5 New Albums To Check Out On January 16, 2026

Tacos may rule Tuesdays, but Fridays are all about new albums. This Friday features new releases from Madison Beer, A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, and more. Those expecting to pick up the new DaBaby album, Be More Grateful, will have to wait–it has been moved back two weeks to January 30. Start making your shopping list, and when you do, don’t forget these five new albums that you definitely need to check out this Friday.

Madison Beer – Locket (Epic Records)

Influencer turned pop star Madison Beer releases her third album on Friday. The deeply introspective Locket stores moments away as songs. The emotionally-charged new album is a cohesive collection of sensual EDM-infused pop songs aimed at showing that Beer is not an influencer trying to sing, but instead a singer with influence. Locket’s first two singles have already topped various Billboard Dance charts. The third single, “Bittersweet,” is out now.

Wiz Khalifa – Khaotic (Taylor Gang/BMG)

10-time Grammy-nominated rapper Wiz Khalifa will drop his latest effort on Friday. The 11-track new album, dubbed Khaotic, will feature guest appearances from the likes of RMR, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, and Max B. As is the case with many rap albums, most of the rest of the details will remain under wraps until the release.

A$AP Rocky – Don’t Be Dumb (A$AP Worldwide/RCA)

A$AP Rocky‘s fourth studio album comes out on Friday. Entitled Don’t Be Dumb, the new album has already racked up over one million pre-saves on Spotify. Eight years in the making, Don’t Be Dumb will be 15 tracks, including the already released singles “Punky Rock” and “Helicopter.” The music video for the first features Winona Ryder, and the one for the second sees the rapper dangling from a helicopter. Director Tim Burton, who provided some of the album’s artwork, is directing a film to accompany the album. Expect guest appearances on the record from will.i.am, Thundercat, Jon Baptiste, Gorillaz, and Tyler, the Creator, among others.

Langhorne Slim – The Dreamin’ Kind (Dualtone Records)

Americana artist Langhorne Slim trades in his acoustic guitar for an electric one on his new album The Dreamin’ Kind. Working with members of Greta Van Fleet, Slim (Sean Scolnick) veers more into rock and roll on his ninth studio album, literally–the lead single from the album is titled “Rock and Roll.” Channeling his best Tom Petty, Slim charts a new course that bridges the gap between GVF territory and his folky beginnings.

Richard Marx – After Hours (Richard Marx Inc./JTK)

Speaking of departures, pop-rock crooner Richard Marx‘s new album reimagines the Great American Songbook. Recorded live with a 24-piece orchestra, the Grammy-winning songwriter’s After Hours blends standards like “Fly Me to the Moon,” “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Young at Heart” with originals recorded in the same vein. Marx has said that when writing the songs for the album, he imagined pitching them to Sinatra in 1948. If anyone could effortlessly make the shift, it is Marx, who has written hit music for the likes of R&B legend Luther Vandross, country singers Kenny Rogers and Keith Urban, ’80s rockers Vixen, and more.

The Best of the Rest

If none of the above releases fit your musical tastes, here are some of the other new albums and re-releases due out on January 16:

Anti-Sapien – At The Mercy Of The Merciless
Architectural Genocide – Malignant Cognition
Asterise – Twilight Opera
Blanket – True Blue
Carrion Veil – Slay Utterly
Cavetown – Running with Scissors
Courtney Marie Andrews – Valentine
Death Cult – Paradise Live
Discerptus – Rebirth
Dissentience – Kaiju
Divination Of Dreams – In A House Of Heartbeats
Edenbridge – Set The Dark On Fire
I Promised The World – I Promised The World
The James Hunter Six – Off the Fence
Jana Horn – Jana Horn
Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore – Tragic Magic
Kid Kapichi – Fearless Nature
Kreator – Krushers Of The World
Lexa Gates – I Am
Local Weatherman – Right One
Ov Sulfur – Endless
Peter Peter – Heated Rivalry: Original Series Soundtrack
Sleaford Mods – The Demise of Planet X
They Might Be Giants – Eyeball EP
Wormy – Shark River