diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/HomeHeroCard.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/HomeHeroCard.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4c4e6445
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/HomeHeroCard.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { Play } from 'lucide-svelte';
+  import { FALLBACK_COVER } from '$lib/media/covers';
+
+  // Shared shape for the two hero tiles at the top of Home (the
+  // "Today's pick" + "Just added" anchors). Wider than the regular
+  // grid tiles, cover on the left + meta + play button on the right,
+  // accent-tinted background so the eye lands here first.
+
+  let {
+    href,
+    coverUrl,
+    eyebrow,
+    title,
+    subtitle,
+    onPlay,
+    playDisabled = false
+  }: {
+    href: string;
+    coverUrl: string;
+    eyebrow: string;
+    title: string;
+    subtitle?: string;
+    onPlay: (e: MouseEvent) => void;
+    playDisabled?: boolean;
+  } = $props();
+
+  function onImgError(e: Event) {
+    (e.currentTarget as HTMLImageElement).src = FALLBACK_COVER;
+  }
+</script>
+
+<a
+  {href}
+  class="group flex items-stretch gap-4 overflow-hidden rounded-lg border border-border
+         bg-gradient-to-br from-accent/15 via-surface to-surface
+         shadow-sm transition-all duration-200
+         hover:from-accent/25 hover:shadow-lg hover:ring-1 hover:ring-accent/40
+         focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent"
+>
+  <div class="relative h-32 w-32 flex-shrink-0 overflow-hidden md:h-40 md:w-40">
+    <img
+      src={coverUrl}
+      alt=""
+      class="h-full w-full object-cover transition-transform duration-200 group-hover:scale-105"
+      loading="lazy"
+      onerror={onImgError}
+    />
+  </div>
+  <div class="flex flex-1 flex-col justify-between gap-2 py-3 pr-4">
+    <div class="min-w-0">
+      <div class="text-xs font-medium uppercase tracking-wide text-accent">{eyebrow}</div>
+      <div class="font-display text-xl font-medium leading-tight text-text-primary
+                  line-clamp-2 mt-1">
+        {title}
+      </div>
+      {#if subtitle}
+        <div class="mt-1 truncate text-sm text-text-secondary">{subtitle}</div>
+      {/if}
+    </div>
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      aria-label={`Play ${title}`}
+      onclick={onPlay}
+      disabled={playDisabled}
+      class="self-start inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full
+             bg-accent px-4 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-text-primary
+             hover:opacity-90 focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent
+             disabled:opacity-50"
+    >
+      <Play size={14} strokeWidth={1.5} fill="currentColor" />
+      Play
+    </button>
+  </div>
+</a>
diff --git a/web/src/routes/+page.svelte b/web/src/routes/+page.svelte
index 80b8d6db..60cf8d5a 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/web/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@
   import { createHomeQuery } from '$lib/api/home';
   import HorizontalScrollRow from '$lib/components/HorizontalScrollRow.svelte';
   import AlbumCard from '$lib/components/AlbumCard.svelte';
+  import HomeHeroCard from '$lib/components/HomeHeroCard.svelte';
+  import { systemShuffle, getPlaylist } from '$lib/api/playlists';
+  import { playlistTrackToRef } from '$lib/playlists/playlistTrackToRef';
+  import { playQueue } from '$lib/player/store.svelte';
+  import { api } from '$lib/api/client';
+  import { coverUrl as albumCoverUrl } from '$lib/media/covers';
+  import type { AlbumDetail, TrackRef as TrackRefType } from '$lib/api/types';
   import ArtistCard from '$lib/components/ArtistCard.svelte';
   import CompactTrackCard from '$lib/components/CompactTrackCard.svelte';
   import ApiErrorBanner from '$lib/components/ApiErrorBanner.svelte';
@@ -75,6 +82,46 @@
 
   const userPlaylists = $derived(userPlaylistsQ.data?.owned ?? []);
 
+  // Hero row: For-You + most-recently-added album. Anchors the page
+  // so the eye lands on these instead of cascading down a wall of
+  // identical tiles.
+  const latestAlbum = $derived(data?.recently_added_albums?.[0] ?? null);
+
+  function albumCoverFor(albumId: string | undefined | null): string {
+    return albumId ? albumCoverUrl(albumId) : '';
+  }
+
+  let heroStarting = $state(false);
+
+  async function playForYou(e: MouseEvent) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    if (heroStarting || !forYouPlaylist?.system_variant) return;
+    heroStarting = true;
+    try {
+      const detail = await systemShuffle(forYouPlaylist.system_variant);
+      const refs = detail.tracks
+        .map((r) => playlistTrackToRef(r))
+        .filter((t): t is TrackRefType => t !== null);
+      if (refs.length > 0) playQueue(refs, 0, { source: forYouPlaylist.system_variant });
+    } finally {
+      heroStarting = false;
+    }
+  }
+
+  async function playLatestAlbum(e: MouseEvent) {
+    e.preventDefault();
+    e.stopPropagation();
+    if (heroStarting || !latestAlbum) return;
+    heroStarting = true;
+    try {
+      const detail = await api.get<AlbumDetail>(`/api/albums/${latestAlbum.id}`);
+      if (detail.tracks.length > 0) playQueue(detail.tracks, 0);
+    } finally {
+      heroStarting = false;
+    }
+  }
+
   type PlaceholderVariant = 'building' | 'failed' | 'pending' | 'seed-needed';
   function placeholderVariant(slot: 'for-you' | 'discover' | 'songs-like'): PlaceholderVariant {
     const s = systemStatusQ.data;
@@ -134,6 +181,40 @@
 <svelte:head><title>{pageTitle('Home')}</title></svelte:head>
 
 <div class="space-y-8">
+  <!-- Hero anchors: For-You + most recently added album. Larger
+       cards on a tinted gradient so the page has a clear "land
+       here" point instead of opening on a wall of tiles. Only
+       rendered when both pieces of data exist; the page falls back
+       to the carousels cleanly when either is missing. -->
+  {#if forYouPlaylist || latestAlbum}
+    <section class="grid gap-4 md:grid-cols-2" aria-label="Featured">
+      {#if forYouPlaylist}
+        <HomeHeroCard
+          href={`/playlists/${forYouPlaylist.id}`}
+          coverUrl={forYouPlaylist.cover_url ?? ''}
+          eyebrow="Today's pick"
+          title={forYouPlaylist.name}
+          subtitle={forYouPlaylist.track_count > 0
+            ? `${forYouPlaylist.track_count} tracks for you`
+            : 'Building your mix'}
+          onPlay={playForYou}
+          playDisabled={heroStarting || forYouPlaylist.track_count === 0}
+        />
+      {/if}
+      {#if latestAlbum}
+        <HomeHeroCard
+          href={`/albums/${latestAlbum.id}`}
+          coverUrl={albumCoverFor(latestAlbum.id)}
+          eyebrow="Just added"
+          title={latestAlbum.title}
+          subtitle={latestAlbum.artist_name}
+          onPlay={playLatestAlbum}
+          playDisabled={heroStarting}
+        />
+      {/if}
+    </section>
+  {/if}
+
   <!-- Playlists: For-You + Songs-like + user playlists, single horizontal row -->
   <section class="space-y-3">
     <HorizontalScrollRow