The A.V. Club's most anticipated albums of summer 2025

Pulp is finally back after 24 years, Neil Young has a new band, and Haim makes a triumphant return.

By A.V. Club Staff | May 29, 2025 | 12:00pm

By Drew Gillis, Emma Keates, Jen Lennon, and Mary Kate Carr. Images from left: Lil Wayne, Tha Carter VI (Young Money/Republic); Wet Leg, moisturizer (Domino); Lorde, Virgin (Republic).

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The A.V. Club's most anticipated albums of summer 2025

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The long-awaited returns of Haim and Lorde are deservedly going to take up a lot of space in the music world this summer, but there are plenty of other albums dropping over the next few months to get excited about, too. Punk royalty Laura Jane Grace is back with a new band, Nourished By Time returns with the follow-up to his masterful debut, and Ethel Cain is set to release her second music project of the year. Plus, Pulp finally returns after 24 years to give us More.

Lil Wayne, Tha Carter VI (June 6)

It’s been five years since Lil Wayne’s last solo album and seven years since his last Carter album, so we’re long overdue for both. Luckily, Wayne’s got us covered with Tha Carter VI. The official tracklist hasn’t been revealed yet, and there haven’t been any singles released so far, but Rolling Stone got an early preview of what’s in store. This time around, the rapper has enlisted the help of Wyclef Jean and Wheezy on the production side, and the album features guest appearances from MGK, Elephant Man, Andrea Bocelli, Miley Cyrus, and Bono, among others. [Jen Lennon]

Pulp, More (June 6)

According to Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, the legendary Britpop band’s upcoming album, More, didn’t take much coaxing to come to fruition. Even though—or perhaps because—it is their first album in 24 years (after 2001’s We Love Life), it took just three weeks to record. “This is the shortest amount of time a Pulp album has ever taken to record. It was obviously ready to happen,” Cocker said in a press release. The first two singles, “Spike Island” and “Got To Have Love,” aren’t just good by the metric of “it’s nice to have Pulp back again”; they’re genuinely great additions to the band’s catalogue. Hopefully, More is more than just more Pulp, too. [Jen Lennon]

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Neil Young And The Chrome Hearts, Talkin To The Trees (June 13)

Neil Young will turn 80 years old this year. His career spans more than 60 years; he’s racked up more accolades than is feasible to list. Yet he’s still pumping out new music with the hunger and urgency of a rookie. Young has never been content to sit still for long, constantly challenging himself to embrace different genres and change up his sound. In keeping with that spirit, Talkin To The Trees is his first album with his new band, the Chrome Hearts, which consists of Micah Nelson on guitar, Corey McCormick on bass, Anthony LoGerfo on drums, and Spooner Oldham on organ. The band adds a fresh energy to Young’s sound, creating vital songs that reflect the unstable politics of the current moment. [Jen Lennon]

Haim, I quit (June 20)

Thank goodness the title isn’t too literal, because HAIM is back for their fourth studio album. It’s hard to follow their Grammy-nominated career peak Women In Music Pt. III, but on I quit, the band doesn’t seem all that concerned about what came before. On the contrary, this is a soundtrack for burning everything down and starting anew. All three sisters have gone through major life changes, including Danielle Haim’s breakup with their former producer Ariel Rechtshaid. This time, she takes the lead on production with frequent collaborator (and former member of Vampire Weekend) Rostam Batmanjili for grungy, laid-back tracks like “Down To Be Wrong” and “Everybody’s Trying To Figure Me Out” (the latter of which includes a writing credit for Justin Vernon, another close collaborator). The result is a record Alana Haim enticingly describes as “the closest we’ve ever gotten to how we wanted to sound.” [Mary Kate Carr]

Lorde, Virgin (June 27)

It’s been four long years since Lorde warned listeners to look elsewhere for a savior, but her die-hard fans are still waiting with baited breath for her to tell them how to feel. Luckily, the artist is feeling more confident than ever about delivering a raw, unfiltered, completely transparent new work in the form of her latest album Virgin. Working with brand new collaborators including Jim-E Stack (Sable, Fable), Dan Nigro (GUTS), and Devonté Hynes (True), Lorde reinvents—or perhaps rediscovers—herself on the new album, with a particular emphasis on the fluidity of gender. Lead single “What Was That” echoes the offbeat electronic sound of her early hits, while early snippets of “Man Of The Year” recall some of the slower moments on Solar Power. Altogether, Virgin promises to be another record that is uniquely, singularly Lorde. [Mary Kate Carr]

Kesha, Period (July 4)

In late 2023, Kesha officially parted ways with Dr. Luke’s Kemosabe records, and in 2024, she was finally able to create and release music as she wanted. Now, after a year of singles and guest appearances (including one Brat remix) her sixth album Period (also styled as “.”) is almost here. What we’ve heard from it so far has been chaotic both sonically and collaboratively. “Yippee Ki Yay,” a T-Pain-featuring bit of country-infused pop rap has already been remixed by PC Music don A.G. Cook, and lead single “Joyride” could fairly be described as an Adderall-addled polka. Whatever Period ends up being, it certainly shouldn’t be boring. [Drew Gillis]

Wet Leg, Moisturizer (July 11)

On Wet Leg’s 2021 debut single, “Chaise Longue,” the Isle Of Wight band founded by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers asked us if our muffins were buttered and, if not, whether we’d like someone to butter our muffins. That consideration has gone out the window with their upcoming sophomore album, moisturizer. The lead single, “catch these fists,” is not only unconcerned with anyone else’s pleasure, it’s actively antagonistic toward that goal. “You should be careful, do you catch my drift? / ‘Cause what I really wanna know is can you catch these fists?” Teasdale sings about a pushy guy at a club. Wet Leg was already a band that demanded you sit up and pay attention, but their newfound acidity makes their music feel even more urgent. [Jen Lennon]

Laura Jane Grace In The Trauma Tropes, Adventure Club (July 18)

Former Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace’s new band, The Trauma Tropes, came together when she received a songwriting fellowship from the Onassis Foundation in Greece. There, Grace bonded with local musicians Jacopo Fokas (bass) and Orestis Lagadinos (drums). Together with her wife, Paris Campbell Grace, on backing vocals, the band recorded their first album, Adventure Club. And even though the supporting players are different this time around, there’s no doubt that this is, first and foremost, a Laura Jane Grace record. Her lyrics still drip with venom, and the music is a full-on raucous assault. The lead single, “Your God (God’s Dick)” opens with the line, “Does your god have a big fat dick? / ‘Cause it feels like he’s fucking me,” which is extremely on-brand for her. [Jen Lennon]

Lord Huron, The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1 (July 18)

If you’re going to be coy about your new music and album plans, kicking off the promotion cycle with a mysterious spoken-word song featuring Kristen Stewart is a damn good way to do it. That’s what Lord Huron did with The Cosmic Selector Vol. 1, dropping the noir-inspired music video for “Who Laughs Last” in January before finally announcing their new album in May. Referencing the album’s title, frontman Ben Schneider said in a press statement, “What if you could choose your fate like choosing a song on a jukebox? What if your finger slipped and you got the B-side instead? What if you misunderstood the meaning of the dang song to begin with?” [Jen Lennon]

Indigo De Souza, Precipice (July 25)

Songwriting is an inherently confessional medium, but singer-songwriter Indigo De Souza takes it to new heights with the specificity of her words. Take “Heartthrob,” the first single from her fourth album, Precipice, which details De Souza’s experience with physical and sexual abuse. “He really tricked me, I let him touch me where he wanted,” De Souza sings over a disarmingly bright beat. Sonically, her music fits in perfectly with the current power-pop trend, but her lyrics set her apart from the rest of the pack. [Jen Lennon]

Nourished By Time, The Passionate Ones (August 22)

Nourished By Time’s 2023 debut Erotic Probiotic II was one of that year’s strongest debuts, landing artist Marcus Brown a record deal with XL Recordings. In the subsequent year, Brown kept the momentum rolling with the Catching Chickens EP and the single “Max Potential,” the first track from his second album The Passionate Ones. The album has been described as “a sermon… howled from the underbelly of late-stage capitalism,” which, if the tone of Erotic Probiotic II is any indication, sounds accurate. Brown’s work blends R&B and electronic genres in ways that feel wholly original, but it’s his indelible baritone that really marks the music. When Nourished By Time sings, there is little choice but to listen. [Drew Gillis]

Ethel Cain, Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You (August TBA)

Considering the almost literal cult following that’s grown around Ethel Cain in the past few years, you’d be forgiven for forgetting she’s only officially released one studio album. (Her pitch-black January release, Perverts, was technically an EP despite its 90-minute runtime.) That finally changes this summer with Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, a prequel to her 2022 debut, Preacher’s Daughter. Hardcore fans will recognize Willoughby as the man from Preacher’s Daughter track “A House In Nebraska,” and Cain has said the record’s narrative will follow her character’s early years. In her usual mysterious fashion, Cain hasn’t released any singles ahead of the album’s release, so we don’t really know what it will sound like, but if her previous body of work is anything to go by, fans are in for a wild ride. [Emma Keates]