hype they have been getting as of late, while for sure, EsDeeKid's latest project is doing really well. It's also a short album, so EsDeeKid could certainly deliver fans some more material.

We also have Harry Styles dropping this year with a record that has a very cool cover and a terrible title, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Ocassionally.. Either way, I very much am looking forward to seeing what Harry can do next, even if I haven't been the biggest fan of his last couple of records.

And speaking of white boys that have a pop sensibility, are The 1975 going to make some noise this year? I'm curious. I genuinely want to know.

Metalcore heavyweights Converge have a new album on the way. Another other teaser that has dropped around the time of me recording this video. They are still absolutely sounding loud and ferocious after all these years. No reason not to expect quality from Converge once again.

Death metal legends, Exhumed, have a new record on the way as well, Red Asphalt, and they've already given us a taste, given us a teaser. It seems like the whole record is going to be automobile, accident, and death-themed, which I think is pretty novel and refreshing.

And Genesis Owusu, after teasing us with a couple of great singles in 2025 with touches of post-punk and art pop and the like, didn't give us the full-length album in 2025, but it's probably coming in 2026.

Poppy and Ari Lennox are dropping their new records in January on the 23rd. We have Joji's Piss in the Wind, the first week of February as well, which I'm very much looking forward to.

For the hyperpop fans, Charli XCX is coming through with her Wuthering Heights soundtrack in the middle of February as well on the 13th. Danny L. Harle is dropping with Cerulean on the same day, too.

The new feature-packed Gorillaz album, which we've got a pretty great sense of given the singles. Robyn and Bruno Mars right now have release dates for their latest LPs. Many are expecting BTS and Madonna and also possibly Olivia Rodrigo to make triumphant returns this year as well.

Also wondering if Andre 3000 is going to further go down the jazz and instrumental music rabbit hole. I mean, obviously, there are a lot of fans who would love to hear him rapping again on a new project, and while I understand that, it seems like what he did on his last record is really where he wants to be going into the near future. I don't know, there were some highlights there. It would be interesting to see him follow things up, see how much more he could expand this sound.

Also in 2026, are we getting Lana Del Rey? It seems like she started beef with Ethel Cain out of nowhere, and then, I don't know, just disappeared. Fingers are crossed for that, honestly, although I'm not sure if I would be crazy about hearing that Ethel song on a new record.

And look, while I know Little Simz did treat us to a quality project in 2025. She typically has this habit of treating fans to these smaller, more stripped-down projects, in between bigger records and releases. Maybe hopes that are lower now that her creative process and the people who she usually works with, given the lyrics of her last record, has obviously changed and shifted quite significantly. But a little bit of new Simz in 2026 would be a blessing for sure.

Also, after giving us a very interesting and sometimes very dark and personal run of singles in 2025, what is YG going to do this year? He just continues to be this enigma of a West Coast rapper in terms of you just never know what you're going to get from him. Will it just be like a super slick, catchy Bay Area bop? Or is it going to be one of the most personally devastating stories you've ever heard a man say on the mic ever? Either way, looking forward to seeing what he does for sure.

Magdalena Bay are going to be making some noise again very soon, especially given they came through with a very quality, cool run of singles in 2025 that honestly saw them exploring some new territory stylistically and sonically, and it sounded great. Would be interested to see if some of this material turns up on a new record or if a new record goes further in any of the directions they set course on on those tracks. I'm really looking forward to the new Mandy, Indiana album, URGH. These guys are bringing together some very dark post-industrial dance, grooves and sounds that I think fans of, I don't know, maybe a Model/Actriz would certainly be into, or The Goths.

Jill Scott is actually dropping a new album very soon, to whom it may concern which I'm pretty excited about. It's been a while since we've had some Jill.

Pop artist supreme, TikTok phenomenon, Hemlocke Springs. Her new record has a release date set, and the singles so far have been sounding catchy and fire.

The experimental rock and experimental everything outfit, Xiu Xiu, actually just dropped a brand new record of covers. The range is insane, from Robyn to GloRilla. I will be diving into this record very soon, but I hear they're going to be active with some other stuff in 2026, and I'm excited for that. Can't say anything else.

Bill Callahan is also going to be dropping his My Days of '58 album in February. We got new Rob Zombie this year, new Lamb of God this year, the Canadian outfit, Holy F—, they're back. Drone metal legends' Sunn O))) are going to be dropping a new self-titled album of original material over in April. Damn Rothko painting on the front of the album, and a teaser track, with some pretty prominent piano.

Also, other things I'm hoping for and anticipating. Are we going to see more windmill scene madness in 2026? I sure want to. I know Armand Hammer's Elucid is going to be dropping more stuff this year. Anything Billy Woods or Armand Hammer related is going to make me happy, obviously.

Also, is Lil Nas X okay? Hopefully, yes, because some of those recent singles were pretty great, but unfortunately, he seems to have been dealing with some personal issues as of late, and I hope that hasn't thrown things too off track and that he's all right.

Also, will we see Death Grips make an actual album return this year? Fingers crossed. Will we see Phoebe Bridgers making some noise? Mitzki, I know, is up to something. She's got a brand new "Where's My Phone" single.

Looks like we're also going to get a solo Kim Gordon album this year, which is pretty cool, though the tone of the first track is not exactly as heavy, industrial or spoken word oriented as the collective. So definitely expect something different.

Formerly known as Injury Reserve, hip hop experimentalists, now named By Storm, they are dropping a record this year via Dead Air. That has been announced, and I'm very much looking forward to that. Also, Kristen Hayter, aka Lingua Ignota. Will we be hearing from her this year? Hopefully, yes. It's been a while since not only Sinner Get Ready, but the Reverend Kristen Hayter record, which I also thought was pretty great.

Additionally, there is rarely a year where King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard isn't making some noise. The boys got to be cooking something up this year for sure.

But yeah, look, for sure there's going to be even more than all of that dropping this year, and I'm looking forward to all of it. Let me know in the comments who you really want to hear from in 2026. What albums are you looking forward to the most?
Anthony Fantano, anticipating albums, forever.