Josh Groban drops 'Cinematic' album

Josh Groban did release a new album — but the story is a little different from the one floating around online. CINEMATIC is not a surprise Friday drop in the vague, social-media sense. It came out on May 8, 2026, and it’s a very specific kind of Josh Groban record — a 10-song set built around famous songs from movies. That matters because it’s his first new full-length studio album since Harmony in 2021, and it puts him back in the center of the lane he’s always owned best: big, polished, orchestral pop. ### So what actually came out? CINEMATIC is Groban’s 10th album, released through Reprise Records, with 10 tracks running about 40 minutes. The whole idea is film music — not original soundtrack composition, but Groban versions of songs people already connect with huge screen moments and old-Hollywood emotion. ### What songs are on it? The tracklist tells you the concept immediately: “As Time Goes By,” “Skyfall,” “Brucia La Terra,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Unchained Melody,” “Remember Me,” “Moon River,” “Against All Odds,” and “Stand By Me.” Basically, this is a prestige-covers album with one foot in classic cinema and one foot in awards-show pop memory. (joshgroban.com) (music.apple.com) ### Is this all covers? Yes — and that seems to be the point, not a limitation. Groban has done standards and theater before, but here he’s narrowing the frame to “songs that already feel bigger than life.” Apple Music’s album notes lean into that, calling out a mix of old classics and newer Oscar-linked material. The result is less “new era reinvention” and more “high-end curation.” (music.apple.com) ### Who worked on it? Greg Wells produced the album, which fits. Wells is the kind of producer you call when you want scale, polish, and arrangements that feel expensive without going messy. The guest list also tells you how Groban approached the record: Jennifer Hudson appears on “Unchained Melody,” the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles joins “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and Groban’s father, Jack Groban, plays trumpet on “Moon River.” That’s not random stunt casting — it’s a way of making a covers album feel personal. (music.apple.com) ### Why are people calling it “new” now? Because the rollout stretched over weeks. Groban announced the album on March 13 with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” then followed with “As Time Goes By” on April 10 and “Skyfall” on April 24 before the full album landed on May 8. So if someone says “it dropped this Friday,” that was true on release week — but the broader story is a spring campaign, not a one-day surprise. (joshgroban.com) ### What’s the bigger context here? Groban’s official bio still frames Harmony as his previous most recent release, and his site puts CINEMATIC right next to upcoming June tour dates in Laval, Toronto, and Boston. That makes the album feel like a reset into active album-cycle mode after several years where his public profile was split between catalog work, deluxe releases, and Broadway-related projects. (joshgroban.com) ### Is there anything wrong with the original framing? A bit, yeah. The “Marquee Memories” angle doesn’t show up in the official rollout, and the stronger, cleaner framing is simply that Groban made a movie-songs album. It’s a tribute to the silver screen, it’s 10 tracks long, and it’s designed for listeners who want his voice on material that already comes with emotional baggage. (joshgroban.com) ### Bottom line? CINEMATIC is real, current, and newly released — but it’s not some mysterious left-turn project. It’s Josh Groban doing Josh Groban at full scale: orchestra, standards, film nostalgia, and immaculate vocals, timed to kick off his next run of live dates. (joshgroban.com)