With the return of some our most beloved artists, 2017 already looks set to be a significantly better year than the notoriously crap 2016. There’s an abundance of exciting albums scheduled for release this year, and although it’s hard to choose who we’re more excited to hear from, we’ve managed to whittle it down to the five returns we’re anticipating the most.
Lorde
It seems downright impossible that it’s only been four years since Lorde’s seminal debut. The wait has seemed extra long because the singer has remained relatively tight-lipped about her return to the studio (which is increasingly rare considering most artists like to share photos of themselves in the studio every other day for three years). It’s been a long time coming but with the pressure of having to trump her debut, and live up to the late David Bowie’s claim that she is “the future of music”, we have a feeling that this next album could be her best work to date.
Haim
In this god-awful depressing January weather, us pasty Brits are in desperate need of Haim’s sun-drenched melodies. It’s yet to be announced whether we’ll get them anytime soon but in the meantime, all we can do is trust Este that it’s worth the wait: “You don’t even know what’s coming for you. I’m warning you. You. Don’t. Even. Know.”
Taylor Swift
If you tally up all the feuds, breakups and controversy Taylor Swift has been involved with in the last three years, you’ll know she has a shed-load of ammunition for her next album. Although there’s no release date just yet, she’s reportedly working with Drake to find “a real mix of edgier hip-hop and R&B sounds.” Turn your nose up all you like but she’s pulled off a crossover album before and with Drake on her side she’s an unstoppable force.
The XX
Judging by the sounds of new singles ‘Hold On’ and ‘Say Something Loving’, we can expect to hear a bolder incarnation of The XX on their third offering. Vocalists Oliver Sim and Romy Madley-Croft seem to be stepping out of the shadows and up to the mic with notably more confident vocals, while Jamie returns with an even bigger presence after his stint as a solo artist.
Paramore
When Jeremy Davis left Paramore after their 2013 self-titled effort, it looked as if the band’s next release would be as a duo. But after remaining members Hayley Williams and Taylor York posted pictures of themselves in the studio with former drummer Zac Farro, it became a very real possibility that the line-up would change once again. Whether or not Farro has re-joined the band remains to be seen but what we do know is that this fifth album is going to be an important one for the band and the fans. There’s no telling what direction their sound will go in but Paramore are yet to disappoint.
