With just three months left in 2025, October is shaping up to be a musical highlight in the year. From stadium pop to introspective R&B, there are plenty of new releases to please even the pickiest listeners.

The first week alone comes with major drops: Taylor Swift will bring forth a new era with The Life of a Showgirl, Ledisi will honor Dinah Washington in the tribute LP For Dinah, and disco trio Say She She will release the vibrant Cut & Rewind. There’s also new records from the duo Sparks, country star Lily Rose, and rock band Thrice.

Khalid’s deeply personal After the Sun Goes Down will continue the momentum as the middle of the month rolls out. Following along, All Time Low will make their pop-punk return in Everyone’s Talking!, Gucci Mane will deliver his second book and companion album Episodes, and The Last Dinner Party will conjure dark tales on From the Pyre. Elsewhere, Daya will unveil Til Every Petal Drops, and outlaw country icon Waylon Jennings will be remembered through Songbird.

Closing off the month, Miguel will return after almost a decade with Caos, while Demi Lovato will drop the pop-dance smash It’s Not That Deep. New records from Calum Scott and Alexandra Kay will also come forth, and Roddy Ricch will (hopefully, finally) release The Navy Album. As for Halloween treats, Florence + The Machine will gift us with the haunting Everybody Scream, and Makaya McCraven will bring forth an ambitious four-EP project comprising Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out!, and PopUp Shop.

To help you make the best of your fall playlist, GRAMMY.com rounded up the 15 Must-Hear albums coming out in October 2025 below:

AFI — Silver Bleeds the Black Sun… (Oct. 3)

“We’ve gotten to experience virtually every aspect of the music industry,” said AFI guitarist Jade Puget in a press release. “Whether it’s playing to 20 people at [legendary DIY punk venue] 924 Gilman Street and underground clubs across the country, to having a number one song at radio.” Frontman Davey Havok added: “In our 33 years together, we’ve covered so much, musically, that I found myself daunted at the prospect of doing something different, and questioning what that would be.”

The band’s upcoming LP, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, might just be the answer. Instead of writing songs intuitively like they always did, AFI talked to each other intentionally about how they could break new ground. The result is a 10-track collection that aims to convey “a struggle to reconcile existence in a godless dystopia that lacks sanctuary, mystique, reason, and a chance of survival,” according to Havok.

Following the official release, AFI will kick off a month-long North American tour.

Taylor Swift — The Life of a Showgirl (Oct. 3)

A new Taylor Swift era is on the horizon — The Life of a Showgirl, the singer’s 12th full album, will come out on Oct. 3. She made the announcement during a highly-anticipated appearance on “New Heights”, a podcast co-hosted by her fiancé, Travis Kelce, and his brother Jason.

There, she revealed that Showgirl was recorded in Europe while she was on her global Eras tour and is inspired by those busy two years on the road. “This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” she said. “I’m so proud of it. And it comes from the most infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic place I was in in my life, so that effervescence has come through on this record.”

The album was produced by Max Martin, Shellback, and Swift, and features 12 tracks. Among them is the lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” a cover of George Michael’s “Father Figure,” and a participation by Sabrina Carpenter on the title track. To celebrate, Swift will hold screenings of The Official Release Party of a Showgirl in global cinemas from Oct. 3 to 5.

Ledisi — For Dinah (Oct. 3)

GRAMMY-winning singer Ledisi will pay homage to the legendary Dinah Washington on her forthcoming album, For Dinah. The LP was produced by jazz luminary Christian McBride and Ledisi’s frequent collaborator, Rex Rideout.

About her connection to Washington, Ledisi said in a statement: “She gave me permission to move freely, create freely, be a woman in leadership, wear and say what I want. Before there was Aretha, there was Dinah. She deserves to be recognized in today’s music as well. So instead of asking me ‘Why Dinah?,’’you should be asking ‘Why not Dinah?'”

The album features eight tracks, including a duet with Gregory Porter and appearances by Paul Jackson Jr. and rising star Michael King. The lead single, “This Bitter Earth,” is a rendition of Washington’s 1960 top-charting hit. “I felt her pain, her rejection. This is where I come from — and this is my way of saying her name out loud,” Ledisi added. “More than a musical salute, For Dinah is a thank-you letter from one powerful Black woman to another.”

Following the release, Ledisi will embark on a North American and European tour, starting Oct. 2.

Say She She — Cut & Rewind (Oct. 3)

“Cut & Rewind is a snapshot of our lives over the past few years,” shared disco queens Say She She in a statement about their upcoming album. “Inspired by the rugged reality of being on the road and running back into the studio to cut a record as soon as we were off. Then repeat! It’s like our ode to the boss ladies out there for plowing through and staying true to what they are trying to do.”

The record features 12 “irresistibly danceable tracks” that are “peppered with some hints of our musical muses with a slice of life mantra on the side.” The trio of Piya Malik, Nya Gazelle Brown and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham added, “We’re here to remind you as much as ourselves to ‘Hire the guy who’s gonna look you in the eye.’”

Another goal of Cut & Rewind is to deliver “urgent, politically charged messages” without losing the fun vibes. Single “Disco Life” retells the infamous Disco Demolition Night in 1979, “Under the Sun” was inspired by the 2023 Hollywood Writers’ Strike and “the power of collective action,” and “She Who Dares” pictures “a dystopia where women’s rights have been decimated globally, calling for resistance and solidarity.” Across its tracklist, Cut & Rewind is an embodiment of Say She She’s belief that “music can be a vehicle for protest while also serving as a salve during the most difficult of times.”

Sparks — Madder! (Oct. 3)

After the positive response of May’s Mad!, indie duo Sparks is coming back with the album’s companion piece: a four -track EP titled Madder!. In a statement, brothers Ron and Russell Mael shared that they made “a hasty but intense retreat to the studio” to record their first EP, and that it is meant to “take you to an even Madder! place.” 

Madder! includes the single “Porcupine,” as well as “Fantasize,” “Mess Up,” and “They,” promising to expand Sparks’ nifty songwriting and offbeat sounds even further. The release is also another landmark of a prolific creative period for the pair, who returned to Island Records after five decades to release 2023’s The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.

Sparks have just wrapped up a summer tour across Japan, Europe, U.K., and North America.

Khalid — After The Sun Goes Down (Oct. 10)

“This chapter is about taking my power back, living in my truth, and being able to express myself freely,” said Khalid in a statement about his new album, After the Sun Goes Down. “I’m excited for my fans to experience this new era with me, not just musically, but personally.” The statement also notes that the album explores “themes of love, self-discovery, openness, and a refreshed sense of freedom.”

Slated for Oct. 10, After the Sun Goes Down is Khalid’s first release since coming out as gay in November via X. “I got outed and the world still continues to turn,” he wrote. “Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me.” 

The 16-track release is Khalid’s fourth album, and follows 2024’s Sincere. A teaser of the new sounds he is exploring can be listened to in singles “In Plain Sight” and “Out Of Body.”

All Time Low — Everyone’s Talking! (Oct. 17)

The pop-punk veterans of All Time Low return with their tenth studio album, Everyone’s Talking!. Released via their own label Basement Noise Records in partnership with Photo Finish/Virgin Music Group, the record is spearheaded by four anthemic, restless singles: “Suckerpunch,” “The Weather,” “Oh No!,” and “Butterflies.”

Everyone’s Talking! follows 2023’s Tell Me I’m Alive and 2024’s collection The Forever Sessions Vol. 1, which celebrated the band’s 20th anniversary. The latter featured re-recordings of their greatest early hits, including “Dear Maria, Count Me In (ATL’s Version).” 

After the release, the Maryland quartet will embark on the Everyone’s Talking! tour, kicking off on Oct. 4 in Montana The North American leg will feature over 30 shows and will be supported by Mayday Parade, The Cab, Four Year Strong, and the Paradox on select dates. In early 2026, All Time Low will head overseas to perform in the U.K. and Europe.

Gucci Mane — Episodes (Oct. 17)

Next month, Gucci Mane will come out with his ambitious 17th album, Episodes, accompanied by his second book of the same name. On Instagram, the rapper teased the content of the new project: “All my fans that’s been struggling with mental health this one is for u! You are not alone!”

A synopsis of the book by publisher Simon & Schuster reveals that “in Episodes, Gucci revisits his life and shares what was really going on for the first time. The mental anguish, the pitfalls, the triggers no one speaks about. Each episode is Gucci experiencing something — something you may remember from the news or even heard in his music — and giving you the background of where he was mentally.” Fans can expect the same themes being approached in the songs, as can be seen in pre-releases “Voices” and “Psycho.”

While tour dates are yet to be released, Gucci has confirmed a New Year’s Eve concert titled Mask’d & Ice’d at Atlanta Symphony Hall, where he will play all his classics alongside Atlanta Pops Orchestra.

Militarie Gun — God Save The Gun (Oct. 17)

“I’m well aware that being this vulnerable turns my personal trauma into a marketing hook for this album,” Militarie Gun frontman Ian Shelton said in a statement. “But I’m fine with it, if not provoking it.”

His words refer to the post-hardcore band’s sophomore album, God Save The Gun, coming out Oct. 17 via Loma Vista. The LP is described as “a very human document of being at your worst when you should be on top — an absurdist guide to the intersection of self-destruction and self-belief,” and comprises 14 tracks, led by single “B A D I D E A.”

God Save The Gun sees Militarie Gun working with Phillip Odom, James Goodson of Dazy, Nick Panella of MSPAINT, and producer and engineer Riley MacIntyre. The band is currently on a North American tour lasting through the end of November. In early 2026, they will continue the run in the U.K. and Europe.

Sudan Archives — THE BPM (Oct. 17)

Sudan Archives (a.k.a Brittney Parks) is looking to the future while connecting with the past. The Los Angeles singer, songwriter and violinist crafted a series of club bangers with the help of her family for her third album, THE BPM, set out Oct. 17.

“This album just feels really homemade,” the star shared in a statement. “It felt really wholesome to be able to have fun and use my family members’ lyrics and work together. We used to write songs together all the time when we were younger, we used to praise dance together in church…so it was really cute to be able to do this now.” Led by vibrant singles “My Type,” “Dead,” “Yea Yea Yea,” and “Ms. Pacman,” the statement also mentions that THE BPM also “tackles serious subjects, from mental illness to self-love and heartbreak.”

Parks will play select dates in the U.S. before embarking on a U.K. and Europe tour in November.

The Last Dinner Party — From The Pyre (Oct. 17)

For their second studio album, The Last Dinner Party wrote songs as a collection of fantastic stories, populated by mythical creatures and human archetypes. Titled From The Pyre, the quintet explained in a statement that “‘The Pyre’ itself is an allegorical place in which these tales originate, a place of violence and destruction but also regeneration, passion and light.”

The new LP features 10 tracks, and is fronted by singles “This Is the Killer Speaking,” “The Scythe,” and “Second Best.” “The songs are character-driven but still deeply personal, a commonplace life event pushed to pathological extreme,” the band shared. “Being ghosted becomes a Western dance with a killer, and heartbreak laughs into the face of the apocalypse. Lyrics invoke rifles, scythes, sailors, saints, cowboys, floods, Mother Earth, Joan of Arc, and blazing infernos. We found this kind of evocative imagery to be the most honest and truthful way to discuss the way our experiences felt, giving each the emotional weight it deserves.”

From The Pyre is the follow-up to 2024’s critically acclaimed Prelude to Ecstasy, and is said to be “a little darker, more raw and more earthy” than its predecessor. In support of the release, The Last Dinner Party will kick off a U.K. and Ireland tour in November, following to Australia, New Zealand, and Europe in early 2026.

Miguel — CAOS (Oct. 23)

It’s been almost a decade since Miguel released his latest album, 2017’s War & Leisure, but that will change soon. The Los Angeles singer announced that he will drop Caos on his 40th birthday, Oct. 23.

“To rebuild, I had to destroy myself. That is the core confrontation of Caos,” Miguel said in a press statement. “Through my personal evolution, I learned that transformation is violent. Caos is the sonic iteration of me bending that violence into something universally felt.”

Promising “a fearless exploration of the emotions and experiences that have shaped Miguel’s life,” the 12-track project “captures the beauty and volatility of transformation — where destruction becomes creation, and pain evolves into growth.” Miguel gave fans a sneak peek into the new album through singles “Always Time,” “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U),” and “El Pleito.”

Demi Lovato — It’s Not That Deep (Oct. 24)

“This music is a perfect reflection of where I’m at today,” said Demi Lovato in a statement about her upcoming ninth album, It’s Not That Deep. Rooted in dance-pop and executive produced by Zhone (Charli xcx, Kylie Minogue), the LP is fronted by singles “Fast,” “Here All Night,” and “Frequency.”

“With my past eras, I often wrote cathartic music about heavy topics that I needed to process,” Lovato shared. “When I got back in the studio this time around, those songs just weren’t resonating anymore because I’m not in that place in life. I’m happy, I’m in love, and I just want to enjoy life and have fun. I realized it’s not that deep anymore, and that became the ethos for this album.”

It’s Not That Deep is fit for late nights and dancefloors, Lovato continued, “and I can’t wait for you all to dance with me.”

Lovato’s last release was 2022’s rock-inspired record, Holy Fvck. In March 2026, she will release her first cookbook, One Plate at a Time: Recipes for Finding Freedom With Food.

Florence + The Machine — Everybody Scream (Oct. 31)

Just in time for Halloween, Florence + The Machine will release their sixth studio album, Everybody Scream. Following 2022’s Dance Fever and vocalist Florence Welch needing lifesaving surgery amidst their tour in 2023, the album tells the story of what it means to be “healed,” according to a press release.

Welch’s recovery took her down the path of “spiritual mysticism, witchcraft and folk horror,” and the upcoming LP treads over these themes, weaving them along with “womanhood, partnership, aging and dying; exposing the murky in the mundane.” The British band has previewed the album through the title track and recent single “One of the Greats,” co-written with IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen. “I wanted it to feel like you were disintegrating into nothing at the end,” Welch shared. “Which is sometimes what the creative process feels to me. Death and resurrection over and over.”

Starting February 2026, the band will hit the road for a U.K. and Europe month-long tour. Further dates are yet to be announced.

Drummer, producer, and sonic collagist Makaya McCraven isn’t afraid to challenge himself with daring projects. This Halloween, he will drop four distinct EPs: Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out!, and PopUp Shop. Each of them is led by a respective pre-release: “Boom Bapped,” “The Beat Up,” “Dark Parks,” and “Los Gatos.”

According to a press release, “the source material from each of McCraven’s new EPs is also drawn from moments of pure improvisation that were recorded live in performance, and shaped as much by the room and audience as by the musicians themselves.” Techno Logic draws from live performances in London (2017), Berlin (2024), and New York (2025), while The People’s Mixtape has its foundation “in a live recording from Brooklyn’s Public Records in January of 2025, where McCraven celebrated the 10-year anniversary of [his debut album] In The Moment.” Hidden Out! features recordings from McCraven’s 2017 residency at the Hideout in Chicago, and PopUp Shop was created from the musician’s Los Angeles debut at Del Monte Speakeasy in 2015.

The EPs will be compiled on double LP and CD physical releases titled Off the Record, available in stores on Oct. 10. The collection is McCraven’s first effort since 2022’s In These Times.

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