Don Toliver – Octane
While hip-hop is drowning in ego wars and trap has gotten tangled up in its own mucus, Don Toliver has established himself as the cutest and most rewarding thing in both genres, a bit like an alien who landed on Earth and cannot understand why we all cannot just take a few trips and get along. No wonder his fifth album, released at the end of the year’s first month, is also his most successful so far: cool, fun, sexy, a little strange and very nonaggressive. Too bad the whole world is not inhaling him. Einav Schiff
Slayyyter – DANCE...
Slayyyter’s "DANCE…," which opens her album "WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA," begins with a minute of unbearable buzzing, like a mosquito flying near your ear at night when all you want is to fall asleep. But then, all at once, the beat drops and it turns out we are listening to a filthy, terrific pop song. Imagine the grime that Kesha gave off in the previous decade with beats taken from Charli XCX’s "brat." There is already a TikTok trend, and there have already been TV and festival appearances in the United States. Slayyyter, a pop star who has yet to fully break through, has managed to create what many have already crowned the song of the summer, including this writer. Yes, precisely because of that annoying buzz. Slayyyter sums it all up in the chorus: "I kinda hate you, but it doesn’t matter — let me dance." Shira Naot
Paul McCartney – The Boys of Dungeon Lane
The older you get, the more you engage with the past. Nostalgia is usually a formula that works extremely well, despite its natural tendency to beautify things that looked somewhat different at the time. The 2026 version of Paul McCartney offers a bit of both throughout the songs that make up his recently released album, "The Boys of Dungeon Lane." In a somewhat mischievous way, he pulls it off nicely, probably also because of the long-standing baggage the listener brings, knowing deep down there likely will not be many more opportunities to hear a new album by one of the greatest songwriters in history.
Andrew Watt, the album’s producer, who also co-wrote four of its 14 songs, captures for McCartney an updated snapshot built on the old world. But Watt also provides him with a supportive framework that does not scatter across McCartney’s sea of styles, one that manages to restrain the former Beatle’s tendency to slide into sentimentality even where it is not really needed. And although vocally McCartney is far from his peak, he still manages to activate his mysterious charm. Amir Schwartz
Fred again.. – USB
In the years since his breakthrough, Fred again.. has managed to reinvent himself, upgrading from the status of an almost gimmicky artist who broke through online to a sought-after leading producer whose every new release reinvents and melts genres together. Unlike the musical diaries he used to create using audio clips curated from across the internet, "USB" is an original, kicking and not always easy-to-digest work, until it becomes completely addictive. You have been warned. Bonus recommendation: If you have not yet listened to Fred again..’s joint set with Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, you are missing out big time. Omer Tessel
Aldous Harding – Train on The Island
The fifth album by New Zealand’s Aldous Harding is not only her best, but one of the few albums of 2026 that deserves the title "masterpiece": a complete and almost perfect collection of songs that showcases one of indie’s best, and above all most original and undefinable, writers at her peak. That is also thanks to her ongoing work — this is their fourth album together — with producer John Parish, an ideal match given his work with PJ Harvey in her post-distortion era.
Harding once described herself as the "Jim Carrey of indie," because of the unique way she plays with her voice, "like a language or clothing." After an album like this, it can simply be said that she is the Aldous Harding of indie: There is no one else like her. Einav Schiff
Morrissey – Make-Up Is a Lie
On the cover of "Make-Up Is a Lie," Morrissey is photographed with his mouth open and his hands half-raised in the air. At first glance, it is hard to answer why. Perhaps the British musician is still angry that the release of this album was delayed for so long, or maybe he is actually stunned that his latest work has finally seen the light of day.
During the first listen to the album, it is somewhat difficult to shake that sense of bewilderment, and it continues to sit on the listener during subsequent rounds with "Make-Up Is a Lie." Still, the first half here is one of Morrissey’s more successful openings since he launched his solo career. It is just a shame that the second half is a little less consistent. Despite the drop in tension, there are still some gems to be found there: "Zoom Zoom the Little Boy," with Jesse Tobias’ fine guitar work; the sharp "Lester Bangs," dedicated to the legendary music critic; and the excellent closing track, "The Monsters of Pig Alley," which serves as a reminder of The Smiths’ days. Amir Schwartz
Phoebe Bridgers – Lost Boys
Six years have passed since Phoebe Bridgers’ perfect pandemic album, "Punisher," which drew acclaim and placed her in a league of her own in American indie. Since then, she has opened for Taylor Swift and was the most decorated singer at the 2024 Grammys. Then, just when we needed her most, she disappeared from the radar completely. No social media posts, no paparazzi photos, no updates of any kind about her exploits. TikTok users reported seeing her occasionally at yoga classes in Los Angeles and said she looked happy. There is also a rumor about a steady relationship with comedian-musician Bo Burnham.
Everything changed two months ago, when posters for a show of hers suddenly appeared in a small town in New Mexico, announcing a performance at a small venue that same night. That is how she announced her return to the stage. After a month of small pop-up shows in the United States, at all of which the audience was required not to use cellphones and not to document anything, she announced a major world tour that will follow the same concept.
In August, she will release a new album called "Lost Weekend," and its first single came out this past weekend. "Lost Boys" is a wonderful comeback for her in terms of both writing and sound, combining existentialism with youthful fun. It is a refreshing song, and this is undoubtedly shaping up to be the refreshing comeback of 2026, a rare opportunity to experience music in a way that feels new to us iPhone people. Shira Naot
Robyn – Talk to Me
Robyn does not release an album every year, or even every two years, so when she does, it is worth saving some strength in your legs, or using other aids. After "Dopamine" raised the pulse toward the end of last year, "Talk to Me" opened 2026 in a storm. Now, with the sun beating down and the dance floor filling up, you can enjoy it until there is no need to talk anymore, only to dance — and a few other things. Einav Schiff
Flea – Honora
Many years before Flea became the very restless bassist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he was an Australian child who adored Louis Armstrong and dreamed of becoming a jazz musician who played trumpet. Ahead of his 60th birthday, which fell about three years ago, he wanted to fulfill that childhood dream and record a jazz album. The result, as reflected in repeated listens to "Honora," remains surprising, even months after its release. Flea not only practiced trumpet for hours, he also immersed himself nicely in the Los Angeles jazz scene in order to recruit worthy partners for the project.
The 51 wonderful minutes that make up "Honora" offer several small summits of that kind. Among the musicians invited to take part are Radiohead’s Thom Yorke on "Traffic Lights," which also benefits from the ’70s-style Fender Rhodes of Bright Eyes’ Nathaniel Walcott, and Nick Cave on a contemplative cover of "Wichita Lineman," originally written by Jimmy Webb for country singer Glen Campbell. "Honora" presents the sum of Flea’s influences and those of his partners, with each track in his free-jazz journey, which includes some spoken word, throwing the listener somewhere else. Amir Schwartz
Eloise – My Man & Me
To experience a European summer, there is no need to board a plane and boil in the current heat wave. It is enough to put on headphones and press play on the new album by British singer-songwriter Eloise, which is entirely "a love song to love," in her words. On "My Man & Me," 26-year-old Eloise lingers over sweet moments between lovers but also dives into more challenging stages as she flirts with jazz, soul and retro-pop. If you liked Olivia Dean and "The Man I Need," you will probably also like the rougher edition. And by the way, both of them, like many excellent artists before them — Amy Winehouse, Raye, Adele and many more — are graduates of the BRIT School. This is a listen that comes with credentials. Omer Tessel
Kacey Musgraves – Dry Spell
The year is 2026, and women who dare express in song their desire for sex, not necessarily for the purpose of marriage, are still met with a crooked look, especially in a genre with a conservative audience like country. But Kacey Musgraves has not become an icon over the past decade by letting anyone tell her what she is and is not allowed to write about, and her "Dry Spell" is not only a successful hit, from an excellent album overall, but a joyful and important smashing of the taboo around horniness, including the immortal confession, "I've been sitting on the washing machine." If anyone has a problem with that, they are welcome to go sit on something else. Einav Schiff
Willie Nelson – Dream Chaser
Recently, not long after celebrating his 93rd birthday, Willie Nelson released another solo album — his 79th — "Dream Chaser." With all due respect to the numbers, with Nelson it has never been about quantity, but about the simple way he chooses to address the listener, as well as his ability to gather the right material. There are several examples here that stand out on the very first listen, including "Fly Away," composed by Bobby Whitlock, the legendary keyboardist of Derek and the Dominos who died about a year ago, and "I Can’t Read Your Mind," co-written by Bob Dylan.
This relatively short album, which naturally cruises through country territory, also offers no small celebration of guitars: electric, acoustic and steel guitar. On "After All," for example, they carry on a lively dialogue with Southern piano and harmonica, and the result is a short soundtrack to a Western that is fun to watch, more than once. Amir Schwartz
Grace Ives – Girlfriend
An idea for an Israeli startup: an app that finds you a musical substitute for every artist who does not allow Israeli users to listen to their music. Case in point: Missing Lorde? Already nostalgic for her sweeping adolescent dramas before she became filled with self-importance? Meet Grace Ives, whose second album is a diary that could easily work as a TV series, but is first and foremost a musical journey through nights drenched in experiences and emotions, wrapped in intelligent, infectious electro-pop. Einav Schiff
Olivia Rodrigo – you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love
An album about a relationship and a breakup by a young star, not yet 24, does not sound especially promising. But surprisingly, on "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love," Olivia Rodrigo has outdone herself, managing to explore the most overworked topic ever and make something entirely new out of it. Rodrigo, who became famous with a fun, youthful pop-punk style, matures here into new wave and post-punk styles inspired by British bands, some of which she even hosts — see Robert Smith of The Cure.
In the lyrics too, Rodrigo creates a very nonbanal story about an apparently happy relationship, except the red flags and warning lights are hidden throughout the album until the painful and inevitable heartbreak. This album is excellent not only in pop terms, but in general writing and performance terms. Through it, Rodrigo proves she is not playing on the field of Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae, but opening up a new field of her own as a modern pop-rock star, one who is not just an empty shell but a musician with an original and coherent statement. Shira Naot
Vince Staples – Cry Baby
If Don Toliver’s album is an alien who landed for a visit carrying a sign that says "I come in peace," Vince Staples is the local who will explain to him that he is welcome to try again later. Not only does "Cry Baby" not run away from the burning fronts of the culture and race wars — the album opens with the light line, "Empires built on bloodstained ground" — its relatively rocky sound itself feels like a protest and a refusal to get stuck in boxes. And while it is certainly unpleasant to hear a crying baby, in this case it is better not to try to calm him ,down. Einav Schiff
Tori Amos – In Times of Dragons
The most striking thing about "In Times of Dragons," the album Tori Amos recently released, is her very present piano. It shines on the opening track, "Shush," does so again on the title track that follows and later on the excellent "Gasoline Girls." On the third song, "Provincetown," Amos moves between piano and harpsichord, and it is on the more ancient and delicate keyboard instrument that she records one of the album’s peaks. This is one of the strongest openings Amos has presented in years, and her current, deeper voice certainly enriches the drama. The song "St. Teresa" is not the only evidence of that.
"In Times of Dragons" is a political album, and Amos has chosen to attach images of dragons and reptiles as metaphors for President Donald Trump, oligarchs and several wealthy tech tycoons. Although there is no reason to pity any of them, that directness does not always strengthen the fundamentally justified arguments of the artist. More than anything, it comes at the expense of the mysterious writing that was once one of her most prominent hallmarks. Amir Schwartz