Spring Break is officially over. The school year enters its homestretch towards the summer and ultimately, for seniors, the real world. Spring is also a joyous time of more daylight, warmer temperatures, and vibrant colors. Yes, there are the stresses of internship and job applications, but a year at Colorado College generally ends with a sense of celebration with the senior calendar, Blues and Shoes, and Llamapalooza. Good or bad, the spring also means more music releases as we lunge towards summer, and ultimately some big pop radio hits that will be deemed songs of the summer. These are the albums to look out for in the coming months.
RAP
Drake – Views From The 6 (April)
A$AP Ferg – Always Strive And Prosper (April 22)
Drake’s album Views From The 6 has been in production for quite some time now. His last official album came out in late 2013. He’s been promising the follow up for quite some time now. Since mid-2014, Drake has been dropping songs supposedly for the album beginning with “0 to 100/The Come Up,” a song that has been out so long it almost feels like a relic. Now, the Canadian rapper is promising that the album will be out very soon. The alleged first official single, “Summer Sixteen,” is almost a promise that Drake will release the album in time to name himself king of the summer.
Drake is not necessarily going to dominate the summer or 2016 without a fight. Kendrick, Kanye, 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne have already dropped releases in the first quarter. There is also the prospect of A$AP Ferg’s sophomore album Always Strive And Prosper. (If you were wondering what A$AP stands for, it’s the album title.) While Rocky may be the face of the A$AP Mob, Ferg is pretty much a competitive little brother. The harlemite’s first album Trap Lord was a surprisingly solid album that gave Long.Live.A$AP a run for its money with hits like “Work” and “Shabba.” The second Ferg album looks to be even stronger with assistance from Skrillex, Grimes, Schoolboy Q and Future.
POP
Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman (May 20)
The Catalyst considered Ariana Grande’s My Everything one of 2014’s top albums. The petite singer packs a vocal wallop that dominates her songs with her beautiful wails. However, her ability to pick excellent production to support her singing may be her true talent. My Everything’s follow up Dangerous Woman, originally titled Moonlight, comes out this May. Like Drake, Grande is setting herself up to dominate the summer with another solid album. “Dangerous Woman,” the lead single, continues to show her vocal range under R&B production. She also shows her talents as a house singer on “Be Alright.” Lil Wayne has already been revealed as a feature on the album. Woman will likely be the pop album to dominate the radio on summer drives this year.
ELECTRONIC
Kygo – Cloud Nine (May 13)
M83 – Junk (April 8)
Kygo rose from Soundcloud obscurity to the forefront of a new movement in electronic and pop music. Tropical House has taken over radio with Omi and Felix Jaehn’s “Cheerleader” remix and Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.” Now, Kygo will release his first official album Cloud Nine this summer. The album has already been fronted by singles “Firestone,” “Stole the Show,” and “Stay,” which have been hits in their own right. It’s likely the Norwegian producer has another hit or two up his sleeve.
After a long break, French band M83 is returning with Junk, a follow-up to their 2011 hit Hurry Up We’re Dreaming. (Well, they did also score the Tom Cruise Sci-Fi dud Oblivion, as well.) The album is likely to be a shift from Hurry Up as front man Anthony Gonzalez says he was inspired by the lack of culture he sees in music and decided to create something fun and messy, worthy of the name Junk.
ALTERNATIVE
Radiohead (TBA)
LCD Soundsystem (TBA)
These two veteran groups returning to the conversation have revealed few details regarding their upcoming releases. What we do know, is that new albums are in store for this year and the groups will be dominating the summer festival circuit.
LCD Soundsystem’s return is a big surprise. The band had given themselves a huge going away party at Madison Square Garden in 2011, documented by the film Shut Up And Play The Hits. Most thought they were done for good and would walk away from music entirely. They surprised everyone at the end of 2015 with a Christmas song and an announcement marking their return. While they’ll be playing and headlining the major festivals, a new album from them is also in the works.
Not much is known about the new Radiohead album. Little new music has come out from the band. A song they intended to be the theme to the latest James Bond was released last December. A looming album is being marked with business moves and URL purchases. They will be returning to festival stages as well, many of the same ones LCD Soundsystem will be playing.