Now That's What I Call Music! 81 was released on January 28, 2022. The album is the eighty-first edition of the (U.S.) Now series. It peaked at number 1, 4 and 5 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA. The compilation includes three songs which reached the #1 on the Billboard Hot 100: "INDUSTRY BABY", "STAY" & "My Universe".
The cover is inspired by the NOW 108 UK cover released in 2021.