If there’s one thing you can rely on to boost your spirits during a pandemic, or on any old regular day, it’s a good hit of fresh tunes. We may not have been able to attend too many live shows and festivals in the past two years but nothing can stop us from enjoying music from our favourite artists in the comfort of our own home.
In 2021, we were granted much-hyped new records from Kanye West (Donda), Drake (Certified Lover Boy) Adele (30), Lorde (Solar Power), Lil Nas X (Montero) and Foo Fighters (Medicine at Midnight) — just to name a few.
So, what sonic sensations can we look forward to in 2022? Here are five we particularly cannot wait for.
Kendrick Lamar
Lamar last released an album back in 2017 with Damn, which featured the tracks ‘Humble’, ‘Loyalty’ and ‘Love’, the former of which became the rapper’s first number-one single in the United States as a lead artist.
We have been patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for his fifth album to drop ever since and we have good reason to believe that 2022 is THE year.
Release date: TBD
Arctic Monkeys
Arctic Monkeys have been delivering the goods since they came on the scene back in 2006 with their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not led by the absolute banger ‘I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor’.
Five albums later, the indie rockers from Sheffield, England, haven’t released an album since 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino but we know they will be dropping some newness this year thanks to drummer Matt Helders who has said the new album will “pick up where the other one left off in a way”.
Release date: TBD
The Weeknd, Dawn FM
The Weeknd has announced that his latest album, Dawn FM, will drop on January 7, 2022, and that it features guest appearances from Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, Quincy Jones, Oneohtrix Point Never, and, curiously, Jim Carrey. That’s right, that Jim Carrey.
In a recent post uploaded to The Weekend’s Instagram account, the artist revealed the impending release of the follow-up to 2020s After Hours writing, “Music can heal and that feels more important than another album rollout. Let’s just drop the whole thing and enjoy it with the people.”
Release date: January 7
Bastille, Give Me The Future’
British pop-rockers Bastille has sold over eleven million records worldwide and in 2022 they will be looking to add to that tally with their first full-length album since 2019’s Doom Days.
According to the lads, their fourth offering will explore the themes of the modern world and “humanity in a tech age”.
Release date: February 4
Cardi B
Cardi’s trajectory has been nothing short of astounding, going from reality star to the highest-certified female rapper of all time and the female rapper with the most number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
We’ve not had an album from the WAP Queen since 2018’s Invasion Of Privacy (which was her debut) but 2022 is primed for a new release from the New York-born powerhouse.
Cardi, who has been in an on-again, off-again marriage with Migos rapper Offset since 2017, has previously said of the impending release, that “this album is going to be really different. Of course, it’s going to have my ‘Lemonade’ moments, my personal relationship moments.”
Release date: TBD
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