Ashton Newton | Freelancer
2017 was a big year for music. Whether it was Taylor Swift reinventing her sound in “Reputation” or Kendrick Lamar dropping an instant classic with “DAMN.,” it’s hard to picture 2018 living up to one of the best years in the last decade for new music, but in fact, 2018 is looking to bring as much, or even more, great new music.
Right around the corner, Rhye is releasing a new album called “Blood” on Feb. 2. His first album is five years old this year, but he made a return in 2017 with a series of singles and lending vocals to Bonobo’s “Break Apart”.
The British indie group The Wombats are making a return with a new album releasing Feb. 9 titled “Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life.” They’ve already released two singles off of the album, “Lemon to a Knife Fight” and “Turn.”
At this point in the year, a lot of bands have only given conformation that they will release new music this year. Artists like The Arctic Monkeys, CHVRCHES, Childish Gambino, Frankie Cosmos, Drake and Father John Misty have all teased new music, so there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months.
One of the most exciting teased projects of 2018 is a collaborative album between Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Apart from a confirmation from Jay-Z himself, no additional information has come out about the collab.
Lady Gaga released a new single called “The Cure” and teased a 2018 album at last year’s Coachella. If the rest of the album matches the sound of “The Cure,” it looks like Lady Gaga is making a return to her earlier dance-pop sound.
At the end of 2017, Jack White released a pretty cacophonous single that turned out not to be a single at all. Instead, the release was simply bits and pieces taken from his upcoming 2018 album “Boarding House Reach.” It’s not a good sounding song, but it serves as an intriguing tease for what’s to come.
Some teases have gone more under the radar, like Death Cab for Cutie announcing their 2018 release in a tweet that simply says “LP9 // 2018” with no other information.
2018 is already shaping up to be one for the books. With what has already been announced, there’s plenty for fans of every genre to get excited about.
Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu
