29 January 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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Ninth studio album from the pop giant, and his first solo effort since reuniting with Take That in 2010
5.8
It's not going to win over anyone who doesn't already own at least a couple of Robbie Williams albums, but that isn't what it sets out to do Read Review
Producer Jacknife Lee and primary writers Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis have concentrated on pure pop. Print edition only
The most wildly entertaining album Robbie Williams has released in years Read Review
Features Robbie doing what Robbie does best -- writing and performing effortless pop music -- but not at his best Read Review
If you loved Williams the way he was, rejoice. If you didn't, it may be time to switch off the radio and television for a few months, and bury your head in a bucket of calamine lotion Read Review
He has showbiz genes tempered with unpredictability and a fascinating, unlikely openness Read Review
Imperial return from deposed pop emperor and new dad. Print edition only
Not the triumphant comeback he'd planned, but still, here's to the next one. Print edition only
Flawed, funny and full of hits, this is something of a return to form Read Review
More epic rock than playground pop, with echoing guitar lines and “oh-way-oh” backing vocals directly lifted from Coldplay Read Review
A well-crafted ode in honour of self-obsession Read Review
It’s safe, something of a retreat from past endeavours to a sound more suited to commercial returns in the present Read Review
A largely by-the-numbers exercise and seems almost certain to quickly fall off the public consciousness Read Review
Williams has a long way to go if he is to surpass the mature pop peak of Feel Read Review
As is his custom, many songs here are littered with contrite musings – not least Hunting for You, a song that tries epic U2 stadium balladry on for size. But even revelations like "I am the wreckage of my past" are trumped by Take the Crown's riveting closer, Losers Read Review
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Robbie Williams: Take the Crown
Ari Lennox Vacancy
Neo-soul elegance and late-night vibes define the R&B star’s most inviting record to date NME
Lennox’s music often nods to the past, but her new album feels more in tune with the zeitgeist Slant Magazine
The singer’s first album for Interscope is honey-sweet, grown-up R&B that’s looking for a little something missing Pitchfork
Lennox balances jazz-soaked tradition with flashes of unruly humour and a surefire viral hit The Guardian
Jenny on Holiday Quicksand Heart
Feels more like a steady progression than a revolutionary rebrand No Ripcord
Megadeth Megadeth
Megadeth's self-titled swan song is weighted down by its own sense of importance No Ripcord
The Cribs Selling A Vibe
They're truly at their best when their tuneful choruses come paired with a raw, stripped-down treatment No Ripcord
Westside Cowboy So Much Country ‘Till We Get There
Island imprint Adventure Recordings appears to be giving Westside Cowboy a hefty push, and the early signs are that they have the chops to make the most of it No Ripcord
Cast Yeah Yeah Yeah
This is Cast sounding comfortable, confident, and settled. The songs are strong, the production is polished without being overworked, and the band sound like they know exactly who they are at this stage XS Noize
With as many albums in this century as in the last, ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ finds Cast building on the momentum of the previous two years with both confidence and quality. Refusing to trade solely on nostalgia, it’s a beefed-up version of their best selves. Long may their positivity last Clash
The Liverpudlians’ eighth album is the sound of a band determined to prove they’re more than a Britpop legacy act musicOMH
Power's voice is improving with age, especially confident and commanding on the closing, psych-baroque "Birds Heading South". Print edition only NME
The excellent PP Arnold featuring lead single Poison Vine is a good indicator of the move towards a very Stones-y type of uplifting soulful rock and blues; the swelling gospel rock of Don't Look Away is the most stirring thing they've done yet. Print edition only Record Collector
Instead of going out with a nuclear bang, Megadeth serves lean sides that won’t clog the final tour’s setlists Beats Per Minute
Louis Tomlinson How Did I Get Here?
The songs on the former One Direction member’s over-referential, sometimes uneven third album don’t shrink down for anyone, and he sells his disappointment and anxiety with nuance, refusing to bemoan his own celebrity Paste Magazine
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