Welcome to June. Summer is fast approaching! You know what that means: it's time for some sunny, fun, and bright new album releases! June is also Pride Month, meaning there's a plethora of fresh records coming from LGBTQ+ artists.

Unsurprisingly, June proves to be a big month for pop releases. But the opening of the month has started off with some big rock albums, and there are sprinkles of alternative and hip-hop drops. For this list, we're giving you a multicolored palette of projects: stuff that will sound good for your next Pride party, trip to the beach, campfire, or road trip!

As always, all of the albums below are listed in order of release date. Here are 10 new albums you need to check out this June!

1. Life Is but a Dream... - Avenged Sevenfold

For those of you looking for some new heavy metal to heat up this summer, Avenged Sevenfold's got you covered! Life Is but a Dream... is the group's eighth studio album and was released on June 2. Its release follows nearly seven years after its predecessor, The Stage (2016), marking the band's longest gap between studio albums to date. It's also the first album to feature contributions from late drummer Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan since Nightmare (2010), and includes snippets from the 78-piece San Bernardino Symphony orchestra.

This album may be Avenged Sevenfold's most bonkers release to date. It really does feel like listening to a fever dream. But that's not necessarily a bad thing – there's a thrill to not knowing what's about to come next. From the runaway train-esque "We Love You" to the "Stairway to Heaven" reminiscent "Game Over," you'll be listening to Life Is but a Dream... merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily.

2. But Here We Are - Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters released their first album without late drummer Taylor Hawkins, But Here We Are, on June 2. This record is essentially a raw response to everything the band has endured over the last year. In the absence of Hawkins – and before the arrival of Josh Freese – Dave Grohl returned to his Nirvana roots and did the drumming for this LP. It was his first time doing so since The Color and the Shape.

Pitchfork has called Foo Fighters' latest effort an "album that encompasses their many eras." The song "Show Me How" is dreamy and moody, the ten-minute long "The Teacher" is nothing short of a hard rock epic, and the motivational "Under You" sounds like something the band would release in the 90s. Whether you're a big Foo Fighers fan or not, there's a little something for everyone on But Here We Are.

3. Paranoïa, Angels, True Love - Christine and the Queens

This Christine and the Queens album feels long overdue, despite the fact it's only been a year since Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue) came out. Chris' next album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love is scheduled for June 9 and according to Vulture, is loosely themed around Tony Kushner's 1991 stage play Angels in America. Just in time for Pride Month.

This album is set to be a very theatrical experience. With a whopping 20 tracks, Paranoïa, Angels, True Love draws inspiration from the surrealist works of Dali and George Méliès. It will also echo the spirit of great rock operas from the likes of Pink Floyd and The Who. The four-part project was co-produced with the legendary Mike Dean (Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z), and several singles have been released so far.

4. The Age of Pleasure - Janelle Monáe

We consider Janelle Monáe to be one of the greatest LGBTQ+ artists of our generation. So it's no surprise the performer has also chosen Pride Month to release her/their fourth studio album, The Age of Pleasure. It is her first studio album in over 5 years since her noteworthy record Dirty Computer, and is set for release on June 9.

Monáe has told Zane Lowe the songs on the new album "were written from such an honest space" and she hopes listeners "feel that when they listen to the music," as she feels she has "had an opportunity to evolve and grow and to tap into the things that bring pleasure". Monáe worked on the songs and played them at parties – including a Met Gala after-party – to see how friends would respond to the music. The musician told Lowe their thought process was, "If the songs can't work at the party, they're not going on the album". Two singles have been released so far: "Float" and "Lipstick Lover." We're sure the rest of the tracks will be just as pleasurable.

5. Space Heavy - King Krule

The fourth studio album under Archy Marshall's stage name of King Krule is on its way, and we couldn't be more excited. Space Heavy is another June 9 release. The album was written and recorded between 2020 and 2022, with Marshall working on the album during commutes between London and Liverpool, where he has residences. During those commutes, he became "fascinated by the notion of 'the space between'", which became the album's theme, along with a "narrative of lost connection" and "losing people and situations to the guillotine of the universe."

Marshall wrote most of the lyrics himself, after which he worked on the music with producer Dilip Harris and his live band: saxophonist Ignacio Salvadores, drummer George Bass, bassist James Wilson and guitarist Jack Towell. The songs "Seaforth," "If Only It Was Warmer," and "Flimsier" have been released as singles ahead of the LP's drop.

6. The Show - Niall Horan

Zayn Malik struck gold with "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" in 2017. Harry Styles spent all of 2022 in the limelight thanks to various hit songs on a hit album called Harry's House and a hit tour that played in Madison Square Garden for a whopping 15 nights. Now, it's time for another former One Direction member to shine: Niall Horan.

Horan will be releasing his third studio album, The Show, also on June 9. It's his first album in 3 years since his 2020 project Heartbreak Weather; an album he was never able to properly promote or tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, he's released the singles "Heaven" and "Meltdown." We're adoring his soft pop vibes with flecks of post-punk, and have a feeling The Show will open the curtain to a more mature-sounding side of Horan. He's said, "What makes this record incredibly special to me is it's a reflection of where I am in my life today, as a person, a musician, and of course, as a songwriter...Can't say I'm not a little nervous, but hopefully you'll still like this version of me when you listen to the new record."

7. MICHAEL - Killer Mike

On June 16, one half of Run the Jewels – Killer Mike – will be dropping his solo project MICHAEL. It will be his sixth solo album to date and, if the singles released so far are any indication, will be a deep album about childhood upbringing and family. It will also touch heavily on Killer Mike's mother and her troubled past.

The bars and production Killer Mike has delivered on the songs "MOTHERLESS," "DON'T LET THE DEVIL," and "RUN" (which features Young Thug) have been breathtaking and emotionally raw. We don't know how to explain it – you just need to listen to them for yourself. Personally, we're counting down the days until we can hear the full version of "SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS," which features André 3000, Future, and Eryn Allen Kane.

8. In Times New Roman... - Queens of the Stone Age

The last time we got an album from American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, it was 2017 (with their seventh studio album, Villains). After a very long wait, In Times New Roman... will finally be arriving on June 16. The band is also set to embark on a long-awaited North American and European tour to support the record.

If you're unfamiliar with the band's sound, Queens of the Stone Age has a very alternative, stoner rock vibe with some nu metal influence. While something about the singles "Carnavoyeur" and "Emotion Sickness" sound so different for the group, you can tell they come from a place of familiarity. We're glad QOTSA is back!

9. Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride - Jason Mraz

We don't know about you, but we've really missed melodic pop artist Jason Mraz. The singer made waves in the early 2000s and the beginning of the 2010s with laidback songs like "I'm Yours," "Lucky," and "I Won't Give Up." Mraz is making a comeback with his eighth studio album, Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride.

Following his 2020 record Look For the Good, this kooky-titled project is set to drop on June 23. It will feature ten tracks, including the previously-released singles "I Feel Like Dancing," "Pancakes & Butter," and "You Might Like It." All of them feature some super groovy production. Dare we say: each song is mystical, magical, rhythmical, and radical!

10. Chemistry - Kelly Clarkson

Last but certainly not least, we're featuring the latest album of everyone's favorite American Idol queen, Kelly Clarkson. The talk show host first teased Chemistry, her tenth studio album, back in early April. It's inspired by her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, and took the artist three years to create.

Clarkson has shared the singles "Mine," "Me," and "Favorite Kind of High" so far. Chemistry promises to be quite a trip, as Kelly has told the press the album comes from the "emotional journey" she went on after her tumultuous split. We can't wait to hear all of her trademark belts and riffs once June 23 rolls around.

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_{Article Image: Niall Horan playing outdoors for NBC's Today Show in 2017. (everett225 via DepositPhotos.)}