2017 is sure shaping up to be... quite something. (I'll leave it at that.) But regardless of how optimistic or pessimistic you're feeling about the coming year, the inarguable fact that it's going to be a great one for music.
The calendar is stacked with new albums from the greatest in rock, pop, hip-hop, and rap. Seriously, we're expecting new material from damn near everyone. That includes iconic acts like Bruce Springsteen, TLC, and U2, as well as beloved indie rockers like The National, LCD Soundsystem, and The Killers. Then there's the likes of Drake, Big Sean, and SZA. Plus, soulful crooners Ryan Adams and John Mayer will be back in our lives with fresh heartbreakers.
So here are our most highly anticipated albums and what we can expect them to sound like, based largely on what the artists themselves have promised. (We'll be updating this story every month as more releases are officially announced.) So renew your Spotify subscription, mark your Google calendars, and maybe splurge on a new pair of headphones. There's a whole lot of sonic goodness coming your way in 2017.
The xx, I See You
January 13
The moody British trio is back for their first album since 2012's Coexist. And if you were a fan of Jamie xx's acclaimed debut album, In Colour, then you're going to fall in love with I See You. The DJ-singer told NME that his solo album is indicative of the group's vamped up sound on their third LP. Expect an eclectic mix of their signature minimalist, atmospheric rock; hip-hop samples; club beats; and an intoxicating interplay of vocals from Jamie, Oliver Sim, and Romy Croft.
Photo: Courtesy of Young Turks.
Drake, More Life
TBA
Technically, we're expecting more of a mix tape or playlist involving Drizzy and his favorite collaborators, along with up-and-coming artists. Project producer Nineteen85 said Drake is just too busy touring for a full-blown album all his own. “That's why he's trying to call it a playlist because he has a bunch of people in a space, hanging out," he told Billboard. "He's so aware of what everybody else is doing musically that he likes to introduce new music and new artists to the rest of the world."
Photo: Courtesy of Young Money Entertainment.
St. Vincent, TBA
Spring 2017
Annie Clark has called her new album, partly inspired by recent political events, "the deepest, boldest work" she's ever done. "I feel the playing field is really open for creative people to do whatever you want, and that risk will be rewarded," she told Guitar World, "especially now that we have such high stakes from a political and geopolitical standpoint." We're expecting a kick-ass protest album from Ms. Clark.
Photo: Steve Jennings/WireImage.
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TLC, TBA
2017
In 2015, Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas and Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins created a Kickstarter campaign to fund a final TLC album, 15 years after the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The women crowdfunded the project in order to maintain full creative control over the LP, which was initially set to drop in late 2016. "Our final album will stay true to the TLC sound, always confronting the real issues and life experiences that we all must face every single day, everywhere," they explain. In October, the duo released two singles that gave us a taste of what their signature '90s R&B sound will be rebooted in 2017.
Photo: Ross Schultz/Newspix/Getty Images.
Ryan Adams, Prisoner
February 2017
Who else is excited to hear Ryan Adams sing something that Taylor Swift didn't write? According to the musician, his first full length album of original music since his eponymous 2014 LP is influenced by the likes of The Smiths, AC/DC and Bruce Springsteen. There's also the fact that he wrote it during what he calls a "humiliating" and "fucking horrible" public divorce from Mandy Moore. In other words, we're expecting to hear a bit of rocking sonic therapy from the songwriting vet.
Photo: Courtesy ofinterplaying
Major Lazer, Music Is The Weapon
2017
Initially set to drop in January but with no official release date announced, it's not totally clear when we're actually going to hear the new album from Diplo and company. What we do know is that it features pretty much everyone: Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Sia, The Weeknd, Gwen Stefani, Tinashe, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Camila Cabello, Travis Scott, Sam Hunt, Tove Lo, Jack Ü, and Iggy Azalea. And if the first single, Justin Bieber and Mø's "Cold Water," is any indication, Music is going to dominate the charts whenever it does come out this year.
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