This week's New Music Friday on January 23, 2026, brings major releases from former One Direction members Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, alongside returns from Arctic Monkeys and Megadeth. Styles drops single 'Aperture' from his upcoming fourth solo album, while Tomlinson releases his third LP 'How Did I Get Here?' with focus track 'Imposter'. Other highlights include Arctic Monkeys' contribution to a War Child benefit compilation and Megadeth's self-titled final album.
New Music Friday for January 23, 2026, offers a diverse slate of singles and albums, with significant attention on solo projects from One Direction alumni. Harry Styles returns with 'Aperture,' the lead single from his fourth solo studio album titled KISS ALL THE TIME. DISCO, OCCASIONALLY.. Meanwhile, Louis Tomlinson unveils his third LP How Did I Get Here?, featuring the focus track 'Imposter.' Fans speculate if these could lead to a historic solo chart double for the duo, echoing One Direction's 2012 simultaneous chart-topping success with 'Little Things' and Take Me Home.
Arctic Monkeys make a notable comeback with 'Opening Night,' the first single from War Child Records' upcoming HELP (2) compilation, set for release on March 6. The band recorded the track at Abbey Road Studios and stated: "When James Ford called and asked if we’d contribute to the HELP(2) album we set to work on a song idea and assembled in Abbey Road to record it. We are proud to support the invaluable work War Child do and hope the record will make a positive difference to the lives of children affected by war."
Megadeth releases their seventeenth and final self-titled album, accompanied by focus track 'Puppet Parade,' described as a song about "a person who has a dead-end job, a dead-end relationship, a dead-end life." The Beach Boys announce the upcoming release of their lost experimental album Adult/Child after nearly 50 years, alongside a 2025 mix of 'We Gotta Groove.'
Other key albums include MIKA's seventh studio effort Hyperlove, which he describes as capturing "the electricity that jumps between the plus and minus of a charge…hyper-love and hyper-living are about embracing that euphoria that helps you make sense of the world around you." Jessie Ware drops new single 'I Could Get Used To This' from her sixth studio album. Additional releases feature Lucinda Williams' World’s Gone Wrong, The Damned's Not Like Everybody Else, and Ari Lennox's Vacancy. These drops span genres from pop and rock to metal and folk, providing ample listening options for the weekend.
