Bruno Mars has confirmed that his long awaited return to solo album territory is imminent, declaring that his next studio record is complete and signalling the end of one of the longest gaps between releases in modern pop music.

Third Man Records has announced the release of the first official live anthology from American noise rock icons Laughing Hyenas, opening a powerful new chapter in the legacy of one of the most uncompromising bands to emerge from the US underground.

Ocean Alley have continued their remarkable ascent with the release of a radiant new video for First Blush, a track that has rapidly become one of the defining moments of their current era. Shot in Hawaii, the clip arrives as the Northern Beaches outfit prepare to embark on the largest headline tour of their career, underlining just how far the band has travelled from their backyard beginnings.

Southern California punk trio Joyce Manor have unveiled I Know Where Mark Chen Lives, the opening track and latest single from their forthcoming album I Used To Go To This Bar, due out January 30 via Epitaph Records. The release offers the first proper glimpse into a record that finds the band both reconnecting with their roots and sharpening the lean, melodic attack that has defined their career for more than a decade.

As the music world marks what would have been Syd Barrett's 80th birthday, Pink Floyd's founding drummer Nick Mason has reflected on the brief, brilliant and ultimately tragic creative arc of the band's original frontman, a figure whose influence still reverberates through rock music nearly six decades after his departure from the group.

Canadian punk-rock outfit Calling All Captains are poised to return with their most intimate and introspective work to date. Their new EP, The Things That I've Lost, is set for release on January 9, 2026 via New Damage Records, marking another milestone in the band's evolution from earnest upstarts to one of modern punk rock's most compelling voices.

Winona Ryder has added a very unexpected cameo to her long list of screen appearances, starring in A$AP Rocky's new music video for “Punk Rocky.” The single is the latest teaser from Rocky's upcoming album, Don't Be Dumb, set for release on January 16, marking his first full-length effort in eight years.

Handsome Tours has announced the return of Iron & Wine to Australia and New Zealand, with the revered US indie folk project set for a series of intimate performances across February and March 2026. The tour will see Sam Beam performing solo, bringing his quietly influential catalogue back to local stages following the release of his latest album Light Verse.

Parmalee have opened 2026 by rewriting the modern country radio rulebook, securing their longest running number one with “Cowgirl” and reinforcing their position as one of the genre's most consistent hitmakers. The North Carolina band's sixth chart-topper has delivered a rare multi-week reign at the summit of US country radio, a feat that has set them apart from every other band on the format over the past year.

Award winning producers Drew Anthony Creative will continue their 2026 east coast season with a major theatrical event, announcing a new Australian staging of The Diary Of Anne Frank. The production opens at Melbourne's historic Athenaeum Theatre from March 4, 2026, following a critically acclaimed and sold out season at Perth's Heath Ledger Theatre. After its Melbourne run, the production will move to the State Theatre in Sydney.

Playing For Change has announced a major global tribute marking the 60th anniversary of The Doors, unveiling a new “Riders On The Storm” Song Around The World set to premiere on January 9, 2026. The project brings together surviving Doors members John Densmore and Robby Krieger, honours the late Ray Manzarek, and features the unmistakable recorded vocals of Jim Morrison, reintroduced through a worldwide, cross cultural performance spanning eight countries.

Pop-punk mainstays Teenage Bottlerocket have announced their latest release, a four-track EP titled The Invisible Man, coming on March 6. Following the success of their 2025 album Ready To Roll, the band is offering fans a fresh slice of high-energy punk rock, recorded during the same sessions that produced last year's acclaimed LP.

London-born, Paris-based producer and DJ Maesic has quietly become one of the most talked-about new names in global dance music, and his breakthrough track Life Is Simple (Move Your Body) is now firmly established as a defining house record of the moment. With Australia deep in summer and festival season in full flow, the track has arrived as an effortless fit for beachside playlists, outdoor stages and the wider feel-good energy that traditionally defines the start of a new year.

St Kilda Festival has confirmed its return for 2026 with the first five acts unveiled for what is shaping as one of the biggest editions in the event's long and storied history. Set across two days on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February 2026, the iconic free festival will once again transform Melbourne's bayside into a celebration of Australian music, culture and summer.

Nick Jonas has rung in the new year with a bold, emotionally charged statement, releasing his new single “Gut Punch” today via Republic Records. The track provides a first taste of his forthcoming solo album, Sunday Best, set for release on February 6, and marks what he describes as his most candid and introspective work to date.

After completing South Korea's mandatory military service, global K-pop icons BTS are poised to make a full-scale comeback in 2026 with their first new album in six years. Scheduled for release on March 20 via Big Hit Entertainment, the untitled fifth studio album marks the first full-group effort since 2020's Be, and follows a period in which members pursued solo projects and other creative ventures.

Crosley Radio has marked its 18th year as a founding sponsor of Record Store Day with the announcement of a highly collectable collaboration celebrating The Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones RSD3 Mini Turntable will be released exclusively through participating independent record stores on Record Store Day, April 18, 2026, with strictly limited quantities.

Two of Prince's most iconic recordings have surged to new streaming highs following their powerful placement in the series finale of Netflix's Stranger Things, once again demonstrating the enduring cultural force of the Purple One's music more than four decades after its release.

Rod Lynton did not expect a casual walk through a London park to reopen one of the most remarkable chapters in British music history. Yet that is exactly what happened when the guitarist, quietly living in Muswell Hill, was randomly approached for the A Mug of Life podcast. What followed was a rare, first-hand recollection of how a young guitarist with a growing reputation found himself playing on John Lennon's Imagine album, one of the most important records of the post-Beatles era.

Giles Martin has drawn a clear line under the idea of newly discovered Beatles songs, while acknowledging that a substantial body of music recorded during the Get Back sessions remains unreleased in any formal studio context. After years immersed in the Fab Four's archives, Martin believes the catalogue of fully realised, unheard Beatles songs is effectively complete, even as fans continue to debate what still sits unheard outside the documentary itself.

Bob Dylan's Desire reaches its 50th anniversary as one of the most distinctive and debated records in his vast catalogue, an album that captured an artist in motion, surrounded by collaborators, characters and causes, and willing to place narrative ambition ahead of comfort.

Billy Joel has made an unannounced return to the stage, delivering his first live performance since revealing his diagnosis of Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, offering fans a brief but emotional reminder of his enduring presence in popular music. The surprise appearance took place on January 2 at the Wellington Amphitheater in Florida during celebrations marking the village's 30th anniversary.

Just days into 2026, Morrissey has once again found himself in familiar territory, postponing live performances as his long, uneven relationship with touring continues. The former Smiths frontman has delayed two Californian shows, including a Rancho Mirage date that had already been rescheduled once, citing an adverse reaction to prescription medication.

Jill Scott is set to make one of the most anticipated returns in contemporary soul, confirming the release of her sixth studio album To Whom This May Concern, due out on February 13. The album marks Scott's first full-length studio project since 2015's Woman and closes a near-decade chapter in which her creative output shifted largely toward acting, poetry, and select collaborations.

Yungblud has opened 2026 with one of the most significant creative statements of his career, unveiling a reimagined version of his song Zombie in collaboration with Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins. The new recording marks a rare and symbolic meeting of generations, pairing one of modern rock's most outspoken young voices with architects of alternative rock whose influence still looms large over the genre more than three decades on.

After more than four decades shaping global pop culture, MTV has quietly closed down its remaining dedicated music video channels, bringing an era to a symbolic close with the same song that launched the network in the first place, The Buggles' Video Killed The Radio Star.

Peter Gabriel has opened the next chapter of his long, carefully evolving recording legacy, unveiling the first new song from his forthcoming album O\I. Released on Saturday, 3 January 2026, timed to coincide with the first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon, the track Been Undone marks the beginning of another year long lunar release cycle, following the format that defined Gabriel's 2023 album I/O.

Six-time Platinum indie favourite Cavetown has unveiled a new single, Sailboat, a luminous collaboration with Chloe Moriondo that signals an emotionally open new chapter ahead of his forthcoming album Running With Scissors. Co-produced with Underscores, the track blends chiptune shimmer, warped hyperpop textures and Cavetown's unmistakably intimate songwriting voice, capturing the nervous anticipation of new love and the quiet fear of leaving a mark on someone you care deeply about.

Ringo Starr is preparing to extend his late career love affair with country music, confirming that a new studio album is in development and pencilled in for release sometime in early 2026. The untitled project will again explore country and Americana territory and reunites the former Beatle with producer T Bone Burnett, the creative partnership that reshaped Starr's recording direction with 2025's Look Up.

Australian music fans have delivered another brutal message to local artists in 2025, with streaming figures revealing that only one genuinely new Australian song cracked the Top 10 most streamed Australian tracks of the year.