Fall Music Preview 2024: Inside New Albums From Kelsea Ballerini, Joe Jonas, Mickey Guyton and More
This year has already seen huge releases from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX, but there’s still an entire season left — and the calendar is packed with new albums from more of music’s biggest artists.
Country superstar Miranda Lambert is one of the first on the docket, with her 10th studio album, Postcards From Texas, dropping September 13.
“I named it [Postcards From Texas] because I felt like there's little snippets of stories of things along the way,” Lambert told Us Weekly in an exclusive cover interview ahead of the album’s release. “Usually my albums [are] sort of a snapshot of the last couple of years, especially in country music. We have a two-to-three-year album cycle, and I've been doing that since I was 18. So I feel like every album is a story of where I was then and so on, but I think this one has a decade-long kind of thread.”
The Grammy winner went on to note that some of the tracks on Texas were written nearly 10 years ago.
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“It's an encouragement to all of us artists to not just love our new babies,” she quipped to Us. “Let's go dig back in the vault and see where we were emotionally at that time, and does it fit today and should we revisit that?”
Shortly after Lambert’s new album arrives, fellow superstars including Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Joe Jonas will drop new music as well. Keep scrolling for Us Weekly’s guide to the biggest releases of the fall:
Suki Waterhouse, ‘Memoir of a Sparklemuffin’
After her turn as drummer Karen Sirko on Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six, Waterhouse is back to making her own music on her second studio album. “[The title] — it’s kind of one of those things where I’m like, if you get it, you get it,” she told Harper’s Bazaar of the LP’s name. “I wanted something that leaned towards a kind of ridiculousness and felt a little bit comical and a bit fabulous. … The world is kind of violent and you can get eviscerated and you can get eaten at any moment, and we’re in this, like, kind of beautiful and also, like, devastating dance together.” (September 13)
Miranda Lambert, ‘Postcards From Texas’
Lambert told Us that she wanted Postcards to sound notably different from her last album, 2022’s Palomino. “It was all about traveling and about road trips and stories and inspiration and characters you meet along the way,” she explained. “And this record feels like you made it home and you're like, ‘I'm going to send you some letters from home for a while.’ It felt like the perfect way to follow up a record that was so much movement.” (September 13)
Nilufer Yanya, ‘My Method Actor’
The British singer-songwriter’s latest opus is the perfect soundtrack for crisp nights with its distorted arrangements, sharp lyrics and her chameleonic vocals. “My songwriting is always a bit existential,” she explained to The Fader of her recording process. “So it was things like, ‘Who am I?’ ‘What am I doing?’ I was also looking closely at my desire to write and to create. I was really questioning, like, where is this coming from? What is that thing that's always been part of me?” (September 13)
Katy Perry, ‘143’
The newly crowned MTV Video Vanguard winner returns with her first album in four years. Not everyone was thrilled by the early singles, but Perry’s albums always deliver at least one or two bangers. (September 20)
Nelly Furtado, ‘7’
For her first album in seven years, the “Promiscuous” artist revisits the dance-inflected sounds that made her famous in the early aughts and teams up with collaborators including Tove Lo, SG Lewis, Bomba Estéreo and Charlotte Day Wilson. (September 20)
Keith Urban, ‘High’
Urban’s new album grew out of a different record that he decided not to release, but he’s kept a few tracks from those older sessions, including a duet with Lainey Wilson. (September 20)
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Luke Bryan, ‘Mind of a Country Boy’
The American Idol judge and country radio staple says he tried “a little bit of everything” on his new album. “I do some things different vocally on this one that I've not done before,” he explained in a press release. “It's about each song having its place and having its meaning. It's trying not to be overly redundant with songs.” (September 27)
Mickey Guyton, ‘House on Fire’
The enormously talented Guyton has never been as famous as she should be, but country is much cooler now than it was when she dropped her debut in 2021. Hopefully, her second album will find the wider audience it deserves. “I am so proud to be a country artist,” she said in an August Instagram video. “Watching people fall in love with this genre, knowing that I’ve been here and loved it since I was a little girl, and everyone’s finally catching on. It’s really, really cool to see.” (September 27)
Coldplay, ‘Moon Music’
The arena rock stalwarts are back with another set of anthemic, inspiring tracks that feature guest appearances from artists including Burna Boy and Ayra Starr. The album is a sequel of sorts to 2021’s Music of the Spheres — this LP’s full title is Music of the Spheres Vol. II: Moon Music. (October 4)
Finneas, ‘For Cryin’ Out Loud!’
Fresh off the success of sister Billie Eilish’s latest album, Hit Me Hard and Soft (which he produced), Finneas continues his solo project with his second LP. While he’s famous for producing music at home in his bedroom, he said he wanted this album to reflect more of a classic studio setup — with a full band and everything. (October 4)
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Leon Bridges, ‘Leon’
The soul singer recorded his latest project outside Mexico City, and he’s said the album is one of his most personal to date. “In many ways, Leon has been in the works since my childhood. This record is about simpler days,” he said when announcing the self-titled LP. “It’s about time spent in my beloved Fort Worth and the experiences that made me the man I am today. It’s soulful music in the truest sense — it’s imbued with my soul. I’m excited to share these stories about my home, about nostalgia, about my upbringing, about where I’m from, with all of you.” (October 4)
Becky G, ‘Encuentros’
According to Becky G, her new album (the title of which is Spanish for “encounters”) is like the “at night” version of her 2023 release, Esquinas. “[It has more] depth and mystique,” she told Rolling Stone in August. (October 10)
Jelly Roll, ‘Beautifully Broken’
The burgeoning country star continues his rise with his 10th studio album, inspired by his own mental health struggles and addiction battle. (October 11)
The Linda Lindas, ‘No Obligation’
The punk prodigies (all of whom are still teenagers) incorporate elements of garage rock, power pop, new wave and rock en espa?ol on their new album, which features a guest appearance from “Weird Al” Yankovic. (October 11)
Joe Jonas, ‘Music for People Who Believe in Love’
The middle Jonas Brother hasn’t released a solo album in more than a decade, so fans are eager to hear what he’s been cooking up without Kevin and Nick. If you’re looking for a divorce album, however, look elsewhere — Joe has already said he’s “not trying to come for anyone” with his new music. (October 18)
Shawn Mendes, ‘Shawn’
After canceling his world tour to focus on his mental health, Mendes returns with a quieter, more introspective sound. Some fans thought Shawn might be a country album, and while that’s not quite accurate, the first few tracks do have more of a folky bent than his previous work. (October 18)
Kelsea Ballerini, ‘Patterns’
After dropping her stellar post-divorce EP Rolling Up the Welcome Mat last year, the country superstar is back with a new full-length album recorded as she experienced her Saturn return (an astrological event that represents change). She’s only shared a few details so far, but her “Cowboys Cry Too” duet with Noah Kahan hints at great things to come. (October 25)
Katie Gavin, ‘What a Relief’
The Muna frontwoman strikes out on her own with her debut solo album, which she has described as “Lilith Fair–core.”Judging by the first couple of singles, that means a more acoustic-forward sound than the ecstatic dance-pop Gavin and her bandmates channeled on their self-titled LP. (October 25)
Halsey, ‘The Great Impersonator’
Halsey has said she worked on her latest release “in the space between life and death” as she dealt with serious chronic health issues. The American Music Award winner seems to be mining multiple genres for inspiration, including pop-punk on “Ego” and folk on “The End.” (October 25)
Soccer Mommy, ‘Evergreen’
The indie singer-songwriter (real name Sophie Allison) grapples with “the wake of a profound and personal loss” on her new album, which promises to cut even deeper than her music usually does. (October 25)
Bootsy Collins, ‘Album of the Year #1 Funkateer’
The funk icon, now in his 70s, has still got it — “it” here meaning those smooth vocals, stick bass lines and a glam rock fashion sense that won’t quit. (October 25)
Willie Nelson, ‘Last Leaf on the Tree’
For his 76th (!!!) studio album, the country icon collaborated with his son Micah for a collection of covers from artists including Tom Waits, Nina Simone, Beck, Neil Young and the Flaming Lips. (November 1)
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Dolly Parton & Family, ‘Smoky -Mountain DNA — Family, Faith and Fables’
The country queen taps her large family for this collaborative album highlighting their Tennessee history over the course of 37 tracks. There’s also a four-part docuseries in the works that will detail Parton’s journey from Sevier County to Nashville and beyond; that’s due out next year. (November 15)
Kim Deal, ‘Nobody Loves You More’
The iconic Pixies and Breeders vocalist is finally gearing up for her first solo album after nearly 40 years in the business. But while the LP is billed under just her name, some of her longtime collaborators still found their way onto the record: her twin and Breeders colleague Kelley Deal as well as present and past bandmates Jim Macpherson, Britt Walford and Mando Lopez. (November 22)
