12 Unmissable October Albums

By JC Villamere. 1 Oct 2021 5:53 PM

The leaves are turning, the weather’s cooling, but you can heat up your turntable with some of these unbelievably hot new record drops!

EMI Universal

Photo: David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns

CP Images

Murray Chalmers PR

Universal

Photo: John Shearer/ACMA2021/Getty Images for ACM

Secret City Records

Album Artwork Created from Original Painting By Renowned Artist Nina Chanel Abney, via Meek Mill

Atlantic Records

Jason Mendez / Contributor / Getty

Neil Krug via Low Country Sound/Elektra Records

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Elton John
EMI Universal
‘The Lockdown Sessions’, out October 22, is an album of collabs recorded remotely over the last 18 months. When Covid caused John to pause his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour in March 2020, he got to work on this impressive project. It features 16 tracks — 10 of them are new — and over 20 artists, including Lil Nas X, Nicki Minaj, Eddie Vedder, Miley Cyrus, Gorillaz and more. “The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album,” John said in a statement. “But, as the pandemic went on, one‐off projects kept cropping up. Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens. But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory … And it was still a blast.”
Ed Sheeran
Photo: David Wolff - Patrick/Redferns
We admit, we thought the fourth instalment in Sheeran’s symbol album series would be “—“ (Minus), but the four-time Grammy winner is full of surprises. “=“ (pronounced ‘Equals’) is out October 29. The latest single is ‘Visiting Hours”. It follows the June release of the hit lead single with the spooky video, “Bad Habits”.“‘=’ (Equals) is a really personal record and one that means a lot to me,” Sheeran said in a statement. "My life changed greatly over the past few years – I got married, became a father, experienced loss, and I reflect on these topics over the course of the album. I see it as my coming-of-age record, and I can’t wait to share this next chapter with you.”
Lana Del Rey
CP Images
The acclaimed singer-songwriter will release her eighth studio album, 'Blue Banisters', on October 22. This is the super-fast follow-up to 'Chemtrails Over The Country Club', which was released in March after several Covid-related delays. The latest single from the six-time Grammy nominee is "Arcadia". The prolific artist has also published her first collection of poetry, "Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass", along with an audiobook produced with Jack Antonoff.
Coldplay
Murray Chalmers PR
This is the one with the BTS collab on it! Yes, the British stadium rockers’ ninth record, ‘Music of The Spheres’, contains “My Universe” featuring BTS. In May, the band released the first single, “Higher Power”, which has already been streamed more than 160 million times. ‘Music of The Spheres’ is out October 15.
Finneas
Universal
Last year, this musician, songwriter, and producer picked up six Grammys with his sister, Billie Eilish, for her groundbreaking #1 hit debut album, ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ and the hit single, “Bad Guy”. Now, he’s ready to release his debut album, ‘The 90s’, on October 15. According to a statement, “‘The 90s’ is Finneas’ heartfelt look back at a decade where things seemed simpler, a world without the internet and smartphones, and a desire to return to those times.” ‘Optimist’ features 12 new tracks, plus the previously released “What They’ll Say About Us”. Look for Finneas on the ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ soundtrack, too.
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

They’re at it again! Bennett and Gaga will release their latest collab, ‘Love For Sale’, on October 1. This follows their 2015 #1 hit album, ‘Cheek To Cheek’. ‘Love For Sale’ revisits the Cole Porter songbook. Their duet, “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” will be the first single. Unfortunately, this will be the last album for Bennett, 95. Bennett had already been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the time of the recording sessions, a diagnosis his family disclosed earlier this year.
Old Dominion
Photo: John Shearer/ACMA2021/Getty Images for ACM
The country group's fourth studio album, 'Time, Tequila & Therapy', will feature their current single "I Was on a Boat That Day," plus a surprise collaboration with Gladys Knight. Since their 2015 debut, 'Break Up With Him', Old Dominion have released seven #1 country hits, and with this new release, they're looking to rack up the score.
Shad
Secret City Records
“Every song on the album highlights a different aspect (or aspects) of human life,” the Juno-winning Toronto rapper explained in a statement. ‘TAO’, out October 1, is the follow-up to ‘A Short Story About A War’, which was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2018.
Meek Mill
Album Artwork Created from Original Painting By Renowned Artist Nina Chanel Abney, via Meek Mill
The Grammy-nominated rapper’s long-awaited fifth disc, ‘Expensive Pain’, drops October 1. The co-chair of the REFORM Alliance was recently honoured with the Nelson Mandela Changemaker Award but he still found time to drop two hit lead singles: “Locations (feat. Lil Durk & Lil Baby)" and "Blue Notes 2 (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)”.
Kelly Clarkson
Atlantic Records
‘When Christmas Comes Around’ is out October 15, and it features a mix of original songs and classic covers. “My purpose for choosing this lyric for being the title of this project was to bring forth a sense of reality to the fact that we are probably all in very different places emotionally ‘when Christmas comes around,’” Clarkson explained in a statement. “Some of us consumed with a new love, some of us reminded of loss, some filled with optimism for the coming new year, others elated for some much deserved time away from the chaos our work lives can sometimes bring us. Wherever you are, and whatever you may be experiencing, I wanted everyone to be able to connect to a message on this album.” The record features Ariana Grande, Chris Stapleton and more. The lead single, “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You)” is out now.
Young Thug
Jason Mendez / Contributor / Getty
The rapper’s second album drops on October 15, and the next night, he’ll be the musical guest on “SNL” with host Rami Malek. ‘Punk’ is the follow-up to his hit debut ‘So Much Fun’, which dropped in 2019. The lead single, "Tick Tock”, is out now.
Brandi Carlile
Neil Krug via Low Country Sound/Elektra Records
'In These Silent Days', out October 1, is the follow-up to the six-time Grammy winner's 2018 breakout album, 'By The Way, I Forgive You'. Carlile says the songs were written in her barn during a time of deep and personal reckoning. "There's plenty reflection … but mostly it's a celebration," she said in a statement. "This album is what drama mixed with joy sounds like. It's resistance and gratitude, righteous anger and radical forgiveness. It's the sound of these silent days." Courteney Cox directed the video for the album's first single, "Right On Time".

12 Unmissable October Albums

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