Neil Young - Second Song album set for September 2026

Neil Young is heading into a busy late 2026 with new music and a major benefit appearance. According to a recent album announcement from Reprise-aligned coverage and music press, his new studio album Second Song with The Chrome Hearts is scheduled for release on September 18, 2026 via Reprise Records.

New album Second Song arrives in September

Second Song is described as Neil Young’s second studio album with his current band The Chrome Hearts and will be released worldwide on September 18, 2026 in vinyl, CD and digital formats, including a hi?res edition via Neil Young Archives, as detailed in a Reprise Records–linked announcement and music press reports. Album details in a 2026 feature

The collection follows their 2025 studio set Talkin to the Trees and the live release As Time Explodes - The Live Album, which reached the market in late May 2026 and has already charted as a top?ten title on the Official Americana Albums chart in the United Kingdom, entering at number 6 according to a chart report published on May 1, 2026. UK Americana chart coverage

Streaming strength and chart context in 2026

Neil Young’s catalog continues to show strong streaming traction alongside the new releases. A current Spotify statistics overview dated August 20, 2026 lists more than 3 billion cumulative streams for his tracks, with Heart of Gold alone accounting for more than 622 million streams and Harvest Moon above 417 million, underlining how his classic material keeps pace with the Chrome Hearts era. Recent Spotify streaming statistics

Those numbers place Young among the most streamed legacy rock artists, and they provide a useful comparison point for his newer work. While Second Song has only just started to appear in pre?release listings and early download charts in some territories, catalog staples like Rust Never Sleeps and Harvest continue to show up in national charts and genre subsets, which means the September studio album will land on top of an already active listening base.

What’s next for Neil Young on stage

After canceling all previously announced European dates for the planned 2026 Love Earth Tour with The Chrome Hearts earlier this year, Neil Young’s next confirmed live appearance is a benefit slot at Farm Aid in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on September 26, 2026, where he is billed to perform with The Chrome Hearts alongside Willie Nelson and other long?time Farm Aid performers, according to updated tour listings and Farm Aid–related coverage.

Some recent reports also note newly announced joint shows with Willie Nelson in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on September 22 and Philadelphia on September 24, 2026, with tickets made available from August 21, 2026, but those dates have to be distinguished from the earlier canceled European run. The emphasis for late September now lies on the U.S. amphitheater shows and the Virginia Beach Farm Aid appearance, which replaces what would have been a full European tour leg.

How the work with The Chrome Hearts sounds

The albums Young has recorded with The Chrome Hearts build on his established rock and folk roots while adding a more expansive band sound. Talkin to the Trees is often characterized as a guitar?driven rock record with environmental themes, while As Time Explodes - The Live Album documents extended live renditions of classics such as After the Gold Rush and Silver Eagle alongside newer songs, giving listeners a sense of the band’s dynamic interplay on stage.

With Second Song, early descriptions from the August 2026 previews suggest a seven?track collection that leans into longer compositions and reflective lyrics, continuing Young’s longstanding interest in mixing electric intensity with acoustic intimacy. In that context, the upcoming studio release slots into a career pattern in which live albums, archival sets and brand?new songs keep feeding into each other.

Where Neil Young’s career stands right now

Neil Young’s current status combines active studio work, strong catalog streaming figures and a limited run of confirmed benefit and amphitheater shows, with the next officially announced date being his performance with The Chrome Hearts at Farm Aid in Virginia Beach on September 26, 2026.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor. Sources are linked in the text. Dates, chart positions and certifications may change at short notice; we welcome correction notes via the editorial contact on our imprint/contact page.