I Listened To Every 2026 Pop Album... Only 9 Are Worth It

Recap

Zach, the Swiftologist, ranks the year’s pop albums across five tiers, from “transcendent” to “electric chair.” He emphasizes that the list reflects his personal taste, not an objective verdict, and admits up front that he hasn’t listened to every album he judges. His opening joke sets the tone: “Hello, beautiful people. Unless you hate me, then hello, ugly people.”

Top-tier picks

Zach is most enthusiastic about albums that show artistic growth or a distinctive vision. Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights earns “transcendent” for balancing its film inspiration with Charli’s own identity; he even says he prefers it to Emerald Fennell’s movie.

He also praises Olivia Rodrigo for building a fully realized album around a clear idea, and Phoebe Bridgers for her thoughtful, restrained approach to releasing music and writing about grief. Rebecca Black surprises him with an ambitious, cohesive blend of pop styles, while Tinashe, Troye Sivan, and Rachel Chinouriri earn praise for expanding their sounds. Kim Petras gets a strong endorsement for finding a more personal creative direction, and Remi Wolf is applauded for improving on her previous work.

Zach also gives an excited shout-out to Jay Stevens’ Audacity, calling it an overlooked, tightly constructed dance-pop gem.

Applauded loudly

Some records land in the “applauded loudly” tier without quite reaching his highest bar. Hilary Duff’s comeback impresses him with its honesty and balance of new material and nostalgia, while FLO earns praise for its harmonies and commitment to vocal performance.

He also appreciates Madonna’s dance-floor revival and Ariana Grande’s more restrained, intriguing album, though he thinks both have limitations.

Middle tiers

The middle tiers include albums Zach finds pleasant, uneven, or simply forgettable. Mitski’s record connects with him despite a few tracks he doesn’t love. Harry Styles gets called his favorite Harry album, but Zach still finds the music too polished and “corporate.” Charli’s Music Fashion Film strikes him as an interesting palate cleanser with limited replay value.

MUNA, Kacey Musgraves, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Lizzo leave him underwhelmed for different reasons, often because their albums blur together or fail to make a lasting impression.

“Electric chair” tier

The “electric chair” tier brings Zach’s sharpest jokes and takedowns. He describes Nick Jonas’ earnest solo album as an “acoustic, soulful adult pop album” that sounds so grim he’d hesitate to recommend it to a dog. He dismisses Jack Harlow’s stylistic detour, Meghan Trainor’s TikTok-minded approach, and Miley Cyrus’ filler-heavy album.

He also condemns KATSEYE’s music and the industry model he believes it represents, arguing that the group’s talents are constrained by excessive control. Ella Langley gets an especially unserious rating: Zach admits he hasn’t heard the album, then gives it the electric chair anyway because “this is my channel, my rules.” He takes a similar swipe at Stella Lefty, while criticizing Madison Beer and Bebe Rexha for not developing convincing artistic identities.

A measured note on RAYE

One of the more measured moments comes with RAYE. Zach says he respects her talent and the ambition of her theatrical, orchestral music, but it simply isn’t his taste. His point is that a critic doesn’t have to pretend to connect with every acclaimed album.

Overall verdict

Zach’s overall verdict is that 2026 had a few records he found genuinely exciting, but plenty of “background noise.” As he jokes, he wants the right to demand good music all the time.

Personalities discussed

Zach (the Swiftologist), Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo, Phoebe Bridgers, Rebecca Black, Kim Petras, Tinashe, Troye Sivan, Remi Wolf, Rachel Chinouriri, Jay Stevens, Hilary Duff, FLO, Madonna, Ariana Grande, Mitski, Harry Styles, RAYE, Nick Jonas, Jack Harlow, Meghan Trainor, Kacey Musgraves, MUNA, Lizzo, Bebe Rexha, Madison Beer, Miley Cyrus, Carly Rae Jepsen, KATSEYE, Ella Langley, and Stella Lefty.