63 Most Anticipated Albums of 2017
From arena titans to critical darlings, there’s no shortage of albums to look forward to in the new year.
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Cloud Nothings
Album: Life Without Sound
Release Date: January 27th
Cloud Nothings' critically acclaimed 2014 album Here and Nowhere Else piled on indie-rock catchiness at blistering speed and cemented this Ohio outfit's place in the genre's upper echelon. But on their fourth album, the band – who have added touring guitarist Chris Brown to their lineup – is going to chill out a bit. Frontman Dylan Baldi called the album "my version of New Age music"; and while the first two previews of the record, the chugging "Internal World" and the sprightly "Modern Act," aren't awash in arpeggiated synths, they do hint at a slightly more mellow feel. "Things kind of slowed down, and so did we," Baldi told Columbus Alive. -
2017’s Biggest Rumors and Guesses
A Perfect Circle
Modern rock supergroup A Perfect Circle announced a summer tour and said they're getting to work on their first studio album since 2004's eMOTIVe – though no prospective release date has been announced. "Getting back to writing music with A Perfect Circle is a great way to start the new year," said guitarist Billy Howerdel.Missy Elliott
Pharrell said he was working on this album back in 2015, Timbaland confirmed his input too. After two singles, the Amazon Echo Super Bowl commercial, a guest appearance on Tweet's album and an appearance at the Vh1 Hip Hop Honors, hopefully an energized Missy will use the momentum to drop her first full-length in more than a decade.Eminem
When Eminem dropped "Campaign Speech," his tongue-twisting Donald Trump protest, in October, he Tweeted, "Don't worry I'm working on an album! Here's something meanwhile."Halsey
According to her very engaged internet fanbase, the pop star has been leaving a trail of breadcrumbs leading to a second album called Kingdom for years.Dhani Harrison
Olivia Harrison – widow of George Harrison – said last year that she and their son have talked about completing some of the former Beatle's tracks. "There are a lot of songs that are unfinished,” she told Billboard. "I think there’s a project there. I just need time to get to it."Jay Z
His friend Jermaine Dupri recently said his 13th album is done and titled, and Roc Nation rapper Vic Mensa said, "I've heard a little bit of some Hov shit, and it's fresh as fuck."Nicki Minaj
"Focusing on my work," Nicki Minaj recently Tweeted, "& looking forward to sharing it with you guys really soon." Young Money president Mack Maine told Revolt TV that she's "gonna be working on her solo project and she's dropping."Phoenix
The band recently announced a gig at New York's Governor's Ball this summer, their first American show since 2014. Is new music on the way?Zach de la Rocha
Last year, the former Rage Against the Machine screamer released his first song in 10 years, "Digging for Windows," giving hope that the solo album he's been promising since the turn of the millennium may finally arrive.Ed Sheeran
Sheeran broke streaming records this week when he dropped two new singles – his first in two years – simultaneously. He posted a division sign to Twitter and most people assume that ÷ is a mathematically logical title to follow up to 2011's + and 2014's X.Taylor Swift
Taylor's never gone three years without releasing an album. Gigi Hadid told Entertainment Tonight, "she is starting to go back to work in the studio again."Justin Timberlake
"I'll put it out when it's done – when it feels right," the pop star told Variety. He's been working with Timbaland, Max Martin and Pharrell. The latter says there's a "a good solid six [songs] that are like, 'Whoa, what was that? Play that again.'"