2022 was a pretty okay year for music, but three years after the pandemic, just like the film industry, I really feel that the music industry is jam-packed with exciting new projects from some high-profile heavy hitters and industry vets.
So without further ado, here's a few records I'm excited to hear in the coming year.
RuPaul - Black Butta (January 6)
With the release of the drag icon's 15th album set to coincide with the 15th season of RuPaul's Drag Race, her latest body of work seems like a return to form. I'm going to be honest aside from a few tracks, I was pretty disappointed with Mamaru, where Ru's attempt at channeling Azealia Banks, Charli XCX and Cakes Da Killa felt like demos left on the cutting room floor rather than fully realized bops.
Pabllo Vittar (TBA)
Shea Coulee (TBA)
Ladytron - Time's Arrow (January 20)
Troye Sivan (TBA)
Sam Smith - Gloria (January 27)
I've liked a few of Sam Smith songs, but I've preferred their more outgoing collaborations with artists such as Disclosure instead of their depressing songs about heartbreak. After turning out the majority of 2022 with Unholy, their first US #1 hit alongside trans pop diva Kim Petras, it seems like Sam is taking more risks not only with cheekier, sexually-liberating lyrics, but edgier production. Fingers crossed the rest of Gloria will include funkier fare in the vein of Unholy.
Ava Max - Diamonds and Dancefloors (January 27)
Ellie Goulding - Higher Than Heaven (February 3)
Kelela - Raven (February 10)
Caroline Polacheck - Desire, I Want To Talk To You (February 14)
Madonna (TBA)
With the success of her 2022 Greatest Hits remix album Finally Enough Love, and a musical resurgence thanks to TikTok, the queen of pop has been hard at work cooking upfor the follow-up to Madame X. She's been in the studio with Sickick (who remixed her Ray of Light hit Frozen) Mirwais, and her son David Banda, and rumors are swirling that she's recruited global superstar Bad Bunny on a song collaboration.
Back in October, Muumuse dropped a tweet revealing Madonna reuniting with Jamie King, who has been her tour director since her 2001 Drowned World Tour, so the queen definitely has something major up her sleeve (hopefully it's a greatest hits tour to coincide with the 40th anniversary of her debut album).
Beyoncé (TBA)
Juanes - Amores Prohibidos (TBA)
Doja Cat (TBA)
Orbital - Optical Delusion (February 17)
Godsmack - Lighting Up The Sky (February 24)
Adam Lambert - High Drama (February 24)
Gorillaz - Cracker Island (February 24)
Jennifer Lopez - This Is Me...Now (TBA)
It's been eight years since JLo released a full-length album, and with TIMN being a sequel of sorts to her third album This Is Me...Then (which she released back in 2002) does the triple threat still have what it takes to still compete alongside her contemporaries in the pop world, especially since expectations are high based on the fact that it's been eight years since you've released an album.
Everything But The Girl - Fuse
It's been 24 years since we've gotten new music from trip hop duo Everything But The Girl, who became huse household names in the 90s club scene when Todd Terry remixed their single Missing, which appeared on their album Walking Wounded.
Now Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn, who are married, have revealed that they will be dropping their new album Fuse on April 21 via Buzzin' Fly Records. It's their first album of new material since releasing Temperamental back in 1999.
Here's what Thorn had to say in a statement about Fuse, which the duo recorded in secret back in 2021 in Bath, England alongside engineer Bruno Ellingham.
“We were aware of the pressures of such a long-awaited comeback, so we tried to begin instead in a spirit of open-minded playfulness, uncertain of the direction, receptive to invention.”
“We’ve never been a particularly nostalgic band – we’ve always been known for making a different record every time,” Watt told NME. “Sometimes that’s meant going against the mainstream, but we just try to keep ourselves interested and keep things contemporary.
“We wanted to come back with something modern-sounding. We’re not out there on the heritage trail doing ‘best of’ tours or playing arenas. We just wanted to make a piece of work that would sound great now in 2023. That was the driver.”
After splitting creatively back in 1999, Thorn went on to release a string of solo projects, while Watt ran his record label Strange Feeling. Glad to see the duo back together musically, and based on the infectious first single Nothing Left To Lose, it feels like musically they've never left.
Cardi B - Untitled (TBA)
It's been four years since Cardi released her debut album Invasion of Privacy, the pressure is definitely on regarding her sophomore release, something Cardi has mentioned that she has anxiety about releasing. Will Cardi be able to avoid the sophomore slump, or will she end up a one-album wonder? Only way to find out is to just release the damn album already.
KAYTRANADA (TBA)
Kylie Minogue (TBA)
Dua Lipa (TBA)
Selena Gomez (TBA)
Fever Ray - Radical Romantics (March 10)
Normani (TBA)
Rihanna (TBA)
Jessie Ware - Can this dance diva give us more booty shaking bops, and fierce ear worms like she did with What's Your Pleasure? There's no doubt in my mind that she's definitely going to give the gays what we want.
Miley Cyrus - Endless Summer Vacation (March 10)
Depeche Mode - Memento Mori
Queens of the Stone Age
Janelle Monae (TBA)
Shakira (TBA)
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