God, musicians can be annoying. Much like a Hungry House order, they never deliver on time. Frank Ocean, Rihanna, and Kanye are just three of the names who failed to hit their release dates in 2015. Still, they should all appear this year...right? Here are some of the albums we're most looking forward to (hopefully) soundtracking our 2016.
Drake - Views From the 6
Release Date: TBD
The "Hotline Bling" rapper told the audience at his New Year’s Eve concert in Miami that Views From the 6 was dropping “very soon’. A trailer hinted it was supposed to arrive yesterday but – surprise, surprise – it didn’t. Maybe he’s still recovering from New Year’s Eve...
Photo: GettyPJ Harvey – Recording In Progress
Release Date: Spring
Recorded live in front of an audience as part of an art installation at Somerset House last February, some die-hard fans will already know what’s in store for the Mercury Prize winner’s ninth album.
Kanye West - SWISH
Release Date: TBD
West announced SWISH (formerly So Help Me God) back in March 2015, but so far there's no word on a release date for West's seventh record. He’s dropped a few tracks from it so far, including most recently this song "Facts". Just don’t try and rush him, it would appear the pressure is getting to him. "No offense to anyone… I’m asking everyone DON’T ASK ME FOR ANYTHING TILL AFTER I’M FINISHED WITH MY ALBUM," he recently Tweeted.
David Bowie - Blackstar
Release Date: 8th January
Last time Bowie released an album it was The Next Day which appeared out of the blue in March 2013. This time around we have a bit more warning. Out tomorrow, it is already receiving high praise indeed.
Frank Ocean - Boys Don’t Cry
Release Date: TBD
Oh, Frank. What are you doing to us? Boys Don’t Cry (if indeed it is still called that) is fast becoming the most shambolic of releases. Last April, Ocean announced plans for a July release before that passed without so much as a teaser trailer. He put out this track "Memrise" in November 2014 but who knows if it will make it onto the album. Ocean's tardiness is actually drawing serious think-pieces about whether or not he is disrespecting his fans. Even Adele, who took an age to release her recent third album, 25, is fed up with him... Harper Lee will be piling in next.
Katy Perry - TBD
Release Date: TBD
With her massive Prism world tour coming to an end last October, Perry is now supposedly back in the studio for album number four. Her manager Steven Jensen has confirmed that “she plans to release her next album by 2016", which should appease the ravenous #KatyCats.
Photo: GettySavages Adore Life
Release Date: 22nd January
Oh something with an actual release date! The post-punk band’s follow up to 2012’s Silence Yourself is out at the end of this month. Take a look at their intense and intimate new video for "Adore".
Britney Spears - TBD
Release Date: TBD
In October Brit-Brit tweeted about working on a new song accompanied with the hashtag #B9. Either she’s been stocking up on folic acid or a new album is a-coming.
Photo: GettySia - This is Acting
Release Date: 29th January
For her seventh album the Australian songwriter, reluctant pop star, and wig aficionado has taken songs she originally wrote for Rihanna (including this Kanye-produced track) and Adele and done her own thing with them, proving that one woman's trash is another woman's treasure.
Animal Collective - Painting With
Release Date: 19th February
Always ones to put out music in a novel way, the New York foursome have been teasing tracks from Painting With via Instagram of all places. Their first album since 2012 will feature contributions from The Velvet Underground’s John Cale and will be available in three different covers, each of which features a painting of one of the band members. So arty.
The Last Shadow Puppets - TBD
Release Date: Spring 2016
Alex Turner and Miles Kane return for the second outing of their side project. Expect more of the lush orchestral 60s sound that collaborators James Ford and Owen Pallet brought to proceedings for their 2008 debut, as this teaser trailer would suggest.
Rihanna - ANTI
Release Date: TBD
Yet another 2015 no-show. RiRi announced in November 2014 that her album would be out “very soon” but here we are in 2016 with nothing but a bunch of pap pictures of Rihanna drinking Coronas on yachts to show for it. It was rumoured to drop two months ago, but then…nothing. Expect it to appear when you least expect it.
Photo: GettyMIA – Matahdatah
Release Date: TBD
The singer put out the politically charged video for "Borders", featuring refugees on the move at the end of last year. Still no confirmed release date for her fifth album – but if "Borders" is anything to go by, you can expect some innovative videos to appear alongside it.
Radiohead – TBD
Release Date: TBD
Radiohead fans received an unexpected treat when the band released an unused Bond theme song for Spectre last month after Sam Smith pipped them to the post. In terms of a follow up to 2011's The King of Limbs? Guitarist Johnny Greenwood has confirmed that they have "done a couple months of recording" that "have gone really well." We'll give them some time. They might be a bit bruised after being overlooked for Sam Smith.
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