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12 New Albums You Should Listen to Now: Kelela, Jack White, and More
Pitchfork's weekly New Music Friday round-up highlights 12 noteworthy new releases available to stream, spanning R&B, blues-rock, garage rock, experimental electronica, trap and rage-rap. The selection is editorially chosen and intended to help listeners cut through the constant flood of new music, with headline entries from Kelela, Jack White and Future among the picks.
Among the highlights, Kelela's New Avatar is her third LP for Warp and reframes her beat-driven R&B through gritty shoegaze guitars, while Jack White's self-produced seventh album Frozen Charlotte returns him to stripped-back blues-rock. Future's The Real Me is a 22-track, 10th solo album and his first proper studio record since 2022's I Never Liked U; New Orleans band Twisted Teens deliver their second album of 2026, the 13-track Florida Water Blues; and 19-year-old Philadelphia rapper Slayr issues his six-track EP Avant Nova. Other featured acts include experimental drummer-producer Gloorp (Garrett Burke) and the duo Panda Bear and Sonic Boom, whose A ? of When is notably not available to stream.
In short
- Pitchfork rounds up 12 recommended new album releases this week.
- Kelela, Jack White and Future lead the picks.
- Selections span R&B, blues-rock, garage, electronica and rap.
Explained simply
Pitchfork, a music journalism website, publishes a weekly roundup called New Music Friday. The feature highlights newly released albums and songs from the thousands that emerge each week across streaming services. It aims to help music fans navigate the overwhelming volume of new releases.
The music industry releases an enormous number of new songs and albums every week, making it nearly impossible for listeners to keep track on their own. Many worthwhile artists and records can easily get lost in this constant flood of new material. Curated roundups like this serve as a guide to help music fans discover quality work they might otherwise miss.
By selecting music across various genres and featuring both established and emerging artists, these weekly roundups expose listeners to music they may not have sought out themselves. This curation helps readers discover new work that aligns with their interests. The feature functions as a regular recommendation resource for music fans looking for guidance on what to listen to next.