From long-awaited returns to standout debuts, these are the July albums worth making room for.
July is stacked from top to bottom, with legacy icons, left-field favourites and some of the year’s biggest pop and rap releases all landing within a few weeks.
Whether you’re after club-ready dance records, boundary-pushing indie or blockbuster pop, these are the albums worth clearing your schedule for.
Madonna – Confessions II (July 3)
A long-awaited reunion with Stuart Price sees Madonna revisit the world of Confessions on a Dance Floor without simply repeating it. It’s a slick, euphoric dance-pop record that pairs club-ready production with some of her most personal songwriting in years.
mary in the junkyard – Role Model Hermit (July 3)
London trio mary in the junkyard finally deliver their debut after months of mounting buzz. Role Model Hermit leans into warped art-rock, tangled strings and off-kilter guitars that feel as unpredictable as they do compelling.
Ebbb – Shallow Hits (July 10)
Ebbb push further into their glitchy electronic world on Shallow Hits. Released via Ninja Tune, it blurs club music, indie textures and experimental production into something that’s equal parts dancefloor and headphone record.
Kelela – New Avatar (July 10)
Kelela continues to reinvent alt-R&B with her third album, folding shoegaze guitars and grunge textures into her unmistakable vocal style. It’s an ambitious, emotionally rich record that stretches her sound in bold new directions.
Future – The Real Me (July 10)
Future returns with another heavy-hitting trap release built on dark, cinematic production. The Real Me looks set to dominate playlists as one of the biggest rap releases of the northern summer.
Syd – Beard (July 17)
Syd’s latest solo outing doubles down on the understated R&B she’s become known for. Smooth vocals, jazz-influenced arrangements and intimate songwriting make Beard one of the month’s most anticipated slow burns.
Steve Lacy – Oh Yeah? (July 17)
Steve Lacy is back with another effortlessly genre-blurring collection of indie-soul, funk and bedroom pop. Expect infectious hooks, loose guitar grooves and the laid-back charm that’s made him one of modern pop’s most distinctive voices.
The Strokes – Reality Awaits (July 24)
The Strokes return with a surprise album that reportedly bridges their scrappy early garage-rock sound with the synth-driven direction of recent releases. It’s another chapter for one of indie rock’s defining bands.
Ariana Grande – petal (July 31)
Ariana Grande closes out the month with what could be her most introspective album yet. petal pairs lush, orchestral pop with vocal performances that put emotion front and centre.
Shaboozey – The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales (July 31)
Following a breakout run, Shaboozey leans even further into his cinematic country-rap universe. The new album expands his Western storytelling while continuing to blur the lines between hip-hop, country and pop.
Still catching up – check out the best albums that landed in June here.
