{"id":2042798,"date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2042798"},"modified":"2026-07-14T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T21:00:00","slug":"wonderland-268","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2042798","title":{"rendered":"Wonderland"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\tWonderland<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tWHO TAKES HOME AOTY SO FAR?<\/span>
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From underscores\u2019 pop Pandora\u2019s box to Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s canonical classic and ear\u2019s sprawling sophomore: these are 2026\u2019s best albums so far. <\/h3>\n
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Photography by @baileykrawczyk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Olivia Rodrigo \u2013 <\/strong>you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>Following her knockout debut album, SOUR<\/em>, and chart-topping sophomore GUTS<\/em>, Olivia Rodrigo<\/a>\u2019s third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love<\/em>, consolidates her place as one of pop-rock\u2019s most promising young voices. At times sugary and tender, at others angry and rebellious, it\u2019s a deliciously self-assured body of work that sees Rodrigo reinterpret love, shifting her focus from heartbreak to yearning at the height of what she describes as \u201cher first adult relationship\u201d. Highly critically-acclaimed, it\u2019s proof of what some of us already knew all along: taking young women seriously pays off.<\/p>\n

underscores \u2013 U<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>underscores<\/a>\u2019 flawless fourth album is a Pandora\u2019s box of a pop project. Executed with precision and effervescence, U<\/em> is the San Franciscan vocalist, songwriter and producer\u2019s most digestible yet daring work to date, intellectually intricate, expansively experimental, and effusively entertaining.<\/p>\n

Madonna \u2013 <\/strong>CONFESSIONS II<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>There\u2019s little better than when a classic artist returns with a seminal album that embellishes their reputation rather than discolours it. And that\u2019s just what CONFESSIONS II<\/em> does for pop\u2019s unequivocal heroine, Madonna. A worthy follow-up from the original 21 years prior \u2013 and her best work since \u2013 the sprawling dance masterpiece has some of the most undeniably catchy songs of the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Genesis Owusu \u2013 <\/strong>REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>On his latest and best album, atop a sonic blanket that stretches from punk to indie rock and electro dance, Genesis Owusu tackles a broad range of divisive topics from political discourse to societal division with a vicious wit and endearing sincerity. Fiercely charismatic, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE<\/em> is a Brobdingnagian achievement from one of Australia\u2019s most essential voices.<\/p>\n

Gorillaz \u2013<\/strong>The Mountain<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>With The Mountain<\/em>, long-time collaborators Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett reaffirm their status as generational masterminds<\/a>. Twenty-five years on from the debut of Gorillaz\u2019 self-titled album, the virtual band dives into deeper waters with a record centred on grief and self-discovery, following the poignantly timed loss of family members for both creatives. The album draws heavily on their time spent in India, a period of healing and creative rebirth reflected in both its eclectic lineup of collaborators and the new sonic textures it brings to the Gorillaz catalogue.<\/p>\n

Slayyyter \u2013 <\/strong>WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>The label that Slayyyter bequeaths upon herself as the means of her new album title might sound like self-deprecation on the surface, but the pop sensation wears the sobriquet like a badge of honour. Chaotic in all the best ways, her third album has rightly shot the Missourian up the pop food chain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Harry Styles \u2013 <\/strong>Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>Time: perhaps the greatest asset anyone can afford. A breathing room. A chance for reinvention and recalibration. After a near four-year hiatus from music, Harry Styles\u2019 fourth studio album feels like a palette cleanser. Heavily influenced by Berlin\u2019s club culture, it\u2019s a body of work destined for the dance floor. And considering the energy radiating from his shows throughout his Together, Together<\/em> world-residency tour, it\u2019s clear it was exactly the prescription fans needed.<\/p>\n

Robyn \u2013 <\/strong>Sexistential<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track: <\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>Rip-roaring but refined, pop\u2019s left-field queen Robyn sounds as hungry and influential as she ever has on her wonderful ninth album. Polishing off the romantic and replacing it with something more sensual, playful \u2013 yet philosophical \u2013 Sexistential <\/em>is a rollercoaster ride you\u2019ll never want to get off.<\/p>\n

LAUSSE THE CAT \u2013 <\/strong>The Mocking Stars<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell:\u00a0<\/strong>Returning by surprise with his first body of music since his 20218 classic debut EP, \u201cThe Girl, the Cat and the Tree\u201d, the enigmatic king of the felines, LAUSSE THE CAT, delivers one of the most thrilling and theatrical rap projects you\u2019ll hear this decade. Narrative-driven, intimately vivid and musically superlative, The Mocking Stars<\/em> is a worthy return and quintessential listening.<\/p>\n

Kehlani \u2013 <\/strong>Kehlani<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell:\u00a0<\/strong>Currently sitting atop the throne amid R&B\u2019s contemporary crop of genre-defining talents, Kelhani proves she can be both conceptual and concise on her vivacious, cinematic and emotionally articulate self-titled record. Huge lead single \u201cFolded\u201d still stands clear as the strongest track, but there\u2019s plenty to compel and charm about the deeper cuts.<\/p>\n

Fcukers \u2013 <\/strong>\u00d6<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>Slickly produced, stylistically varied, and zeitgeist-setting, Fcukers\u2019 anthemic album is crowd-pleasing, clever and a hell of a lot of fun. Somewhere between club culture and indie sleaze, the New York duo have found their sound and are riding the wave.<\/p>\n

Mitski \u2013 <\/strong>Nothing\u2019s About to Happen to Me<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>Mitski is a savant of the paradoxical. The US musician\u2019s eighth studio album is gorgeously gothic, sombre yet unhinged, light but dense. She finds sonic rooms to explore where others see blank walls, and atop them searches for unique, unnervingly ubiquitous thematic ground somewhere between isolation and growth, fear and fun. An essential album for the modern age.<\/p>\n

Dry Cleaning \u2013 <\/strong>Secret Love<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>South London quartet Dry Cleaning were one of the strongest acts to emerge from the post-punk revival of the late 2010s, and have only grown since. Their latest and third record is their weirdest and wildest, with an impressive encyclopaedic musicality and some of the most oddly engrossing songwriting you\u2019ll have heard this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Danny L Harle \u2013 <\/strong>Cerulean<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell:<\/strong> Gathering together an all-star cast of pop\u2019s piece de resistance, superproducer Danny L Harle illustrates he\u2019s more than just the scene-stealing supporting cast as he takes centre stage for his debut album. Cerulean<\/em> bridges genres and pushes boundaries, showcasing a maverick songsmith in magnetic and majestic form.<\/p>\n

Vince Staples \u2013<\/strong> <\/em><\/strong><\/a>Cry Baby<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>The most challenging and thought-provoking work of his career to date, Vince Staples cements himself as one of America\u2019s most creative and compelling voices with Cry Baby<\/em>. Less a rap album, more a symphony of styles and a savvy criticism of his nation in its current turmoil, Staples matches the boldness of his stylistic sonic shift with powerful messaging and powerhouse performances.<\/p>\n

Joe James \u2013 <\/strong>The Ends, Never Ends<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>For years, Essex\u2019s Joe James has been one of Britain\u2019s most prolific players. Finally, after countless mixtapes and collaborative projects, the scene stalwart has shared his debut album. It\u2019s a stunning work of profound depth and impressive intellect, bolstered by a top-tier supporting cast that ranges from Dave to Loyle Carner and Lancey Foux.<\/p>\n

ear \u2013 <\/strong>Rumspringa<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Best Track:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In A Nutshell: <\/strong>Another gem signed by A24 Music following mark william lewis and Sophia Stel, left-field duo ear have emerged as one of the most interesting and enigmatic acts of the 2020s. Their sophomore album, Rumspringa<\/em>, takes its title from the period of freedom in Amish young people\u2019s lives, and is a fascinating, conceptual look at will and choice, sprawling atop challenging, intricate and compelling backdrops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t14 July 2026\t\t\t<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tIs F1 the Couture of sport?<\/span> <\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wonderland WHO TAKES HOME AOTY SO FAR? From underscores\u2019 pop Pandora\u2019s box to Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s canonical classic and ear\u2019s sprawling sophomore: these are 2026\u2019s best albums so far. Photography by @baileykrawczyk Olivia Rodrigo \u2013 you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love Best Track: In A Nutshell: Following her knockout debut album, SOUR, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,257],"class_list":["post-2042798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-wonderlandmagazine-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042798","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2042798"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042798\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2042798"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2042798"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2042798"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}