26 February 2025
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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Second full-length album from the Houston, Texas rapper with guest appearances from Key Glock, Latto, Pooh Shiesty, Rico Nasty, Jhené Aiko, Lucky Daye, Sauce Walka, Lil' Keke and Big Pokey
7.5
On her new album, the rap superstar comes up with just the right balance of slick bops and searing confessionals Read Review
The Texan rapper comes out swinging on her latest release – slinging a seemingly limitless supply of fantastic insults at the industry and countless nameless foes Read Review
‘Traumazine’ abounds in empowering affirmations but, beneath it all, this is a release that starts to unpack Megan the human Read Review
While standing atop the rap world, the pop culture juggernaut reveals a cocky yet reflective version of herself with the follow-up to 2020's 'Good News' Read Review
Solidifying her position amongst rap’s big stars of the 2020s, this second studio album shows an encouraging diversity alongside her good ear for beats Read Review
Her songs are riotously graphic but the Texas rapper radiates charm and southern hospitality in a joyous, sweltering show Read Review
On her second album, Meg dishes out disses, gets political, and grapples with her personal life. It’s an ambitious and uneven attempt to step into her most challenging role yet: herself Read Review
On her sophomore effort, the rapper goes completely mask-off, directing her anger at other rappers and former friends Read Review
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Tate McRae So Close To What
Confident, assured and revelling in her pop dreams Dork
Panda Bear Sinister Grift
Presenting with a breezy, lived-in warmth DIY
The Murder Capital Blindness
An album that feels both urgent and timeless DIY
Youth Lagoon Rarely Do I Dream
Trevor Powers wants you to get lost in the album, and he makes it impossibly easy to take the bait Spectrum Culture
There’s very little sinister about Sinister Grift, at least, not in the album’s warm and glimmering instrumentation. And that unsteady ground — of appearances versus what’s under the hood — only adds to the mystique and enjoyment of Panda Bear’s music Under The Radar
On his seventh album as Panda Bear, Noah Lennox delivers ten meticulously crafted songs, exploring a new thematic territory that's bittersweet but buoyant The Skinny
They're lean and immediate in nature, with melodic ease that belies lyrics awash with loss, uncertainty, regret, overwhelm and defeat, feelings that sit on the surface, undisguised. Print edition only Uncut
Perfectly sequenced, Sinister Grift's dubious uplift gradually falls away to reveal an exquisite melancholy introspection, the sound of optimism weighted by mooring hooks of sadness. Print edition only Mojo
On her third album, the Canadian singer and dancer amps up the 2000s influence and dials up the sex. Though it’s her most mature release yet, the music still sounds tedious and reheated Pitchfork
Saya Gray Saya
There are some self-consciously experimental moments, but the Toronto musician’s genre-mashing songs of heartbreak are often focused and fresh The Guardian
On her second album, the Japanese-Canadian musician’s magpie art pop coheres into something like a traditional breakup record, but her perspective and production are far from conventional Pitchfork
Canadian alt-pop artist's debut matches sonic surrealism with defiantly vulnerable lyrics Rolling Stone
A vivid and vulnerable album, brimming with emotional depth DIY
The Japanese-Canadian musician’s sophomore LP is a breakup exercise full of epic, idiosyncratic stories of farewell and mourning cut up into an all-encompassing and all-evading menagerie of trip-hop, psych-folk, prog-rock, glitch-tronica and dubby fusion Paste Magazine
Tate and her team clearly have an ear for sticky melodies and the lack of necessary lore is appreciated, but there still is a very pervasive sense of figuring things out here Sputnik Music (staff)
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
Kendrick Lamar Damn.
D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen
Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree
Frank Ocean Channel Orange
Dave We’re All Alone In This Together