These are the artists we’re hoping will end the drought of fresh material sooner rather than later.
The music gods have been kind to us in 2019.
This year has seen the return of legends like Missy Elliott, who released her first collection of new songs in 14 years, and legends-in-the-making like Chance the Rapper, who finally dropped his debut studio album, The Big Day. We’ve enjoyed a new Taylor Swift album, a Miley Cyrus EP (with more on the way), breakthrough albums from Lizzo and Billie Eilish, and a game-changing single from Lil Nas X.
And yet, we still want more. What can we say? We’re greedy like that.
There’s still plenty of exciting releases to look forward to, like Charli XCX’s third studio album Charli and a highly anticipated collab between Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, and Lana Del Rey for the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack, both out Friday, Sept. 13. But we can’t help but wonder where the long-promised follow-ups from some of our favorite artists are.
From Rihanna to Dua Lipa, Harry Styles to The Weeknd, here are all the artists we’re hoping will end the drought of new material sooner rather than later!
Rihanna No one likes to keep us waiting like Rihanna. After a four-year period in which she released an album a year, she made us wait almost four full years before she dropped Anti in 2016. While she hinted at a shorter wait for her ninth album, here we are, more than four years later. In December 2018, she confirmed the album, rumored to be dancehall-inspired, would be released in 2019. She lied.
Janet Jackson When Jackson released Unbreakable in 2015, it had been seven years since her last LP. But she hasn’t been resting on her laurels. She welcomed her son, resumed a world tour, released a collaboration with Daddy Yankee, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and started a Las Vegas residency. In early 2020, she announced on Instagram that Black Diamond was on the way. Then came coronavirus, delaying the album further.
Adele It’s been nearly five years since Adele’s third LP, 25. Despite reports that she’s been working on a follow-up since 2018, there’s been no news. Could her hosting gig on Saturday Night Live on Oct. 24—coinciding with the fifth anniversary of “Hello”—mean new material is imminent? Stay tuned.
Frank Ocean Ocean likes to make us wait. It was four years between his debut, Channel Orange, and his second and third albums, Endless and Blonde. It’s been just as long now since those drops. Despite a few new songs and a since-deleted tweet in 2017 suggesting a new album was finished, he’s stayed quiet on future plans. We’ll wait until he’s ready.
Cardi B It’s been just over two years since Cardi B’s Grammy-winning debut, Invasion of Privacy. Though she’s been busy with motherhood, her movie debut in Hustlers, and judging Rhythm + Flow, she promised a second album in 2019. That deadline has passed, with only “Press” and “WAP” to show for it. We hope her sophomore effort comes soon.
Sky Ferreira It’s been seven years since Ferreira’s debut, Night Time, My Time, which faced two years of delays. Despite acclaim, her second album has faced numerous setbacks. After acting gigs and releasing the first single from Masochism, “Downhill Lullaby,” in March, she assured fans the album would come in 2019. It didn’t.
Normani She wowed with her breakthrough single “Motivation” and made magic with Megan Thee Stallion on “Diamonds” for the Birds of Prey soundtrack. Now, where’s the debut album? Or even the next solo single?
And More…
