As I look forward to 2018 and its impending doom, the clear silver lining is the host of talented artists who are due for a new body of work. Whether or not projects are confirmed, I will hype them up in my head until I am ultimately impressed or disappointed, and you will share that experience with me. Let’s dive in.
- Tame Impala – Reports came out in late 2017 that the band are not on hiatus, and in fact could be writing their next album with the help of Mark Ronson. Daffodils is a straight jam, so a whole album of songs with that vibe would be very welcome in my earholes.
- Schoolboy Q – If you’ve been paying attention to his instagram story, you’d know that when Q isn’t touring, golfing or taking his daughter Joyce to soccer matches, he’s “Clocked In” in his home studio, working on his new album. With Kendrick dropping his latest project last year, I’d expect TDE to keep the ball rolling with their #2 star.
- Carly Rae Jepsen – My personal favorite pop star released only a single last year, following up on the extremely successful Emotion album. She’s mentioned on her instagram feed that she’s working on new material, so hopefully after her tour with Katy Perry wraps up we’ll be hearing some of that.
- Kanye West – If you aren’t hyped for a new Kanye project this year you merely haven’t been paying attention. We’ve seen photos of him smiling with a laptop in hand, teasers from other artists involved, and most recently a pic posted with Murakami which could only mean one thing. Kanye is happy and new music is coming. I’m on the edge of my seat.
- A$AP Rocky – It would be an understatement to say that this project is hyped. Perhaps the most long overdue artist on this list, the hip hop community has committed to patience in an act of solidarity to offer Rocky the support and time that he needs to #bless us with a new project. Take your time, Rocky.
- Clean Bandit – One of my favorite pop outfits of all time, Clean Bandit have yet to release a follow up to their 2014 debut, “New Eyes”. They’ve been releasing some power packed singles and are planning a tour, however, so I am anticipating some new material from them this year.
- Rich Brian – With powerhouse singles such as Back At It, Glow like Dat and Chaos, I was eagerly anticipating an announcement from the artist formerly known as Rich Chigga. (thank goodness he changed that name) There’s no way this album isn’t going to be huge.
- Ski Mask the Slump God – You will regret was one of my favorite mixtapes last year, and his features are nothing to sneeze at as well. I love his playful yet kind of eerie rapping style, and the kid has bars. He reminds me in some ways of Young Thug. I am anticipating him breaking out from the murky haze of Soundcloud into the mainstream spotlight this year. Separating himself from XXX was step one in realizing that dream.
- Daft Punk – Might be a reach, but I need some more Daft Punk.
- Car Seat Headrest – Perhaps the album I’m most excited about. Will Toledo, better known as Car Seat Headrest, has been dropping some absolutely pristine singles that I currently have on repeat. The sound is a little crisper but still has the rawness of his older work. If the rest of the album follows suit, I will be a very happy boy.
Here’s a small playlist with some recent drops and some classics from the artists mentioned above plus others.
What are you looking forward to this year? Leave a comment below, or flame me on Twitter.