31 August 2026
Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.
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Fifth album of rap and pop from the Trinidad-born MC from Queens, New York with guest appearances from J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Tate Kobang, Drake, Lourdiz, Lil Uzi Vert, Skillibeng, Skeng and Future
6.6
While similarities to her 2010 original may run only name-deep, this sample-heavy – and sometimes emotional – material certainly holds its own Read Review
Refusing to be hemmed in, it’s a record of real ambition, an example mirroring fan-pleasing tendencies with actual artistic growth Read Review
Stepping away from Barbie-Girl pop towards her strengths as a rapper, this is the sound of a more mature artist in fierce command of her talent Read Review
The sound of Nicki Minaj cracking her knuckles and getting her hands dirty again. It’s the purest distillation of her uniquely feminine bravado Read Review
Pink Friday 2 is a long album, and it’s going to get longer Read Review
Thirteen years after her landmark album Pink Friday, the pop-rap superstar aims to conjure and build on that moment with an ambitious 22-song statement that is a very mixed bag Read Review
The pop-rap phenomenon is back with her first album in five years Read Review
While some moments of interpolation are more inspired, the musician’s increasing reliance on recognisable samples can start to feel like cruise control Read Review
Unlike its predecessor, the album doesn’t leave much of an impression. Read Review
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Mastodon Marrow Deep
A great effort that pushes the band into new pastures, but, like Hushed and Grim, misses the mark in places Sputnik Music (staff)
One of the many great things about Marrow Deep is that, like all great art, it doesn’t try to reduce or oversimplify its sentiments at the expense of their power Kerrang!
Recorded a week after the death of former bandmate Brent Hinds, the Atlanta metal crew mines their grief for one of their most emotional albums Rolling Stone
Mastodon have never dropped a dud yet. They haven’t started here Clash
The songwriting is more winding than ever, and for fans of sonic whiplash, it's here in spades. Marrow Deep is largely a triumph, a fitting tribute to their fallen founding father — and to heavy metal itself Exclaim
Mike D 5D Thank You
‘Thank You’ is a triumphant return to music for Mike D, a fairly smooth-sailing affair, but one that has plenty going on and packs a punch Clash
Interpol This Mirror Weighs a Ton
A fantastic return that often captures the genius of their best work Clash
Paul Banks and co are the ultimate example of 'it ain't broke, don't fix it'. Yet with subtle embellishments to their sound, this feels like something of a reset musicOMH
Working with producer Andrew Wyatt, the band turns in a strong and suitably dour album that nonetheless carries the frustrating tinge of more interesting possibilities Pitchfork
The Beastie Boy strikes a reflective tone on a solo album made up of frenetic, funky glitch-rap-electro-punk beats reminiscent of his remixing work. Nothing quite sticks Pitchfork
Overmono Pure Devotion
Overmono’s new LP feels like a step forward as they push into new directions, crafting expansive dance music that retains a deep sense of humanity PopMatters
It is one of their strongest records in years, not because they have suddenly abandoned the sound they established all those years ago, but because they appear to have found new ways to work within it Under The Radar
Weezer Weezer [Gold Album]
Gold Album’s strength is not that the Peter Pans of power-pop have revisited their mid-’90s success. This is no retro album: Cuomo may cast an eye on the past, but his feet are firmly planted in the present Under The Radar
Charli XCX Music, Fashion, Film
At a time when popular music can feel as though everything has already been done, there is something welcoming about an artist of Charli’s scale choosing to produce something of a challenge to her fans. Let’s reclaim the listener experience with this album that could just be a part of something more God Is In The TV
Anyone expecting Mike D’s debut album to sound like the Beastie Boys without MCA and Ad-Rock may be disappointed, but Thank You is a breath of fresh air – a positive and forward-looking statement and a fresh start to build on, rather than just nostalgia for past greatness Spectrum Culture
Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly
Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Rosalía Lux
Kendrick Lamar Damn.
D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen
Spiritbox Tsunami Sea
Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure
Hayley Williams Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways