Most anticipated albums of 2018 (part I)

music mix

Each year brings with it the promise of brand new music from some of the biggest and most celebrated artists in the world, and 2018 is no different. Whether you enjoy pop, rock, hip hop, or indie, this year has something (potentially) exciting in store for you. Here’s a look at some of the bands and singers who are expected to unveil their new records this year.

Arctic Monkeys 

We haven’t heard from the Arctic Monkeys since 2013’s critically acclaimed AM, but the group’s hiatus has now come to a close as the band members – who were busy with side projects – have reunited and are back in the studio to work on their sixth album. While there hasn’t been any official announcement yet, photos have emerged of the English rock band working on their upcoming record in Los Angeles, and new material is expected from them this year.

Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is planning to once again rule the pop charts when she returns with new music in 2018. The singer is currently working on her fourth album which is likely to land this year. The record will serve as the follow-up to Dangerous Woman (2016), and will be her first new set since she found herself in the middle of a horrific tragedy when her fans were targeted by a suicide bomber after her concert in Manchester last May.

Bruce Springsteen
We’ve been waiting for an album of new material from Bruce Springsteen since 2012’s Wrecking Ball, and we can only hope that 2018 will be the year The Boss decides to drop a new record. The singer – who will continue performing his Springsteen on Broadway show over the next few weeks – has reportedly been working on a solo album, which, according to his manager Jon Landau, is a very “expansive” and “rich” record. We eagerly await its release.

Jack White

Jack White has been busy with several projects of late, but it’s been four long years since he released his last solo album. All signs suggest that his next solo effort is just around the corner. The former White Stripes frontman recently uploaded a video titled ‘Servings and Portions from my Boarding House Reach’ on YouTube that featured snippets of songs that will presumably appear on the follow-up to 2014’s Lazaretto. More info, as well as the disc itself, are likely to emerge in the coming weeks/months.

Justin Timberlake

He may currently be receiving flack for wearing black to the Golden Globe just after starring in the new Woody Allen film, but Justin Timberlake will be hoping to make headlines for more positive reasons in the coming months. The former N’SYNC singer is all set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show on 4th February and will release his fifth solo album, Man of the Woods, just two days before his big performance. Timbaland and The Neptunes are the main producers of the set along with the popstar himself. First single, the electro funk tune ‘Filthy’, is already out, and the album will also feature collaborations with Alicia Keys and Chris Stapleton.

Kanye West
Kanye West was missing from the music scene for much of 2017, stepping away from the limelight to take a much-needed break. If the grapevine is to be believed, the rapper will return to the spotlight in 2018. No official announcement yet on when Kanye’s new music will reach our ears or whether his eighth record will still be titled Turbo Grafx 16 (like he stated two years ago, only weeks after the release of The Life of Pablo (2016)), but fans are excited that a refreshed Kanye will make a comeback very soon.

Vampire Weekend
Singer Ezra Koenig has been teasing details about Vampire Weekend’s upcoming fourth album, tentatively titled Mitsubishi Macchiato, since last year, and the record is expected to finally see the light of day in 2018. Producer Ariel Rechtshaid has been involved with the album’s production. And long-term fans will be pleased about the fact that multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, who left the group in 2016, will also appear on some of the tracks.

- Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 12th January, 2018 *