Lana Del Rey, Gorillaz and all the best of discography previews

As 2026 takes shape among the most eagerly awaited record releases - from Lana Del Rey to Daphni, from Gorillaz to Apparat - the picture is enriched with new albums already confirmed or anticipated via social inidices. A$AP Rocky has already released 'Don't Be Dumb', his first studio album since 'Testing'. Bruno Mars is expected with 'The Romantic', ten years after '24K Magic'. A mysterious website and posters in some cities seem to anticipate Harry Styles' new album, while, with their long military service behind them, South Korean BTS will embark on a long tour, a prelude to a new release. Of course, there will be no shortage of discographic surprises and phenomena ready to explode. Here are some of the most anticipated albums.

After years of narrative and mythological hyper-production, 'Stove" seems to mark a conscious downsizing. Lana Del Rey has spoken openly of a record linked to country and more linear writing. The first tracks to emerge indicate sparse arrangements, acoustic guitars and lyrics that work on relationships, domestic spaces and personal memory. The risk is self-quotation; what is at stake is whether the artist will be able to use this sobriety with her talent.

With 'Butterfly', Dan Snaith returns to the Daphni project after years of more conceptual work under other aliases. Daphni's music has always been a means to directly hit the heart of the dance floor, which continues to expand along with Snaith's fame. The album reflects her philosophy on clubs and dance music: acoustically perfect spaces and vibrant communities allow for free experimentation. If he maintains this direction, 'Butterfly' could be yet another snapshot of the euphoric sonic exploration of a perhaps too underrated artist.

'The Mountain' is the new Gorillaz album and, as always, a new recording chapter by Damon Albarn attracts the right amount of attention. This time, the album bears the weight of a renewed spirituality on its shoulders, not only because it was born out of a trip to India, but also because during its production, the fathers of Albarn himself and Jamie Hewlett passed away in a short time. Fifteen tracks for the usual long list of collaborations confirm the good impressions of the tracks already released as a preview.

Sascha Ring returns with a record that remains mired in 'maybes', where the certainty is love - in Apparat's case for his wife and daughter - and a deeply personal atmosphere. Ring has accustomed us to his ability to calibrate intense tracks with electronic broadsides in which the climax constitutes the inescapable core. If we add to this the poignant melody and variations of the anticipation 'An Echo Skips A Name', we had better mark the release.