Mallory Mangum

For years we have been in a music drought, with an occasional unskippable album, but many beloved artists took a prolonged hiatus from writing and releasing music. Now many of those artists are back and fans are trying their best to keep up.
After four years of media silence, Harry Styles has finally announced his return. For years fans have speculated on what he was up to when photos of Harry around the world would be released. They were begging him to return to the studio and make music.
Styles finally announced an album release, ‘’Kiss all the Time, Disco Occasionally’’ using hints online and on billboards in various locations. Fans reacted exactly how fanbases are expected to react when their favorite artists returns, they lose their minds.
A single, ‘’Aperture’’ was released alongside the news of the album and it quickly topped the charts and gained lots of attention. Eventually a full tracklist followed and speculators began doing what they do best, picking every song title apart.
Tour prices and tickets hit the markets and fans were shocked to see the prices. Even after an extended hiatus, nobody expected the spike in ticket prices. Nearly $300-$500 for nosebleed seats, and floor or pit seats reaching $2,000 per ticket.
The Styles comeback is not the only one that is drawing attention, BTS has officially ended their mandatory military service and surprised fans with an album announcement. ‘’Arirang’’ their 5th studio album, is set to come out in March 2026.
When the members of BTS stopped production for their service most fans were supportive of their decision to serve instead of seeking exemptions, but many were also afraid of how the time off would affect their future as a group.
Despite those fears, the group is back and ready to tour with their new album. The world tour will span over 2026-2027, kickstarting in South Korea in April 2026.
Bruno Mars joins this wave of returns with his fourth studio album, ‘’The Romantic’’. This album is filled with nostalgia, and inspired by 1970s R&B. Along with the album came a highly anticipated tour release. The tour is scheduled for April-October 2026.
A single dropped in February to prepare fans for the eventual release of the full album. This drop marks Bruno’s first major music release in a full decade.
The tours couldn’t stop coming with Bad Bunny’s ‘’Debí Tirar Más Fotos’’ World Tour. After his Super Bowl performance became one of the most watched halftime shows, many people are anxiously awaiting their opportunity to listen to him live.
His Super Bowl performance brought in fans that don’t even speak Spanish, even with the lack of understanding they can still feel the significance of the music. The controversy behind his music and performance couldn’t stop the fans.
2026 is the new 2016 and with that is the rebrand of Zara Larson. Her new music has an air of bright colored nostalgia and contributed to multiple internet trends like the “Symphony” dolphin meme and makeup looks to her song “Lush Life”.
Her new look consists of maximalist fashion and bright colors. Zara Larson’s new look fully embraces the Y2K aesthetic and her fans are right along with her. Her fame and the attention on her new vibe skyrocketed her career.
Ariana Grande has stunned on the movie screen in the “Wicked” movies recently, but she is set to tour with her album ,”Eternal Sunshine” in 2026. Her return to the stage is bittersweet as she has told many fans that after this she is moving away from large scale music production to focus on other creative roles like acting.
Grande’s career has shifted multiple times over the years, her beginning was on the stage and screen as an actress, but she made her way into music after her role on “Victorious”. After her successful music career she once again returned to the screen to play Glinda the Good. This decision to break into the music scene once more and leave on a high note – get it? – is one that many fans support, and those who support hopes she can use the time to explore her passion and prioritize her mental health.
The summer of 2024 was Brat Summer, Charli XCX was the focus and influenced a large portion of the internet. Charli has dropped music once again giving her fans more music to obsess over after the Brat craze a couple years ago.
This album consists of a very different sound than her club-pop esc “Brat” album. The tracks feature intense and intimate vocals that pair with an elegant sound, but her fans are loving the shift. Charli let it be known that she wanted to move away from the brat era into a colder sound for her new music.
These artists are back, and behind them come many more expected and rumored returns. 2026 will surely be a big year for everyone’s favorite music artists.