The 40 Most Anticipated Albums of 2019
The Most Anticipated Albums of 2019
In 2019, artists of all genres are looking to make, to quote Cardi B, some money moves: Divas at the top of their games are keeping the hits coming. Beloved artists who have kept quiet in recent years are making grand returns. Veteran acts are adding to their decades-spanning discographies with new works that speak to current sounds and trends. And most promising new artists of the past few years are prepping projects that could take them from the JV squad to varsity pop players. Below, the 40 albums we're most looking forward to in 2019.
Maggie Rogers, 'Heard It in a Past Life' (Jan. 18)
After knocking it out of the park with her SNL debut in November, Maggie Rogers is kicking off the new year with her long-awaited debut album. Featuring co-production by Greg Kurstin, Ricky Reed, Kid Harpoon and Rostam Batmangliji, the 12-track set arrives two years after Rogers became a viral Pharrell-approved sensation. If the single “Light On,” which landed the 24 year-old her first-ever Billboard charts No. 1, is any indication, expect Rogers to build upon the unique indie-folk-dance amalgam she began developing towards the end of her time at NYU's prestigious Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. “The craziest thing is that I didn’t know I could sing like this ever,” she recently told Billboard. “My voice has changed or I’ve grown into it, I've woken up.” -- BROOKE MAZUREK
Sharon Van Etten, 'Remind Me Tomorrow' (Jan 18)
Fans of Van Etten's powerful, guitar-driven rock will be pleasantly surprised to find her favoring synths and intricate electronic backdrops on her first full-length effort in five years. That shift -- heard on driving anthems ("Comeback Kid") and brooding meditations ("Memorial Day") -- is one that comes after Van Etten started a family, scored her first film (Katherine Dieckmann's Strange Weather), launched her acting career (with a role on The OA) and split her time between New York (where she's lived for the last 15 years) and Los Angeles (where her onscreen pursuits have brought her). Remind Me Tomorrow offers a love letter to her adopted hometown in "Seventeen," a Springsteenian, nostalgic tribute to the places that shaped her, even if they've long since disappeared. Wise and weathered, Remind Me Tomorrow is refreshing proof of what Van Etten's capable of -- and why we've missed her so much in between albums. -- HILARY HUGHES
Future, 'The Wizrd' (Jan. 18)
The prolific rapper had a typically active 2018, dropping two collaborative projects to satiate trap lovers everywhere: July’s Beast Mode 2 mixtape with producer Zaytoven and October’s Wrld on Drugs team-up with Juice WRLD. The Atlanta star is keeping his infectious, warbled tunes coming with his seventh solo set later this month. He’s already given fans a taste of what’s to come, with the hypnotic “Jumpin on a Jet” and the ominous “Crushed Up.” -- BIANCA GRACIE
James Blake, 'Assume Form' (Jan. 18)
Enigmatic electronic musician James Blake released his last album, 2016’s sweeping, gospel-influenced The Colour In Anything, with just a few hour’s notice. This time, he gave us about a week’s heads-up, announcing the follow-up a mere eight days before its release. The album, which he first teased on a cryptic website that sent fans into sleuth mode, is rumored to feature everyone from André 3000 and Travis Scott to flamenco star Rosalía, meaning the endless shape-shifter isn’t done testing the boundaries of his artistry just yet. -- T.C.
Cody Johnson, 'Ain't Nothin' to It' (Jan. 18)
The rising country star kicks off 2019 with his major-label debut, but it’s certainly not his first rodeo: Johnson has previously released five albums independently. With his current single “On My Way To You” gaining speed, the singer brings his no-frills sound to 14 more tracks that will melt hearts (“Fenceposts”) and honor his Texas roots (“Where Cowboys Are King" and “Honky Tonk Mood"). -- T.W.
DAWN, 'new breed' (Jan. 25)
With her most recent trilogy of solo albums, experimental soul singer-songwriter (and Danity Kane alum) Dawn Richards forged a futuristic R&B sound that has grown into a genre-wide movement. With new breed, her first new project since 2016, DAWN continues that mission -- and returns to her roots, drawing on producers Hudson Mohawke, M.G.N. (Christine & The Queens, Ariel Pink) and Kaveh Rastegar (John Legend, Sia) for 10 tracks that explore her New Orleans upbringing. Judging by singles “jealousy” and the title track, both out now, expect hip-hop influences, feminist mantras and more rousing choruses that show off the singer’s vocal chops. -- TATIANA CIRISANO
Backstreet Boys, 'DNA' (Jan. 25)
As the legendary boy band bids adieu to their successful Las Vegas residency, they begin a new chapter with DNA. The album, the group’s 10th, will highlight each member’s influences while also staying true to the harmony-driven pop sound they’ve been cultivating for 25 years. With the three tracks they’ve shared so far -- the thumping lead single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” the romantic anthem “Chances,” and the heartfelt acoustic track “No Place” -- the guys have nailed a tricky balancing act: They still sound like the Backstreet Boys, but they’re fitting seamlessly into today’s pop climate. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” in particular has already proven that, earning BSB their first-ever Adult Top 40 Top 10 hit and their first Grammy nomination in 17 years. -- T.W.
Bring Me the Horizon, 'amo' (Jan. 25)
England's favorite post-hardcore outfit became legit rock stars on both sides of the Atlantic with the release of 2014's That's the Spirit, which peaked at No. 2 on both the U.S. and the U.K. album charts and was massive both on radio (where it spawned three top ten hits on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart) and streaming (where the set's 11 tracks have racked up well over half a billion Spotify plays combined). New album amo looks to continue to expand both the band's sound and audience, with explosive lead single "Mantra" already becoming their fourth Mainstream Rock top 10 and advance track "Medicine" pushing them further into electro-pop territory. -- ANDREW UNTERBERGER
Luis Fonsi, 'Vida' (Feb. 1)
There’s been talk of a Luis Fonsi album ever since the release of the massive “Despacito” in early 2017. No more kidding around: The singer’s first studio LP in five years is arriving at last, and it’s set to include Fonsi’s big singles from the past 24 months -- “Despacito,” “Echame la culpa,” “Calypso” and “Imposible” -- as well as plenty of new ballads, which Fonsi sings predominantly in Spanish and delivers with an urban touch. -- LEILA COBO
Girlpool, 'What Chaos Is Imaginary' (Feb. 1)
Since 2015's Before the World Was Big, L.A.'s Girlpool has been gathering momentum as one of indie rock's most essential duos. The twin songwriting force of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad returns next month with its third studio full length, featuring its most expansive, instrumentally-diverse songs yet -- think synthesizers, mini-orchestras and, of course, poignant lyrics that will still resonate at year's end. -- CHRIS PAYNE
Cassadee Pope, 'Stages' (Feb. 1)
Five years out from the release of her debut album, Pope has plenty of new life experiences to share with fans on her sophomore LP. Backed by Nashville superproducer Corey Crowder, the former Hey Monday frontwoman and The Voice winner crafted 11 songs about emerging from heartbreak more empowered than ever. "For the first time in my life, I’m confident in the way I navigate things thrown my way,” Pope said in a statement about the record, "and I hope someone listening finds the same strength." -- T.W.
Avril Lavigne, 'Head Above Water' (Feb. 15)
In a Billboard cover story last year, Avril Lavigne opened up about the struggles with Lyme disease that left her debilitated in recent years. Now with her first LP since 2013’s Avril Lavigne due next month, she’s getting back to the spotlight -- with a few surprises. “Head Above Water” was a striking, grown-up piano ballad; “Tell Me It’s Over” was a smoky R&B number that sounded so much like Christmas music it got an actual Christmas-themed music video. We’ve yet to see flashes of the pop-punk princess of yesteryear, but we’re willing to bet she’s still in there -- Lavigne joined forces with Bonnie McKee for the sure-to-be-bratty “Dumb Blonde” and reunited with “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi” collaborator Lauren Christy for another track called “It Was in Me.” -- NOLAN FEENEY
Florida Georgia Line, 'Can't Say I Ain't Country' (Feb. 15)
The title of the duo’s fourth album seems to answer critics of the crossover success they achieved with 2018’s pop-leaning Bebe Rexha collaboration “Meant to Be,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, a career-best for the duo. But the twangy tracks they’ve dropped so far -- including the Country Airplay-topping “Simple” and party-starting anthem “Colorado” -- show that they are, in fact, country to the core. Still, FGL’s new 19-song LP may be the pair's most adventurous yet: Current single “Talk You Out of It" plays up their sultry side while the Jason Derulo duet “Women” has the potential to be another country-pop hybrid smash. -- TAYLOR WEATHERBY
Sigrid, 'Sucker Punch' (Mar. 8)
If you add up her two EPs and loosie singles like “Strangers” and “Sucker Punch,” Sigrid kinda already made one of the most impressive pop debuts of the past few years -- so expectations are certainly high for her actual debut. But there’s little doubt she can meet them: The Norwegian singer-songwriter, who won the BBC’s prestigious Sound of 2018 poll, has already showcased a knack for emotive vocals (“Dynamite”), thoughtful coming-of-age tales (“Don’t Kill My Vibe”), and surprising, forceful choruses that hit you like -- oh, what’s the phrase? -- N.F.
Weezer, 'Weezer' (The Black Album) (Mar. 1)
On the heels of a viral Saturday Night Live sketch and 2018’s Pacific Daydream landing a Grammy nom for best rock album, Weezer will continue to bless the rains down on our ears (sorry) with their 12th studio album. Frontman Rivers Cuomo first hinted at the Black Album in 2016, musing that it might sound like the "Beach Boys gone bad.” Since then, however, he’s brought producer Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio, Beyoncé) on board and shared new cuts like lead single “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” which features an unexpected fusion of funk, rock and Latin music. The album art may be all black, but Cuomo’s sonic palette is as vivid as ever. -- GAB GINSBERG
Ariana Grande, 'Thank U, Next' (TBD)
Imagine a world in which the planet's biggest pop star drops a chart-topping, career-expanding blockbuster album, then drops another one less than a year later. Might not need much creativity to conjure up that one, as that's what Ariana Grande is on schedule to do with last year's Sweetener and this year's upcoming Thank U, Next -- a set borne of frustrations both romantic (after her split with celebrity ex Pete Davidson) and professional (following her decree that she was done with the album "eras" concept: "i love music i ain’t waiting another 2 years to drop it"). Given her recent boredom-inspired impulsiveness and proclivity for fucking around on the Internet, it could pop up on Spotify pretty much any moment now, casually bending the entire culture in the process. -- A.U.
Jenny Lewis, 'On The Line' (TBD)
After a handful of delays -- and five years after 2014's The Voyager arrived to great acclaim -- Jenny Lewis will finally drop her fourth solo album this spring. And she enlisted quite the roster of collaborators along the way: Beck, Ryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Benmont Tench, Don Was and Jim Letner all lent a hand. Inspired by her 2016 move to New York following her breakup with singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice, Lewis -- who previously lived most of her life in Los Angeles -- has said the goal of her new material was to get reflective and take stock of her life. She’ll follow up the new album’s release with a headlining tour. -- LYNDSEY HAVENS
Hozier, 'Wasteland, Baby!' (TBD)
Andrew Hozier-Byrne's second album continues the direction of last year’s Nina Cried Power EP, building on the roar of his 2014 self-titled LP while working new styles and voices into his bluesy mix. "Nina Cried Power" and "Movement" strike the same dark, evocative chord of his breakthrough single "Take Me To Church," while collaborations with gospel and R&B legends Mavis Staples and Booker T. Jones further fortify his soulful foundation. Multiple songs sound tailor-made for festival season, so it's a good thing he'll be hitting the circuit this summer with sets at Bonnaroo and beyond. (He tweeted that the album’s will release will coincide with his spring U.S. tour.) -- H.H.
Lana Del Rey, 'Norman Fucking Rockwell' (TBD)
After spending 2018 hopping on other people's songs (including collabs with Jonathan Wilson, Børns and Cat Power), Lana Del Rey is ready to make 2019 hers. Wonderfully weird Jack Antonoff-produced tracks like “Mariners Apartment Complex," "Venice Bitch" and "Hope Is a Dangerous Thing For a Woman Like Me to Have - But I Have it" are all expected to appear on the record, which Del Rey promises won’t be a downer affair. "Working with Jack [Antonoff], I was in a little bit of a lighter mood because he was so funny," she said during a Beats 1 interview. -- G.G.
The 1975, 'Notes on a Conditional Form' (TBD)
No album released by U.K. modern-alt paragons The 1975 has ever felt like it was holding anything back for the next set -- which makes it particularly remarkable that just half a year after releasing their rapturously received third LP A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, the group is already planning on dropping their fourth around May. No telling yet how the new release will compare with the sprawling pop-rock overload of Brief Inquiry, but frontman Matty Healy has teased that it "feels like" the group's moody, production-heavy early EPs -- good news for the fans who still yell at Healy for the band to play "Antichrist" whenever he tweets anything. -- A.U.
Ozuna, 'Nibiru' (TBD)
Ozuna finished 2018 by topping Billboard’s Top Latin Artist chart, and he’s planning to hold onto that throne in 2019. The Puerto Rican singer kicked off the year with the infectious “Baila, Baila, Baila,” which is expected to appear on his next LP, named after a pseudoscientific planet. Last year, his previous two LPs -- 2018’s Aura and 2017’s Odisea -- spent a combined 46 weeks at No. 1. If “Baila, Baila, Baila” is any indication, his chart dominance won’t waver in the coming months. -- JESSICA ROIZ
Mark Ronson, 'Late Night Feelings' (TBD)
The last time Mark Ronson released an album, 2015's Uptown Special, it was heralded by a four-quadrant radio smash that quickly snowballed into one of the biggest hits in Billboard Hot 100 history. Late Night Feelings' lead single "Nothing Breaks Like a Heart" feels more like that album's deeper cuts, though -- a genre-blurring throwback to nowhere in particular, featuring a twangy Miley Cyrus having a blast in a supporting role. It probably won't be the hit "Uptown Funk" was, but it's already found its way to the Hot 100's top half, and it bodes well for Late Night Feelings still bringing plenty of that ice cold, Michelle Pfeiffer, etc. -- A.U.
Run The Jewels, 'Run the Jewels 4' (TBD)
Due to its unusual post-Christmas release date back in 2016, sometimes it feels like Run the Jewels 3 never officially happened. Even though the album boasted greater chemistry and focus from Killer Mike and El-P than its acclaimed predecessor, it drew only a fraction of that set’s notice. Luckily the duo can course-correct with RTJ 4, which El-P has promised for 2019 with the hype that the duo were "just going to kind of try and make the grimiest, rawest record we possibly can." Sounds good -- just maybe drop it well before Mariah Carey season this time, guys. -- A.U.
Kanye West, 'Yandhi' (TBD)
Where to begin with Kanye’s oft-delayed, much-hyped ninth studio album, the already mythical Yandhi? First announced in mid-September, the project has seen multiple release dates come and go, with the latest update from West saying he’ll announce the final date “when it’s done.” In the meantime, fans will have to subsist on snippets (West shared then deleted a clip of the 808s-heavy “80 Degrees”) and guest-list rumors (try everyone from Migos to Lil Wayne to Chance the Rapper). Let’s hope whatever it is, whenever it comes, it’s better than Ye. -- T.C.
Maren Morris (TBD)
The country star closed out 2018 by celebrating the enduring success of her past few projects: “Rich,” from her 2016 album, Hero, peaked at No. 4 on the Country Airplay chart in November; the following month, she was nominated for a handful of Grammys, including several for “The Middle,” her genre-busting, radio-dominating collaboration with Zedd and Grey. But the 28-year-old isn’t waiting around for the next chapter -- she’s been cryptically teasing some big announcements on social media and also tweeted “46:59,” which fans speculate is the run time of her next record. -- N.F.
Khalid (TBD)
Billboard’s 21 Under 21 star didn’t release a proper album in 2018, yet he was still everywhere, collaborating with the likes of Billie Eilish and Shawn Mendes and dropping October’s Suncity EP, which he described as “the start of a new era.” A proper follow-up to 2017’s American Teen is imminent: He tweeted that the record would arrive before Coachella, and he’s already debuted new material live -- like one slow-jam that appears to be called “Raining in Miami.” And if all those umbrella emojis he and Niall Horan have been tweeting back and forth are any indication, the track might just have the makings of a superstar duet. -- N.F.
Sleater-Kinney (TBD)
St. Vincent recently revealed that she’s started producing for other artists -- “You can see the big picture because you’re not in any way blinded by your own fear or ego,” she told Billboard late last year -- but she wouldn’t spill the beans on who she’s been in the studio with. That changed on Jan. 8, when she posted a photo on Twitter of her with with the influential punk-rock trio Sleater-Kinney. The caption read: “Sleater-Kinney. Produced by St. Vincent. 2019.” The album will be the group’s first since 2015’s acclaimed No Cities to Love, which hit No. 18 on the Billboard 200 -- the highest peak for any of their eight albums. As for what the tracks will sound like, all St. Vincent had to say was: “Never settle for what kind of artist you think someone is, never underestimate anybody.” -- L.H.
Normani (TBD)
Since Fifth Harmony announced its indefinite hiatus last March, Normani has been slowly carving out a solo career via collaborations with Calvin Harris, 6LACK and Sam Smith (not to mention her smash Khalid collab, “Love Lies”). As she explains in Billboard’s new cover story, she’s been exploring her identity as both a twentysomething woman and a first-time solo artist -- and she’s eager to share her findings on a debut LP, which she hopes to release in the second half of 2019. (She’s recently hit the studio with Daniel Caesar and Tayla Parx.) “I’m actually capable and strong enough to do this own my own,” she told Billboard. “Not as Normani in the entity of Fifth Harmony, but as someone who is a totally separate and different person: Normani.” -- N.F.
Cardi B (TBD)
There’s no such thing as too much Cardi, and everyone’s favorite regular-degular-shmegular girl from the Bronx is ready to take over another calendar year. Though the rapper’s 2018 was jam-packed with accomplishments -- dropping her Invasion of Privacy debut, breaking chart records, racking up brand partnerships and Grammy nominations, becoming a mom -- she’s aiming to keep the momentum going in 2019. "Hopefully I can get my album done around the same time that Invasion of Privacy came out,” she recently told fans on Instagram. “I don't know how possible that's gonna to be because I feel like I'm gonna be extremely, extremely busy." As if that’s ever stopped her before. -- B.G.
Carly Rae Jepsen (TBD)
Two years ago, Carly Rae Jepsen revealed that she had already written about 40 songs for the follow-up to 2015’s cult-favorite Emotion LP -- so we can only imagine how many she’s choosing from at this point. (For Emotion alone, she recorded more than 200.) As she whittles down the list for a 2019 release, she’s tiding fans over with “Party For One,” a sparkling dance-pop track about breaking free of boy problems that approaches the giddy highs of hits like “Call Me Maybe” and “I Really Like You.” -- N.F.
The Raconteurs (TBD)
In December, the Jack White-fronted rock 'n' roll outfit celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its last release, 2008’s excellent Consolders of the Lonely, by, at long last, sharing two new tracks: The stomping, swaggering “Sunday Driver” and slower-burning “Now That You’re Gone." The two songs are also the first tastes of the forthcoming third studio album from White and pals Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. -- C.P.
Pardison Fontaine (TBD)
The rapper made his first major-label release in 2018 with the Cardi B team-up “Backin’ It Up,” but Pardison Fontaine has already amassed an impressive resume behind the scenes, co-writing all but one song on Cardi’s Invasion of Privacy LP and five tracks on Kanye West’s ye. He plans to drop a mixtape in March, while he continues to work on his debut studio album, which will feature a collaboration with Bryson Tiller. “We definitely going to do 12 to 15 songs at least,” he recently told Billboard. “I was going to do the EP thing, but now I feel like, ‘Yo, I just want to get out as much music as I can.’ It’s that time.” -- N.F.
Tame Impala (TBD)
The day Tame Impala was announced as Coachella's Saturday night headliner, Kevin Parker posted on Instagram: “New year. New shows. New sounds.” Well, the calendar's already flipped, they're playing one of their biggest shows yet, but we're still waiting on those new sounds. Here's to hoping the psych rockers follow up 2015's Currents by the time they head out to Indio, Cali. (“I can’t say too much,” Parker teased to Billboard in August, “but [new music is] my main focus right now. All I can say it’s gone back to being my main focus.”) -- C.P.
Swae Lee (TBD)
After bringing his individual talents to the forefront with solo debut Swaecation (as part of the SR3MM triple album) last May, Rae Sremmurd star Swae Lee recently told Billboard he’s prepping an “all bangers” follow-up for an early 2019 release. The singer revealed the set will feature production from frequent collaborators like Mike WiLL Made-It, Metro Boomin and Super Mario. “With this project, I’m not playing. I’m stepping on n---as' throats,” he said. “I’m gonna up the standards for these 2010-whatever artists. I’m gonna push the music forward.” -- B.G.
Charli XCX (TBD)
Despite releasing a flurry of new music over the past two years -- including two mixtapes and half a dozen standalone tracks like “1999” and “Girls Night Out” -- British pop star Charli XCX hasn’t been interested in making a proper studio album. “It still definitely works for some artists, but I don’t know if it works for me anymore,” she said in late 2017. “I don’t even know if I’ll put an album out.” Something’s changed recently, however: In an Instagram post, she listed making and releasing an album as her sole New Year’s resolutions. And given the prolific speed she writes and records at, cranking out a dozen or so tracks by year’s end should be a snap. -- N.F.
Solange (TBD)
It’s been two years since Solange gifted us with her meditative, glowing R&B masterpiece A Seat at the Table, which gracefully and effortlessly touched on conversations about race and identity in America. In October, the singer revealed that she’s been working on her fourth studio album, and though her original fall 2018 forecast for the LP has come and gone, it’s safe to assume the record isn’t far off. “There is a lot of jazz at the core,” Solange told the Times about the project, which was recorded in New Orleans, Jamaica and California’s Topanga Canyon.“But with electronic and hip-hop drum and bass because I want it to bang and make your trunk rattle.” -- T.C.
Old Dominion (TBD)
Following a huge year that saw the group notch their fifth and sixth No. 1s on Billboard's Country Airplay chart and take home trophies at both the CMAs and ACMs, Old Dominion are ready to release what they call their most “pure” album yet. The group introduced a more lighthearted sound on lead single “Make It Sweet,” which frontman Matthew Ramsey recently told Billboard is “a really good snapshot of where we are as a band.” Expect the rest of the record to arrive sometime this spring. -- T.W.
The Weeknd (TBD)
"Chapter 6 coming soon!" the artist born Abel Tesfaye proclaimed during a Toronto gig in November. With three studio albums, three mixtapes, a mini-album and a box set to his name, it's hard to tell what even counts as Chapters 1-5 for The Weeknd. Still, after late 2016's full-length Starboy and last year's stopgap My Dear Melancholy, the time certainly feels right for a full-scale return from the nocturnal pop star, which is sure to result in one of the year's biggest pop releases. A taste of his new direction might be audible in the recently released "Lost in the Fire," an electro-pop collab with French DJ (and My Dear Melancholy guest star) Gesaffelstein. -- A.U.
Madonna (TBD)
The Queen of Pop has never gone more than four calendar years between new albums, which would imply that it's time for 2015's Rebel Heart to receive its follow-up -- a notion she's recently confirmed in interviews. ("In between rose mist spray and serums, I’m actually making music. Can’t quit my day job.”) She's been in the studio with old collaborator Mirwais, which is almost certainly good news for longtime fans -- not because the American Life era is necessarily in need of reviving, but because Madonna is usually at her most focused and creative when working with a single trusted collaborator, and not having to (as she recently bemoaned) "go to song writing camps where No one can sit still for more than 15 minutes.” -- A.U.
Rihanna (TBD)
To quote the Bad Gal herself, the wait is ova! Or at least it’s looking that way. Since Rihanna blessed our ears with 2016’s Anti, the pop star has been busy exploring other ventures, like lingerie (Savage x Fenty) and makeup (Fenty Beauty). But last May, she revealed in a Vogue cover story that her ninth album will be reggae-focused. And while we haven’t received many verbal progress reports from Rihanna, she has steadily teased fans with short Instagram clips of her vibing in the studio. There’s still no confirmation of exactly when the new album will arrive, but we’ll be getting our waistlines ready to dance when that moment finally comes. -- B.G.