Score: 8.8/10 | Morton Records | February 14, 2026 | 14 tracks | 49 minutes

There are musicians who are from places, and there are musicians who are of places. PJ Morton belongs firmly in the second category. New Orleans Is Forever is his most direct engagement yet with that inheritance.

Conceived as a response to the climate threat facing his hometown, the album responds not with politics but with celebration: here is the city as I know it. Here is what we stand to lose. Here is why it matters.

The Sound

Recorded entirely in New Orleans with the city’s finest musicians, the album is a living document of what New Orleans music sounds like in 2026 — second-line rhythms, jazz piano voicings, gospel choir arrangements. Guest appearances from Trombone Shorty, Big Freedia, and Ledisi feel organic rather than strategic.

Verdict: Excellent

New Orleans Is Forever is PJ Morton’s finest work — a record of genuine emotional and cultural importance that also happens to be an absolute joy to listen to.