The end of 2015 is upon us, and it’s time to look forward to the new year. Here are the albums we’re fired up about that should be out in 2016.
1. Radiohead
Release Date: Unknown
I have very little information about the new Radiohead album, other than that band has recorded “lots of material” and is planning on a tour in 2016. If their just released un-used Spectre theme is any indication, though, this is still a band at the peak of their powers, and this is an album you should be excited about, no matter when they decide to release it.
Their surprise release of In Rainbows shows that we should be ready, though, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they dropped the album at midnight on New Year’s Day. That seems like a Radiohead thing to do. — NS
2. Kanye West
Release Date: Unknown
Not much is known about Swish (which it’s still called, though that’s subject to change) except for that it’s almost finished and no one is to ask Kanye for anything until it is. Everything we’ve heard from it so far has been amazing, but it’s difficult to get a read on what the overall sound will be like. Only One was a heartfelt ode to his mother, All Day was anarchistic club banger, and FADE was Chicago deep house.
It could sound like anything at this point. But considering “excellence is the bare minimum,” it’ll probably be good. — MP
3. Gorillaz
Release Date: Unknown
Again, not a lot known about this one, other than Damon Albarn started recording in September and the animated band’s album will come out sometime in 2016. Also tiding us over? Some photos of the band members provided by Gorillaz collaborator Jamie Hewlett. — NS
4. Frank Ocean
Release Date: Unknown
Frank Ocean’s second studio album was supposed to come out by the end of July. It is now July 184th and there’s still no album. We were led to assume that the title would be Boys Don’t Cry, but we can’t even be sure of that. Thanks to his brother tweeting a photo of the two a few weeks ago, all that we can be sure of is that Frank Ocean is alive and ignoring us. — MP
5. M83
Release Date: Unknown
No release date, no album name, but if M83 is still cranking out ambitious, grandiose synth pop, I will be the first in line to get it. It’s been four years since a proper M83 album has been released, and I can only hope that Anthony Gonzalez has been cooking up a masterwork in that time. — NS
6. Drake
Release Date: Unknown
Drake had himself a banner year in 2015, but he did so by giving the fans more of what they thought they wanted. Views from the 6 is to see Drake given completely to his own artistic expression, meaning “do more singing than rapping.” It’s due out sometime in 2016, and maybe even as early January 6. It’s also sounding great, judging by the six seconds evidence we have to go on, courtesy of Drake himself. — MP
7. The xx
Release Date: Unknown
The xx were reportedly in the studio up until Christmas, finalizing the recording of an album they’ve been working on for over a year. The band’s spare bedroom pop sound has never wavered, but their last album, 2013’s coexist, didn’t have quite the impact that their debut did. They’ve been hard at work, though, trying out new material on the road, and looking to capture that original magic. — NS
8. Anderson.Paak
Release Date: January 15
Anderson.Paak is riding the waves he caused by carrying some of the best songs on Dr. Dre’s magnum opus Compton earlier this year. He’s released great joint projects with Knwxledge and the Blended Babies in the last few months, and Malibu – the follow-up to his 2014 debut LP Venice – is due out at the top of 2016. There have been two singles from the album so far, and the first was the song I would’ve sworn by as the best in existence until the second was released. — MP
9. Modest Mouse
Release Date: Unknown
Modest Mouse has been so consistently good for so long that it’s hard to get really “excited” about a new album, but I implore you to muster up the energy. This is a band that is somehow underrated, I feel, and even their middling albums have a few stunning songs on them. They gave us this; let’s never doubt them. — NS
10. ScHoolboy Q
Release Date: Unknown
Kendrick Lamar I have to respect as the best artist out of TDE, but ScHoolboy Q is definitely my favorite. After the release of his 2014 label debut Oxymoron, Q was largely absent in 2015 aside from a few sparse features, but each time he stole the show. He upstaged A$AP Rocky on Electric Body, and outshone the rest of the Black Hippy crew on Vice City.
Q’s “sophomore” effort doesn’t yet have a name, and may not even be finished. But he did say he planned on putting it out after Jay Rock’s 90059, so fingers crossed we’ll get it in the first or second quarter of 2016. — MP
