Happy New Music Friday! Jan. 23 brings us an absolutely stacked lineup of releases across every genre imaginable. Whether you’re in the mood for indie introspection, hip-hop innovation, or rock revival, this week has something special waiting for you.
Featured Highlights
The Format – Boycott Heaven
The long-awaited return of The Format feels like reconnecting with an old friend who’s lived a whole life since you last spoke. Nate Ruess and company deliver the kind of ambitious, emotionally rich indie rock that made them cult favorites in the first place, proving some things are worth the wait.
Ari Lennox – Vacancy
Ari Lennox continues to cement her place as one of R&B’s most compelling voices with “Vacancy.” Her ability to blend vulnerability with confidence creates something that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable, wrapped in production that’s as smooth as her delivery.
Roc Marciano – 656
Roc Marciano remains one of hip-hop’s most uncompromising auteurs, and “656” is another masterclass in sparse, cinematic production and intricate wordplay. His work exists in its own space—luxurious, deliberate, and endlessly rewarding for those willing to sink into its world.
Delaney Bailey – Concave
There’s something achingly beautiful about Delaney Bailey’s approach to songwriting on “Concave.” These songs feel like whispered confessions, intimate and quietly powerful, the kind of album that demands your full attention and rewards it generously.
As always, the entire list of new albums released today, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 is below in no particular order. My most anticipated albums are in bold.
Let me know what you’re listening to in the comments below and on social media @highnoteblog.
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New Album Releases – Friday, January 23, 2026
54-40 – Porto
Agnes – Beautiful Madness
Ari Lennox – Vacancy
Callum Beattie – Indi
Carolina Chocolate Drops – Genuine Negro Jig (15th Anniversary Edition)
Crystal Lake – The Weight of Sound
The Damned – Not Like Everybody Else
Delaney Bailey – Concave
DJ Harrison – ElectroSoul
Elujay – A Constant Charade
European Sun – When Britain Was Great
Goldfinger – Nine Lives
Group A.D. – Colour Space Transform
The Hara – The Fallout
IDK – e.t.d.s. A Mixtape by .idk.
Jamie MacDonald – Jamie MacDonald
Jamie O’Neal – Gypsum
Joeder / Julian Lage / John Medeski / Kenny Wollesen – Scenes From Above
Julian Lage – Scenes From Above
Kashus Culpepper – Act I
Louis Tomlinson – How Did I Get Here?
The Lowest Pair – Always As Young As We’ll Ever Be
Lucinda Williams – World’s Gone Wrong
Megadeth – Megadeth
Mika – Hyperlove
The Paper Kites – If You Go There, I Hope You Find It
Poppy – Empty Hands
PVA – No More Like This
Roc Marciano – 656
Searows – Death In The Business of Whaling
Textures – Genotype
The Format – Boycott Heaven
Van Morrison – Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge
