Dirty Blonde (album)

Dirty Blonde
Rexha lying down and looking toward the camera, wearing a pink cloth, along with her name "Bebe" and heart-shaped logo in white text at the bottom left
Standard cover
Studio album by
Bebe Rexha
ReleasedJune 12, 2026 (2026-06-12)
Length33:40
Languages
  • English
  • Albanian
LabelEmpire
Producers
Bebe Rexha chronology
Bebe
(2023)		 Dirty Blonde
(2026)
Singles from Dirty Blonde
  1. "New Religion"
    Released: March 6, 2026
  2. "Sad Girls"
    Released: May 29, 2026

Dirty Blonde is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Bebe Rexha. It was released on June 12, 2026, through Empire Distribution. Marketed as a visual album, the album incorporates genres including pop, EDM, hip-hop, and country.

Three promotional singles were released from Dirty Blonde, including "I Like You Better Than Me", "Çike Çike" and "Hysteria", while two singles—"New Religion" with English dance band Faithless and "Sad Girls" with David Guetta—supported the album. Commercially, Dirty Blonde reached number 43 on the Billboard 200, and the top forty in Australia and Scotland.

Development

Bebe Rexha in 2023
Rexha performing during the Untold Festival in August 2023

After releasing her third studio album Bebe (2023),[1] Rexha had embarked on her accompanying Best F*n Night of My Life Tour, beginning on May 30, 2023.[2] While performing on stage, an incident occurred where she was assaulted by someone who threw a cell phone at her face, causing a black eye which required stitches. The man was quickly identified and was arrested for assault and battery;[3] under interrogation, the assailant admitted to the act where he believed it was a funny prank and later received a restraining order from Rexha.[4] The next year, she had released her song "I'm the Drama" (2024),[5] which later caused her to rant online on July 2 about the mistreatment she had in the music industry and with Warner Records for not receiving budgetary resources.[6] Afterwards, there was no development in music for the following year, until Billboard reported that Rexha had signed with Timeline Management on December 16, 2025.[7]

In January 2026, a fan asked Rexha about her situation with Warner Records to which she responded that she had departed from the record label,[8] while also revealing her partnership with Empire Distribution as she is going "independent". With this sudden announcement, Rexha spoke with Variety where she described her excitement believing that "this new era is about embracing every part of myself [while being] comfortable in my own lane."[9]

She uploaded an image on social media on January 22, showing herself and a whiteboard giving a list of "ins and outs"; this included the words "fatter" and "victim" all crossed-out, which referenced the fatphobia Rexha received online and her 2023 head injury.[10] On the other list, she had written "unapologetic" and "confident", motivating herself to move on rather than reapproaching her old-self. In the same post, she also revealed a website titled areudirty.com, hinting at an imminent music release.[11]

Composition

Dirty Blonde features a variety of genres, such as pop, EDM, country and hip-hop, among others.[12] The album's first promotional single, "I Like You Better Than Me", features dance-pop production.[13]

Promotion and release

Rexha announced her fourth album Dirty Blonde with a thirteen-second teaser, showcasing the track listing on February 11, 2026. The teaser showed that every song from the record would be supported by a music video.[14] She then uploaded a "supercut" video which featured a snippet of each song being remixed, produced by American DJ Diplo, treating it as a promotional trailer.[12] Rexha soon told Billboard that she intended to release each song as singles since she does not want "to be conformed by a certain sound or certain boundaries."[15]

"I Like You Better Than Me" was released as the first promotional single of Dirty Blonde, on February 13. On the same day, it was announced that the album is set to be released on June 12.[13] "Çike Çike" was released on February 20 as the second promotional single,[16][17] and "New Religion" was released on March 6 as the album's first official single.[18][19] On March 10, Rexha performed "New Religion" for the first time on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[20] "New Religion" features English dance group Faithless, whose 1995 club song "Insomnia" is sampled prominently. The fourth overall release and third promotional single, "Hysteria", was released on April 3.[21] The second single from the album, titled "Sad Girls" which features David Guetta, was released on May 29 and marked the sixth collaboration between the two artists following 2023's "One In a Million".[22][23] Rexha had teased the songs released on her social media platforms in the weeks leading up to its announcement and release and Guetta had performed the song in Ibiza.[24][25]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarHalf star[26]
Jenesaispop7/10[27]
PopMatters5/10[28]
StereoboardStarStarStar[29]

Jordi Bardají of Jenesaispop wrote that Dirty Blonde represented an effort by Bebe Rexha to establish a clearer artistic identity as an independent artist, and considered it partially successful. He praised Rexha's distinctive voice and songwriting abilities, and the album's melodic strengths, but felt it worked better as a collection of potential hit singles than as a cohesive artistic statement. Bardají also highlighted the album's nostalgic Eurodance influences, while criticizing its lack of unity and direction.[27]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Dirty Blonde debuted at number 43 on the Billboard 200 and atop the Top Dance Albums chart, with 19,000 album-equivalent units earned in its first week.[30] Within the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 71 on the UK Albums Chart, with 2,341 album-equivalent units.[31] In Scotland, Dirty Blonde became Rexha's first top ten album, where it debuted at number eight.[32] Elsewhere, the album reached number 37 in Australia,[33] number 85 in France,[34] and number 63 in Spain.[35]

Track listing

Dirty Blonde track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Hysteria"
2:23
2."Tokyo"
2:00
3."New Religion" (with Faithless)
  • Punctual
  • Applebaum
2:54
4."S.H.I.T"
2:06
5."Çike Çike"
  • Baptiste
  • Rubin
  • Buendia
  • DJ Snake
  • Rockywhereyoubeen
  • Vlado
  • Cullen[c]
2:19
6."I Like You Better Than Me"
  • Rexha
  • Ferraro
  • Torrey
  • Morgan
  • Lansley
  • Punctual
  • Baptiste
  • Rubin
  • Buendia
  • Thell
2:37
7."Drink and a Little Love"
2:40
8."One Day"
Johnny Goldstein3:08
9."Time"
  • Rexha
  • Atterberry
  • Serrano
  • Baptiste
  • Rubin
  • Buendia
  • Thell
  • Edgar Ferrera
  • Almando Cresso
  • Baptiste
  • Rubin
  • Buendia
  • Thell
  • SkipOnDaBeat
  • Cresso
  • Lil' Eddie[v]
  • Cullen[v]
  • DVNCY[v]
2:47
10."The Way I Want You"
2:30
11."Nobody's There"
  • Punctual
  • Lil' Eddie[v]
2:00
12."Night Falls"
  • Rexha
  • Serrano
  • Baptiste
  • Rubin
  • Buendia
  • Baptiste
  • Rubin
  • Buendia
  • Lil' Eddie[v]
  • Cullen[v]
  • DVNCY[v]
3:23
13."Sad Girls" (with David Guetta)
2:48
Total length:33:40
Physical edition[36]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."I Don't Need Anything"
TMS3:30

Notes

  • ^[c] signifies a co-producer.
  • ^[v] signifies a vocal producer.
  • "Tokyo" is misspelt as "Toyko" on physical editions.
  • "S.H.I.T" is stylized as "$.H.I.T".
  • "I Like You Better Than Me" is stylized in all lowercase.
  • "New Religion" samples "Insomnia" (1995), written by Rollo Armstrong, Maxwell Fraser, and Ayalah Bentovim, and performed by Faithless.
  • "I Don't Need Anything" is the demo title for her 2015 collaborative single "Me, Myself & I" with G-Eazy.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Tidal.[37]

  • Bebe Rexha – vocals, executive production (all tracks)
  • Daniel Cullen – engineering (tracks 1–6, 8–12); arrangement, drums (4)
  • Kevin Grainger – mixing, mastering (1–7, 9–12)
  • Alex Gomme – mixing assistance (1–7, 9–12)
  • Leo Butler – mixing (1, 2, 4–7, 9–13)
  • Edwin Serrano – background vocals (1, 3)
  • Cameron Hogan – engineering assistance (1, 3)
  • Christopher Burks – engineering assistance (1)
  • Jake Torrey – guitar (1)
  • Punctual – bass, drums, synthesizer (2, 3, 7, 11); programming (2, 3, 11)
  • Ghazi – mixing (3)
  • Alex Lee – engineering assistance (3)
  • Jake Rene – engineering assistance (3)
  • DJ Snake – drums, keyboards (5)
  • Rockywhereyoubeen – drums, keyboards (5)
  • Vlado – drums, keyboards (5)
  • Rob Moreno – engineering assistance (5)
  • Tushar Apte – bass, drum programming, guitar, piano, synthesizer (7)
  • Yakob – Dobro guitar, drum programming, synthesizer (7)
  • Ricky Mears – drum programming, guitar (7)
  • Franco Ferruzo – vocal engineering (7)
  • Johnny Goldstein – bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, programming, engineering (8)
  • Casey Smith – background vocals (8)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing (8)
  • Joe LaPorta – mastering (8)
  • Devon Corey – engineering (9, 12)
  • Timofey Reznikov – mixing, mastering (13)

Charts

Chart performance
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] 37
French Albums (SNEP)[34]85
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[38] 193
Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[39]8
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[35] 63
UK Albums (Official Charts)[40]71
UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[41]4
US Billboard 200[42]43
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[43]6
US Top Dance Albums (Billboard)[44]1

Release history

List of release dates
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various June 12, 2026 Empire [45][46][47]

References

  1. ↑ Hamilton, Gary Gerard (April 27, 2023). "Bebe Rexha ignites a '70s disco inferno with album Bebe". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  2. ↑ Grein, Paul (February 22, 2023). "Bebe Rexha to perform at 2023 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  3. ↑ Ashford, Joy (June 19, 2023). "New Jersey man charged with assault after throwing phone at Bebe Rexha during show". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (June 20, 2023). "Bebe Rexha phone thrower told police he tossed his cell at singer because he thought 'it would be funny'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  5. ↑ Saunders, Angel (August 15, 2024). "Bebe Rexha unveils her new 'I'm the Drama' music video — Watch!". People. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  6. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (July 2, 2024). "Bebe Rexha rails against music biz: 'I've been silenced and punished by this industry'". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ Eggertsen, Chris; Mims, Taylor (December 16, 2025). "Signed: Bebe Rexha inks with new management, Big K.R.I.T. finds distributor for new album". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 30, 2025. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ Eggertsen, Chris (January 27, 2026). "Signed: Bebe Rexha partners with Empire; Death Cab for Cutie returns to indie roots with Anti-". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 28, 2026. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  9. ↑ Aswad, Jem (January 22, 2026). "Bebe Rexha strikes partnership with Empire label". Variety. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ DeSantis, Rachel (January 23, 2026). "Bebe Rexha vows to leave her 'people pleaser' self in the past as she manifests a 'hotter' Bebe for 2026". People. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  11. ↑ Morgan, Kayla (January 23, 2026). "Bebe Rexha crosses out the past and plots a confident new era". Kiss 95.1 FM. Beasley Broadcast Group. Archived from the original on January 23, 2026. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Irvin, Jack (February 12, 2026). "Bebe Rexha says she's done being a 'perfect, clean-girl pop star' ahead of upcoming Dirty Blonde visual album". People. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Stickler, Jon (February 13, 2026). "Bebe Rexha announces new album Dirty Blonde with first single I like you better than me". Stereoboard. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Bebe Rexha reveals the songs of the new album, including one in Albanian – "Çike Çike"". Telegrafi. February 11, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (February 12, 2026). "With a new album & label deal, Bebe Rexha can finally 'be myself purely' — and maybe even break free from the 'Khia asylum' at last". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Bebe Rexha talks about the song "Çike Çike": I grew up thinking I had to be "All American", but now I realize that being Albanian was my superpower". Telegrafi. February 20, 2026. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Çike Çike – Single". Apple Music (US). February 20, 2026. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  18. ↑ Rexha, Bebe [@beberexha] (March 4, 2026). "How excited are you for my first official single "New Religion?" Out this Friday 3/6" (Tweet). Retrieved March 4, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  19. ↑ "New Religion – Single". Apple Music (US). March 6, 2026. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Bebe Rexha – New Religion". March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026 – via YouTube.
  21. ↑ "Hysteria – Single". Apple Music (US). April 3, 2026. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  22. ↑ "SAD GIRLS out next friday!! @beberexha @davidguetta". Instagram. May 23, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  23. ↑ Okechukwu, Nmesoma (August 7, 2023). "Bebe Rexha & David Guetta – One in a Million". EUPHORIA. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  24. ↑ Rexha, Bleta (April 28, 2026). "Sad girls don't leave till the last song". Instagram. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  25. ↑ "David Guetta playing Bebe Rexha's "Sad Girls" in Ibiza honestly feels like one of those moments people are going to look back at once the song fully blows up everywhere. The craziest part is how instantly addictive the track already sounds even from a short preview clip. Bebe Rexha has always had a way of making emotional music feel massive inside clubs, but this one genuinely feels different. The production, the atmosphere, the crowd reaction — everything about "Sad Girls" already has that late-night summer anthem energy that sticks in your head after one listen. You can already tell David Guetta knew exactly what he was doing by introducing this song so early because the entire vibe around it already feels way bigger than just another preview". May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026 – via Instagram.
  26. ↑ Z. Yeung, Neil (June 2026). "Dirty Blonde Review by AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  27. 1 2 Bardají, Jordi (June 16, 2026). "Bebe Rexha / Dirty Blonde - Album Review - jenesaispop". Jenesaispop (in Spanish). Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  28. ↑ Davies, Jeffrey (June 23, 2026). "Bebe Rexha Plays It Too Safe on Dirty Blonde". PopMatters. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  29. ↑ Marshall, Will (June 25, 2026). "Bebe Rexha - Dirty Blonde (Album Review)". Stereoboard. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  30. ↑ Zellner, Xander (June 23, 2026). "Bebe Rexha Earns First No. 1 on Top Dance Albums Chart With 'Dirty Blonde'". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  31. ↑ Jones, Alan (June 19, 2026). "Charts analysis: Olivia Rodrigo lands third consecutive No.1 album with strong sales". Music Week. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Bebe Rexha Songs and Albums". Official Charts. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  33. 1 2 "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. June 22, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  34. 1 2 "Top Albums (Semaine du 19 juin 2026)". SNEP. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  35. 1 2 "Top 100 Albums (Week 25, 2026)". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Dirty Blonde Standard Vinyl". Bebe Rexha Shop. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Dirty Blonde". Bebe Rexha. Tidal. Credits. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Top 200 Álbuns Semana 25 de 2026" (PDF) (in European Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. p. 3. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  39. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 19/6/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 19/6/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 19/6/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Bebe Rexha Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  43. ↑ "Bebe Rexha Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Bebe Rexha Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  45. ↑ "Dirty Blonde Standard Cassette". Bebe Rexha Shop. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  46. ↑ "Dirty Blonde Standard CD". Bebe Rexha Shop. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  47. ↑ "Dirty Blonde Standard Vinyl". Bebe Rexha Shop. Archived from the original on May 27, 2026. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
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