Though the platters upon platters of pigs in blankets feel like they were only karted out yesterday, we’re – somehow! – midway through the first month of 2024 already. Otherwise known as: the time when dry January turns into damp, and those hardest-to-keep New Year's resolutions are swiftly chucked out of the window. The nights are still long and gloomy, the last of the Christmas panettone is officially demolished, and post festive small talk is fast evaporating. So, how about something to look forward to, eh?
Fortunately, all manner of musicians – from old hats to rising new stars – are lining up to soundtrack the next twelve months. There are already countless rumours swirling around a number of big releases.
Late last year, Charli XCX let slip to the Standard that her sixth album is due in 2024. Ariana Grande and Dua Lipa both seem to be teasing releases of their own. Cardi B, Katy Perry, Sam Fender, and Coldplay are also among the bigger names promising new records. Though I say this every single time in the hope of one day manifesting it, there’s plenty of the usual speculation around a long-awaited new Rihanna album, especially given that she played the Super Bowl half-time show last year.
And guess-work aside, plenty of other artists have now announced new records due in the next few months. Here’s a look ahead.
January
Kali Uchis – Orquídeas (Jan 12)
Originally catching attention when she appeared on Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap back in 2013, and later collaborating with Tyler, The Creator, Gorillaz, Bootsy Collins, and Snoop Dogg, Uchis is now forging a formidable path as a solo artist; just a year after the exceptional Red Moon In Venus, she’s back with a Spanish-language album.
Kid Cudi – Insano (Jan 12)
The US rapper has come a long way from the wobbling juggernaut of Day N Nite, and has hinted at plans to put his rap moniker on the back burner. With Insano, it seems he’s planning on going out with a bang – his final Republic Records album is set to feature Travis Scott, Lil Yachty, Wiz Khalifa, Pharrell Williams, King Chip and ASAP Rocky.
Marika Hackman – Big Sigh (Jan 12)
Starting out as a softly-sung alt-folk artist, Hackman’s smirking and smutty I’m Not Your Man and its successor Any Human Friend felt like two grunge-inspired curveballs – and following a bout of creative block, Big Sigh is shaping up into yet another creative shake-up.
The Vaccines: Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations (Jan 12)
Emerging towards the end of the infamous indie sleaze era, The Vaccines have admittedly grown more polished as a band over the years, but they’ve always hung onto that all-important sense of fun. Recorded in LA’s Hollywood Hills, Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations is heavily influenced by the American Dream and Don McLean, among other things.
Bring Me The Horizon – POST HUMAN: NeX GEn (Jan 12)
A release pushback due to “unforeseen circumstances” and one departed member later (Jordan Fish left the band late last year) Bring Me The Horizon’s next project appears to finally be on the… er, horizon.
Green Day – Saviors (Jan 19)
The East Bay punks follow up 2020’s fairly polarising Father of All Motherf**kers – Saviors will see them reuniting with producer Rob Cavallo for the first time since 2012.
Sleater-Kinney – Little Rope (Jan 19)
It has been a tumultuous few years for Sleater-Kinney; the release of their ironically-titled The Centre Won’t Hold was derailed when drummer Janet Weiss suddenly quit the band post-release, while 2021’s Path of Wellness was possibly their first ever dud. Now, the John Congleton-produced Little Rope sounds like an intriguing prospect.
Future Islands – People Who Aren’t There Anymore (Jan 26)
For the first time since 2014 breakthrough record Singles, producer Chris Coady is back in the fold for the Baltimore band’s seventh album – the swooning, snarling synth-pop track The Tower is a promising slice of things to come.
NewDad – MADRA (Jan 26)
Rising Galway dream-pop band NewDad should be set for big things this year; their long-awaited debut is mixed by the legendary Alan Moulder.
The Smile – Wall of Eyes (Jan 26)
Due to the phrase ‘wall of eyes’ appearing in old Radiohead promotional material there was early speculation that this release could well mark the band’s return. Not quite – but both Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood are members of The Smile, alongside Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. Near enough for now, then.
Torres – What an Enormous Room (Jan 26)
With an unfailing ear for a banger, it’s frankly criminal that Torres isn’t a bigger name in indie rock – 2021’s Don’t Go Puttin Wishes In My Head was easily one of that year’s best songs. Still, all the more for us. With a title that nods to e e cummings, What an Enormous Room is home to yet more exceptional songwriting.
Ty Segall – Three Bells (Jan 26)
Hot on the heels of last year’s pared back acoustic LP Hello, Hi, the prolific California singer-songwriter is back on his garage rock grind with his fifteenth album in sixteen years.
February
Brittany Howard – What Now (Feb 2)
Not content with earning nine Grammy noms as the lead vocalist and songwriter for Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard already has another 7 under her belt as a solo artist – and two years after Jaime, she’s back with another doozy.
The Last Dinner Party – Prelude to Ecstasy (Feb 2)
Shortly after bagging top spot in the BBC’s Sound Of list and a BRITS Rising Star award, London’s most buzzed about band are releasing their debut album – a glammy, theatrical bottling-up of everything that’s so special about their live shows.
L Devine – Digital Heartifacts (Feb 2)
After parting ways with her major label Warner, a debut album from Geordie alt-pop star L Devine is finally here – and so far, it feels like a softer, more experimental prospect to earlier releases. “I've arrived at the point where I'm fully in the driver's seat,” she’s said.
Declan McKenna – What Happened to the Beach? (Feb 9)
Originally breaking through when he won Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent contest back in 2015, McKenna has made a name for himself with politically-charged indie pop - his debut single Brazil is about the corruption surrounding the 2014 World Cup. But with What Happened to the Beach? the plan is to trade “soapboxing” for having “some fun”, apparently.
Zara Larsson – Venus (Feb 9)
The Swedish pop star has primed fans to expect a "full-on rollercoaster ride of emotion" from her third album - it remains to be seen whether there’s a big dipper or log flume in store, but her David Guetta collaboration On Your Love is a proper, pounding pop banger.
Usher – Coming Home (Feb 9)
Two days before his historic Super Bowl show, Rn’B heavyweight Usher releases his first album in almost eight years – as well as a funk-laden collab with BTS’ Jung Kook, he’s also teamed up with Summer Walker and 21 Savage for lead single Good Good.
Idles – Tangk (Feb 16)
Compared with harsher early material, Idles’ fifth album Tangk is heading in a different direction; single Grace could easily be Rush of Blood To The Head-era Coldplay track, while Dancer features vocals from LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy. An intriguing switch-up for the Bristol punks.
Jennifer Lopez – This Is Me...Now (Feb 16)
Twenty years after the release of J-Lo’s pop classic This Is Me... Then she announced its follow-up – This Is Me...Now, describing it as a reflection of "emotional, spiritual, and psychological journey she has taken over the past two decades." Though much has changed for Jenny on the Block since then, one thing has come full circle: she’s now married to Ben Affleck, and the new record will include a sequel to 2002’s song Dear Ben.
Laura Jane Grace – Hole in My Head (Feb 16)
Four years after her debut solo album, Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace returns with Hole in My Head. While 2020’s Stay Alive was largely acoustic, this cranks things up a couple of notches. The musician has hinted at “a sonic curio cabinet” crammed with ‘50s rock influenced guitar riffs, and “thoughtful reflections on a punk life lived.”
Serpentwithfeet – Grip (Feb 16)
The experimental Brooklyn musician returns with his third album, which draws heavily from the eclectic pulse of queer nightlife, and features collabs with Ty Dolla $ign, Orion Sun, and Mick Jenkins.
Mary Timony – Untame the Tiger (Feb 23)
The lead singer of Ex Hex and a hugely influential guitarist, Mary Timony has been cited as an inspiration by everyone from Sleater-Kinney to Speedy Ortiz. Her first solo album in fifteen years should be a real treat.
Allie X – Girl with No Face (Feb 23)
Boasting excellent collabs with both Troye Sivan and Mitski, the Toronto artist’s 2020 album Cape God was one of that year’s pop standouts. A songwriter for both Sivan and BTS, Alexandra Ashley Hughes evidently knows her way around a hit, and according to her, album number three is: “angry, stubborn, honest, dry, melodramatic, fast, and indulgent… the same way some people describe me. I hope everyone likes it but if not, try turning it up a bit.”
Sheer Mag – Playing Favorites (Feb 23)
Channelling all the cheese, sleaze and glammy brilliance of Seventies rock, Philly punks Sheer Mag are single-handedly making Thin Lizzy twin-guitarmonies cool again - and have signed to Jack White’s Third Man label for their third record.
MGMT – Loss of Life (Feb 23)
This surrealist psych-pop duo might be over a decade old by now, but they’ve lost little of the playful flair that defined break-out hits Electric Feel and Kids. Album number five contains a maximum percentage of "20% adult contemporary”, apparently, and also features their first ever guest star: Christine and The Queens.
Real Estate – Daniel (Feb 23)
The foot-scuffing indie rock of New Jersey’s Real Estate always makes for easy listening, and there’s a delightful country twang to their sixth record, produced by Kacey Musgraves collaborator Daniel Tashian.
March
Yard Act – Where’s My Utopia? (Mar 1)
After narrowly missing out on a number one record with their debut, the Leeds band are back for another crack - and without Years & Years’ Olly Alexander to outflank this time, perhaps they could go the whole way?
Tyla – TYLA (Mar 1)
Last year, Tyla’s break-out hit Water was completely inescapable, and the Johannesburg singer â who fuses pop with the rising genre of amapiano â made history as the first South African solo artist to enter the US Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years. Accordingly, there’s a lot of hype ahead of her anticipated debut.
Everything Everything – Mountainhead (Mar 1)
Less than two years after releasing Raw Data Feel, a glitching exploration of internet culture with lyrics partially written by AI, the Manchester art-rockers are taking things back to basics with Mountainhead and trading snazzy plug-ins and warped effects for apocalypse synth-pop. According to the band’s Jonathan Higgs, it’s a concept record "wherein all of society is consumed with the building of a giant mountain".
Kaiser Chiefs – Kaiser Chiefs' Easy Eighth Album (Mar 1)
Leeds indie-rock band Kaiser Chiefs never quite reached the jangly heights of their 2005 debut Employment a second time around, but you have to admit, this sardonically titled effort, which features a guest appearance from Nile Rodgers, sounds like an intriguing prospect.
Bleachers – Bleachers (Mar 8)
Jack Antonoff is now most recognisable as a superstar producer thanks to his collaborations with Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, and Lorde – but his wide-screen, Eighties-influenced pop as Bleachers stands up alongside all the megastar production credits.
Bolis Pupul – Letter to Yu (Mar 8)
Bolis Pupul’s collaborative album with fellow Belgian Charlotte Adigéry was one of 2022’s surprise standouts - and now, he’s striking out alone with a debut solo album, recorded at Soulwax's Deewee Studios.
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Glasgow Eyes (Mar 8)
The Scottish shoegazers have clearly caught the album bug; after returning with their first album in nineteen years back in 2017, a follow-up is on the way. Its release coincides with the band’s 40th anniversary, and according to the band’s Jim Reid, Glasgow Eyes uses the their tried-and-tested method: "just hit the studio and see what happens"
The Libertines – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade (Mar 8)
Peace isn’t a word that often gets associated with the tumultuous journey of The Libertines, granted. But Carl Barât and Pete Doherty insist they found plenty of it while making their first new album in nine years, written recorded between Jamaica and Margate.
Gossip – Real Power (Mar 22)
One hiatus, a 10th anniversary reunion tour, and a Beth Ditto solo album later, Arkansas punks Gossip are officially back together - their first record in 11 years is produced by the enigmatic production maestro Rick Rubin.
Waxahatchee – Tigers Blood (Mar 22)
There’s heaps of Americana twang to Katie Crutchfield’s duet with MJ Lenderman - of the much-hyped indie band Wednesday. It paves the way for a follow-up to breakout album Saint Cloud.
Chastity Belt – Live Laugh Love (Mar 29)
An early contender for most amusing album title of 2024, Live Laugh Love is album number five from the Walla Walla indie rockers. Lead single Hollow is a promising taste of things to come out of Washington state.
Sheryl Crow – Evolution (Mar 29)
Newly admitted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, the country-pop star has backtracked on her vow to never make another album again with Evolution - its punchy first glimpse Alarm Clock takes fire at early starts and namechecks Timothée Chalamet.
