August 2025 starts and finishes strong, with plenty of releases to keep your summer playlists flawless.
Reneé Rapp kicks things off with BITE ME, and rapper duo sensation $uicideboy$ return with Thy Kingdom Come. Elsewhere, new releases from the Jonas Brothers, Bradley Zimmerman, the Black Keys, Amaarae, and Ethel Cain range from country and alt-rock, to ethereal R&B and baile funk. Midway through the month, Maroon 5 will return to their roots with Love Is Like, Chevelle will deliver Bright As Blasphemy, and Conan Gray will get vulnerable on the introspective Wishbone. Plus, Ciara will finally unveil CiCi, and Hunx and His Punx will bring forth Walk Out on This World.
The month closes on a high with a stacked lineup arriving Aug. 29: Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, Belinda Carlisle’s Once Upon a Time in California, the Beaches’ No Hard Feelings, the Hives’ The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, and Margo Price’s Hard Headed Woman.
Whether you’re in the mood for cathartic pop, lofty gospel, or introspective rap, August has something to offer. Below, GRAMMY.com highlights 15 standout albums coming out this month to keep on your radar.
Reneé Rapp — BITE ME (Aug. 1)
Rising pop star Reneé Rapp will release her sophomore album at the top of the month. “Bite Me encourages listeners to embrace every facet of their personality, the chaotic and the confident, and to be authentically, unapologetically themselves,” according to press materials. “It’s a raw, unfiltered, and vulnerable album about self-acceptance in its truest form, and like Rapp herself, creates a community for unfiltered self-expression.”
The LP is previewed by singles “Leave Me Alone,” “Mad,” and “Why Is She Still Here?” — which lean into the “f— off” energy that Rapp embodied after the release of 2023’s Snow Angel. “I was going through this festival run after having gone through an album cycle and a tour and a movie and a press run for that. I was really burnt out. I stopped loving what I was doing,” she told Paper back in June. “I was like, ‘I need to shed everything that is hurting me off of my body immediately.’”
The purge worked, as Rapp is “insanely proud” of her upcoming work. “This is exactly what I live and breathe. This is me at this point in my life, an album and a world that is really easy to step into,” she shared.
Following the release of Bite Me, Rapp will kick off a North American headline tour, which will see her perform at venues including Madison Square Garden in New York and The Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
$uicideboy$ — Thy Kingdom Come (Aug. 1)
New Orleans indie rap duo $uicideboy$’s follow-up to 2024’s New World Depression is titled Thy Kingdom Come. The LP also marks the first time that a $uicideboy$ studio album will feature guest artists on two tracks, including the highly anticipated “Now And At The Hour Of Our Death” with rapper BONES.
The rollout also includes lead single “Self-Inflicted,” which recalls the pair’s early SoundCloud days, featuring dark, aggressive production, pounding bass, and a gritty atmosphere. The track hit No. 59 on the Spotify Global Chart, and has garnered over 10 million streams across platforms so far.
One week after the album’s release, $uicideboy$ will launch their annual Grey Day tour, covering 44 shows across North America, kicking off on Aug. 5. The tour will again team up with mental health non-profit PLUS1, contributing $1 from each ticket sold to the organization.
Bailey Zimmerman — Different Night Same Rodeo (Aug. 8)
Following his breakout 2023 debut Religiously. The Album, rising country star Bailey Zimmerman will drop his second album, Different Night Same Rodeo. Produced by his collaborator Austin Shawn, the LP will feature several popular singles, such as “Backup Plan” with Luke Combs, “Holy Smokes,” “New to Country,” “Hell or High Water,” “Holding On,” and “Comin’ In Cold.”
Read more: Meet Bailey Zimmerman, Country’s Biggest New Star Who Still Can’t Believe He’s Famous
“This album I’ve worked on for, like, two years straight,” Zimmerman told Billboard. “I almost dropped it last year, and then it didn’t feel like it was good enough. I didn’t love it enough. So I just did it. I canceled everything. Now I feel like, ‘Wow, this is telling my story.’” He added that the album was inspired by his life since he became famous and the feelings coming out of being in the public eye, touring, and looking for a long-term relationship.
Zimmerman is currently on the road with his New To Country tour, which will span 16 amphitheaters across the U.S. and features special guests Dylan Marlowe and Drew Baldridge. He will also play a few summer festival sets, including SunFest Country Music Festival, Boots and Hearts Music Festival, and McHenry Music Festival.
Ethel Cain — Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You (Aug. 8)
Next month, Ethel Cain — the stage name of singer/songwriter Hayden Anhedönia — will reveal more of her past in the upcoming Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You. The album’s lyrical narrative serves as a prequel to Cain’s 2022 acclaimed debut, Preacher’s Daughter.
According to Cain in an interview for the Guardian, Willoughby Tucker begins in the summer of 1986, and finds Ethel Cain as an insecure teenager “trying to navigate her first love in a broken world and a broken town,” ultimately telling a “deeply traumatized” love story.
“I see Ethel Cain as a piece of me that I separate from myself and discard, so that I can make good decisions in life,” she said. “If Preacher’s Daughter was my learning experience of what not to do with trauma and healing, Willoughby Tucker has been my experience of what not to do in love.”
To support the release, Cain shared singles “Nettles” and “Fuck Me Eyes,” and is set to embark on the Willoughby Tucker Forever tour across North America and Europe from August to November 2025.
mgk — lost americana (Aug. 8)
Months after posting a video of MGK (formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly) on his Instagram account, Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan lent his voice to narrate a new album trailer from the rapper-turned-rocker. Titled lost americana, the seventh studio album by MGK drops Aug. 8.
“Lost Americana is a personal excavation of the American dream, a journey to find what’s been lost,” said Dylan in the trailer. “This album is a love letter to those who seek to rediscover — the dreamers, the drifters, the defiant. It’s a sonic map of forgotten places, a tribute to the spirit of reinvention and a quest to reclaim the authentic essence of American freedom. From the glow of neon diners to the rumble of the motorcycles, this is music that celebrates the beauty found in the in-between spaces where the past is reimagined and the future is forged on your own terms.”
The album is spearheaded by “Cliché,” “Vampire Diaries,” and “Miss Sunshine,” and follows MGK’s GRAMMY-nominated 2022 LP, Mainstream Sellout.
Amaarae — Black Star (Aug. 8)
Ghanaian American singer Amaarae gained global recognition for her 2023 sophomore album, Fountain Baby. She became a coveted name in festivals (and the first Ghanaian solo female act to perform at Coachella), collaborated with the likes of Janelle Monaé, Rina Sawayama, and Childish Gambino, and opened concerts for Kaytranada and Sabrina Carpenter. Now, she’s gearing up for the next chapter of this journey: Black Star.
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“Black Star to me is the genesis of me feeling sure and confident in myself as a grown woman, number one, and knowing exactly what my message is, how I want to tell it to the world,” Amaarae told Rolling Stone. For this, she traveled with producer Kyu Steed to Brazil to meet with several baile-funk producers. “They make music not for money or hits, but the expression, and that is so beautiful. I wanted to feel free like that.”
The first taste of the project is the steamy “S.M.O.,” or “Slut Me Out,” where Amaarae took inspiration from Donna Summer mixed with Control-era Janet Jackson to celebrate sexual freedom. “The message can’t be mistaken, and the beat makes you move. That’s all I want to do this summer, make people dance and feel things,” the singer shared in a statement.
Big Freedia — Pressing Onward (Aug. 8)
New Orleans bounce icon Big Freedia has announced her first-ever gospel album. Titled Pressing Onward, the record takes its name from the Pressing Onward Baptist Church in her hometown. The project follows 2023’s Central City, and marks her third official LP.
“I’ve been waiting my whole career to make this album,” Big Freedia said in a statement. “The church always spoke to me: the drama, the choir, and the attire. We are in uncertain times. I’m hoping fans can get some faith and hope from this album.”
Watch: Big Freedia Shares Her Backstage Must-Haves And Pre-Show Ritual | Herbal Tea & White Sofas
Freedia began working on Pressing Onward as a way to honor her deep-rooted connection to gospel music, which began when she joined the church choir at the age of 10. The album also serves as a heartfelt tribute to her partner, Devon Hurst, who passed away in May 2025. “This album started as a message of healing for the world — but now, it’s me who’s holding on to the music for strength,” Freedia told Billboard in a recent interview.
The Black Keys — No Rain, No Flowers (Aug. 8)
After teasing fans with the No Rain, No Flowers tour and dropping singles “The Night Before” and “Babygirl,” the duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney confirmed their 13th LP, No Rain, No Flowers, set to be released via Easy Eye Sound and Warner.
Recorded in Nashville and self-produced, the album features collaborations with Rick Nowels, Daniel Tashian, and Scott Storch. “I had worked with Rick Nowels on Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence,” Auerbach said in press materials. “We’d never really collaborated with a keyboard player or someone who writes on piano the way he does, but it clicked immediately.” Carney added, “We wanted to go straight to the source — into the room with people known for their songwriting. Daniel Tashian was one of the first people I met after moving to Nashville, and we’ve been fans of Scott Storch forever.”
Read more: 11 Black Keys Songs To Know
Their tour continues through September, with stops at Forest Hills Stadium in New York and Blossom Music Center in Ohio. The band will also play shows and festivals across Europe and the U.K. before returning stateside for a second leg starting in Atlantic City.
Maroon 5 — Love Is Like (Aug. 15)
Four years after 2021’s JORDI, Maroon 5 is making a return to their roots with new album Love Is Like. The LP features singles “Priceless” with BLACKPINK’s Lisa, “All Night,” and “California.”
“I feel like we’ve gone back to what we used to do, which is to not pay attention to where we fit and producing the music organically,” said frontman Adam Levine in a statement. “This is kind of how we stuck out in the beginning when we first started our career.” Guitarist James Valentine echoed the sentiment in an interview with ABC Audio, saying the band returned to their early approach: “In the beginning, it was just the five of us in a room, sort of writing these songs together.”
To celebrate the release, Maroon 5 will embark on a 23-date U.S. arena tour kicking off Oct. 6 in Phoenix and wrapping up Nov. 25 in Detroit,. Rising singer/songwriter Claire Rosinkranz will open throughout the tour.
Conan Gray — Wishbone (Aug. 15)
For the past two years, during quiet moments between tours and long nights after performances, Conan Gray was pouring out his feelings on paper. “I’d come back home and write all the things I felt nobody wanted to hear,” he shared on Instagram, “maybe even the things I didn’t want people to hear.”
The result is his upcoming fourth studio album, Wishbone. At first, Gray kept the music to himself, unsure whether he would ever release it. “But over time, I began to feel something I’d never felt before,” he added. “I started to need the music. I listened in airports, in long cab trips, blaring in the shower. In heartbreak, then in joy.” As he began to share the songs with friends, they embraced them too. “It became an egregiously niche soundtrack to our own lives in real time, singing just for us.”
Eventually, he played the songs for longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, and the two began building Wishbone together. “It felt like the music was reminding me who I am, at an experimental time in my twenties where ‘who I am’ had no definition at all,” Gray said. In support of the release, the singer will embark on a tour with special guest hemlocke springs, beginning on Sept. 11 in Ohio.
Ciara — CiCi (Aug. 22)
After postponing its release last month, Ciara has officially announced her new album, CiCi, to arrive on Aug. 22. The project expands on her 2023 EP of the same name and follows her 2019 studio album Beauty Marks. Along with lead single “Ecstasy,” the album includes previous releases like “How We Roll” with Chris Brown, “Forever” with Lil Baby, “Wassup,” and “Run It Up.”
“This album right here is my love letter. A celebration of the journey — and more importantly, a thank you to you, my Day 1s and Day 21s,” the singer shared on Instagram. “You’ve stuck by me through every era, every evolution, and every independent leap of faith. Truth is, this season of life has been about forging my own path and tapping deeper into my inner drive. No label, no limits — just full-on freedom and faith.”
The tracklist also features stellar names like Latto, Busta Rhymes, Tyga and others. “This project took 5 years to build, and every beat, every lyric, every moment was made with intention — to lift you, to move you, to make you feel something,” Ciara added. “And when you see the 3D-printed breastplate? That’s not just a fashion statement. That’s my armor. A symbol of the strength I’ve had to summon, the boundaries I’ve had to set, and the power I’ve learned to wear with pride.”
Sabrina Carpenter — Man’s Best Friend (Aug. 29)
“I didn’t plan on releasing a new record, however, when inspiration strikes, I go to the studio, and when it doesn’t, I still go to the studio, but luckily life was really happening to me and inspiration struck!” Sabrina Carpenter wrote in a recent newsletter about her upcoming seventh album, Man’s Best Friend.
Fronted by the earworm single “Manchild,” Carpenter said that she went back to some of her favorite artists for inspiration (like Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, and Donna Summer) and was surprised to find that many of them put out a new record every year. “Can’t say that is or will be the norm for me but this time it really eased my mind about putting something out when it feels right,” she added.
Learn more: How Sabrina Carpenter Became A GRAMMY-Winning Pop Queen: Tracing Her Journey To ‘Short N’ Sweet’
The 12-track LP comes right after a life-changing 2024 for the Pennsylvania singer. Her previous album, Short n’ Sweet, earned her two GRAMMY Awards and dominated charts and radios around the globe, setting the stage for what could be another blockbuster.
The Hives — The Hives Forever Forever The Hives (Aug. 29)
Even with The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons in 2023 — referring to the Hives’ fictional sixth member, manager, and sole songwriter — the Swedish rock band continue to reinvent themselves. The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, their seventh studio album, is due out via Play It Again Sam.
Read more: With ‘The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons,’ The Hives Came Back To Save Rock: “A Lot Of Rock Bands Are Cowards”
Led by singles “Enough Is Enough,” “Paint A Picture,” and “Legalize Living,” the new project enlisted Pelle Gunnerfeldt and Beastie Boys’ Mike D on production and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme for additional contributions. It is described as a “magnum opus” in a press release, in which “every single song [is] a single, every single single a hit.”
Such a mighty release wouldn’t be complete without a world tour, and that’s exactly what The Hives will be doing for the remainder of 2025. Starting July 17 in Australia, they will perform shows across Japan, North America, Europe, and the U.K.
Zach Top — Ain’t In It For My Health (Aug. 29)
Fresh off 2024’s breakthrough debut album Cold Beer & Country Music, his first No. 1 song at country radio with “I Never Lie,” and an ACM win for Top Male Artist, Zach Top is set to release his highly-anticipated second LP, Ain’t In It For My Health.
Produced by veteran Carson Chamberlain, the 15-track album will feature the vibrant single “Good Times & Tan Lines,” which is poised to be one of this summer’s top country anthems. Doubling down on his neo-traditional sound, Top sings about carefree evenings, cold beers, and rope swinging into water. “That was all there was to life,” he sings.
Learn more: 8 Artists Bringing Traditional Country Music Back: Zach Top, Randall King, Emily Nenni & More On Why “What’s Old Becomes Beloved Again”
Nowadays, the Sunnyside, Washington native’s summers are much different. This year, after selling out the first leg of his Cold Beer & Country Music tour, he is spending the sizzling season supporting Dierks Bentley at his Broken Branches, and will launch the fall leg of his own tour in September.
Margo Price — Hard Headed Woman (Aug. 29)
“I always hope to do like Johnny Cash did, which is speak up for the common man and woman,” Margo Price said in a statement about her upcoming album, Hard Headed Woman. “But there have been so many threats and anger and vitriol over the years, when I am only coming from a place of love. So I made the decision to rebuild everything from the ground up. I hope this album inspires people to be fearless and take chances and just be unabashedly themselves.”
Hard Headed Woman is “a hell-bent collection of country music that reconnects with her roots, and further redefines what it means to be a modern outlaw,” according to press materials. The album is said to see Price at her “wisest, funniest, toughest and most vulnerable,” and features duets with Tyler Childers on “Love Me Like You Used To Do,” and Jesse Welles on “Don’t Wake Me Up.”
Read more: 6 Things To Know About Margo Price: Her Struggles, Writing Process & Unforgettable Success Story
The album’s first single, “Don’t Let The Bastards Get You Down,” was inspired by a line from The Handmaid’s Tale and co-written with Jeremy Ivey, Rodney Crowell, and the late Kris Kristofferson. Price is currently on the road with the Wild At Heart tour in North America, with dates in St. Louis, Portland, Nashville, Dallas, Atlanta, and more.
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