Predicting the New Year in music is much more difficult than the coming year in movies or television. While other media have to move mountains if they want to change release dates, that’s not the case with album releases – as Kanye West has shown us time and time again lately. (Latest update: His “Vultures” album, which didn’t come out until New Year’s Eve, isn’t coming out on Jan. 12, as last scheduled, either — he’s still tinkering, and his lawyers are probably still waiting for samples. ) Our long list of TBDs reflects the great DIY ethos that’s inherently a part of music: you’ll get it when you’ve got it… not when tentpole season calls for it.
But with that uncertainty in place, what does 2024 look like for fans, with new music on the way at some point from Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, SZA, Halsey, J Balvin, Elton John, Shakira, Kacey Musgraves? And many other powerhouses. Most of them arrive in Neverland TBD, but we can promise current release dates in the first quarter for stars Green Day, Jennifer Lopez, Kid Cudi, Usher, Tyla, Kali Uchis, Bleachers, Sheryl Crow, The Smile and more.
Naturally, some judgment calls are in order on whether to predict an actual 2024 release from some of the holding artists who we already expected to put out production in 2023… or 2022… or earlier. Like, is it possible or unlikely that Rihanna will finally drop her first album since “Anti” in 2016? We’re loosely predicting this schedule, because we’re determined to make it happen — even if it didn’t work for us last year or the last seven years. It would be crazy if it didn’t happen eventually, right? (Like we always say every January.) How about the first Frank Ocean album since 2016? First Justin Timberlake album in six years? Those all seem like good bets, though there aren’t enough signs of definitive activity yet to pencil in the first new U2 release since 2017.
And then there’s the Taylor Swift wild card factor. We scoff at her possibly pretty good “reputation” remake, but Easter eggs can be a lot harder to read than tea leaves or tarot cards. But this could also be the kind of crazy year where we don’t get a new product from Swift to do Finally get Skye Ferrera’s eternally awaited sophomore album. Beyond the certainty of whatever surprises are in store, we’ve got a feeling that ’24 will be good.
(Tags translation
