This is the season for fresh new releases.

Wasting no time, this year is packed with anticipated music projects. Featuring iconic acts from the past few years and long-awaited comebacks, this winter quarter is bringing new material for diehard fans and potential new listeners, with unexplored sounds.

Keep reading for the Daily Bruin’s new year soundtrack.

“Wuthering Heights” by Charli xcx

This Valentine’s Day, Charli xcx will rise to Wuthering Heights.

Charli xcx will release her successor to the Grammy-winning “BRAT” on Feb. 13. The album, “Wuthering Heights,” was inspired by Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the pair of infamous and ill-fated lovers. Charli xcx wrote on her Substack that she felt inspired by Brontë’s words and world, which felt undeniably raw to her.

Charli xcx released “House” and “Chains of Love” from her upcoming album in November 2025. “Chains of Love” was used in the trailer for Fennell’s upcoming film, and it blends a hyperpop synth sound with lyrics alluding to the destructive and all-consuming relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. “Wuthering Heights” has 12 tracks, including collaborations with Sky Ferreira and The Velvet Underground’s John Cale, which promise a fusion of modern sound and timeless themes.

On Feb. 13, Charli xcx will prove that whatever her and Brontë’s souls are made of, theirs are the same.

– Julia Kinion

[Related: Daily Bruin Reacts: New sound for the Grammys show breaking boundaries is valued]

“luck… or something” by Hilary Duff

This isn’t a dream: Hilary Duff is returning to the world of pop.

Coming more than 10 years since her last release, Duff’s sixth studio album, “luck… or something,” will arrive Feb. 20. An icon across art forms, the “Lizzie McGuire” star charmed listeners with her debut record “Metamorphosis” in 2003 and continued to hook millennial audiences with years of upbeat hits, such as “With Love.” Now, Duff’s comeback includes not only an album but also an upcoming tour and behind-the-scenes docuseries, much to fans’ delight.

In November’s lead single “Mature,” the singer embodies the title, reflecting on a former age-gap relationship over a catchy, danceable beat. “Roommates,” released last month, takes on a similar vibe, addressing the challenges of intimacy with lyrics that remind listeners she is far from her Disney days. Duff has curated this new sound alongside her husband Matthew Koma, a producer and writer on the project who has also worked on major successes such as Zedd’s “Clarity” throughout his career.

Even after Duff’s decade away, “luck… or something” is sure to prove some things are worth waiting for.

– Victoria Munck

“The Romantic” by Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars’ return will offer a love letter to the dance floor.

The retro extraordinaire is set to release his fourth solo studio album, “The Romantic,” on Feb. 27. Although Mars has topped the charts with collaborative hits such as “APT.” and “Die With A Smile,” this project marks almost a decade since his last solo release, the Album Of The Year-winning “24K Magic.” Mars’ comeback single “I Just Might,” released Jan. 9, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and his “The Romantic Tour” set the record for single-day ticket sales in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom – suggesting the world’s appetite for his music is undiminished.

The pop phenomenon, known for hits such as “When I Was Your Man” and “Uptown Funk,” promised Jan. 5 to end his drought of music. Featuring ’70s-inspired handclaps and mood-lifting trumpets, Mars’ lead single delivered his characteristic call to the dance floor.

If the emerald green suits and slick moves from his latest music video are any indication, Mars’ album is poised to turn every room into a celebration.

– Presley Liu

[Related: Book Preview: Winter reads bring thematically rich novels from returners and debut writers alike]

“Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” by Harry Styles

Harry Styles has returned to remind us all to kiss and disco – all the time and occasionally, respectively.

After a series of sporadic appearances, including among crowds in Rome at the announcement of the pope and at marathons across the globe, the iconic ex-One Direction member’s fourth album, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.” will release March 6. Styles, who released his third album “Harry’s House” in May 2022, has scarcely been seen since the end of his 22-month “Love On Tour” in July 2023.

Styles’ silence was broken Dec. 27 in the YouTube video, “Forever, Forever” – a recap of his nearly two-year tour. His upcoming tour, “Together, Together,” was announced Jan. 22. While there were rumors and predictions that Styles’ fourth album would be his long-awaited exercise in rock, the first single off the album, “Aperture,” made it clear this is not the case. In the first seconds of the five-minute and 11-second song, composed of synthesizers and a bassline, it becomes clear “Aperture” – and likely the album – is electronic dance music.

“It finally appears” Styles will depart from his pop-centric style, bringing Harries together in a new way.

– Josephine Murphy

“Ricochet” by Snail Mail

Snail Mail is rebounding back into the 2026 music scene.

Lindsey Jordan – the indie rock supernova known as Snail Mail – will return with her third studio album “Ricochet” on March 27. The new record includes 11 tracks and serves as the follow-up to Snail Mail’s critically acclaimed 2021 LP “Valentine,” which became her first project to chart on the Billboard 200. The 26-year-old has been honing her craft for releasing cathartic, haunting anthems since her 2016 EP “Habit” and her 2018 full-length debut “Lush.”

“Ricochet” is preceded by its lead single “Dead End,” which was released Jan. 20 alongside its music video. Rooted in a string arrangement that marks a fresh sonic direction in her work, “Dead End” features lyrics such as, “Tell me, can’t you even look me in my eyes?” By following the model of her greatest song, 2018’s “Pristine,” while experimenting with new sounds, Snail Mail has positioned “Ricochet” to be worth the wait.

If the visceral feelings and honest lyricism of her past work are any indication, Snail Mail is bound to set listeners on a “Heat Wave” of emotions with her new music.

– Reid Sperisen