February 2026 Album Releases to Watch

The end of winter is usually an interesting time for new releases, be it in film, music, or video games. There’s an agreed-upon waiting period after the holidays that many artists take advantage of before major releases pick up again in the spring. That said, it’s becoming more commonplace to see artists, filmmakers, and developers take advantage of the quiet months that kickoff every new year and look to carve out space for their new project. February 2026 is a great example of that, with some major album releases coming up next month from some of the industry’s top artists. Let’s take a look at a few of the album releases you’ll want to watch for February 2026.

Ratboys – Singing to an Empty Chair, February 6 – New West

The Chicago-based band Ratboys is starting off the first week in February with a new album, Singing to an Empty Chair. The group has recruited Chris Walla to return after the ex-Death Cab for Cutie member worked on their 2023 album, The Window. If you’re not familiar with Ratboys, they are a wonderful blend of bedroom pop sensibilities mixed with a strong sense of melody and lyricism. The press leading up to the album release has pointed to a deeply personal set of songs from singer-guitarist Julia Steiner, exploring the process of coming to terms with the parts of our lives we might rather forget.

I do think Ratboys have something special. If you wanted to look at today’s indie rock scene, you’re not going to have any shortage of high-energy, hook-dependent four-piece bands writing about how confusing it is to accept yourself. That said, Ratboys stand out when you listen to their discography because, as they’ve evolved, they’ve had a great way of preserving the core of their past records. They might be a little less lo-fi now, but there’s a through line in their work that points to the group knowing who they are. That’s the difference for this group, and on their next record, look for them to separate themselves even further in the indie scene.

BLACKPINK – Deadline, February 27 – YG Entertainment

BLACKPINK, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, are hands down the biggest K-Pop group to come out of the scene’s major landing in the West. Headlining Coachella, selling out stadiums for months on end, and even foraying into other solo projects and acting gigs, this group is the blueprint for success. Their next project, Deadline, will be a mini album headlines by their hit 2025 single “JUMP.”

It’s tough to identify what’s next for the group after this mini-album. We saw all four members find varying degrees of success on their own, and I’d imagine they’ll continue to explore those projects. It’s undeniable, however, that their power as a foursome is not only a towering figure over their own endeavors, but the global music scene at large.

Mitski – Nothing’s About to Happen to Me – February 27 – Dead Oceans

Is there a chance that when Mistki announced her new project, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, I sent the Instagram post to my friends and said “album of the year competition for 2026 is over” before even hearing the lead single? Yes, that did happen, and I know readers who have spent time with any of my Albums of the Year articles will understand. I’m a huge Mitski fan, and a new project was not something I was expecting.

In 2023, Mitski released a surprise record, even as she was contemplating retirement. Instead, we got an incredible array of songs that led to her biggest song yet, “My Love Mine All Mine.” With a new batch of fans and a couple of years to put together a new project, I think we might see Mitski make an early-year claim for one of 2026’s most impressive albums before we even thaw out here in the United States.

Bruno Mars – The Romantic, February 27 – Atlantic Records

In a year that’s already seen a ton of major stars launch new projects and eras, none match the response of Bruno Mars’ album announcement for February 27th’s The Romantic. Fresh off a lengthy stay in Vegas, one of pop’s biggest active icons is set to build off of a non-album year that earned him major hits with Lady GaGa and the aforementioned BLACKPINK’s Rosé.

Is there a world where this isn’t the biggest album release from a male pop star in 2026? Actually, yes. Just a month later, Harry Styles will drop his next project, setting in motion a spring and summer of major stars from this century seeing how they fare years and decades after their debuts. We’ll talk about Harry next month, but for now, let us know if there are any other February 2026 albums to watch that are on your radar!