By Vanessa Rupertus
Elm Staff Writer
2018 is already a month behind us, and it’s time to look to the future.
The songwriting industry never rests, after all. Eager fans are already frothing at the mouth at potential new 2019 releases from their favorite artists. Here are five releases this year that you should keep an eye out for:
1. Grimes. Claire Boucher, aka Grimes, has proven time and time again her knack for musical ingenuity, especially with her latest song, “We Appreciate Power.” Her experimentation in the pop genre has hit all the right notes, and many hope to see her unveil her often-teased new album in 2019.
Boucher mentioned her plans for two albums all the way back in June 2018 in a cryptic Tweet that she hastily deleted, which read: “The second one will be extreme darkness and chaos, the first will be highly collaborative and most glorious light.”
With her continued radio silence on further details, it’s likely Grimes’ next album will remain a mystery until officially released to the public.
2. Vampire Weekend. The band has taken some hits over the years, with band member Rostam leaving the group and their 2018 summer comeback disappointing many fans with the lack of new music.
However, Vampire Weekend plans to return in 2019 with a festival run and a fourth album, which many hope is just around the corner.
3. Lana Del Rey. Del Rey revealed in Dec. 2018 that her upcoming album, “Norman F**king Rockwell,” is finished and awaiting release.
Her song, “hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have – but I have it,” was released early this month, giving fans a taste of how Del Rey will reinvent her music this time around.
Critics are already picking apart every line, finding pleasure in the soft vocals and delicate piano notes, and fans cannot wait to listen to the rest of the songs Del Rey has in store.
4. Ariana Grande. Grande’s fifth album, titled “thank u, next,” releases Feb. 8, and serves not only as her declaration of a new era in her life, but as a symbol of Grande’s perseverance.
The production of the album began amidst the many distressing events for Grande in the last year, including the death of her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, and her break up with then-fiancé Pete Davidson.
To add to the excitement of this release, Grande’s “Sweetener” World Tour begins in March, guaranteeing Grande fans a fantastic start to 2019.
5. Solange. Back in October, R&B singer Solange hinted at a new album to follow up her 2016 hit, “A Seat At The Table,” saying that it would drop before the end of 2018 in a New York Times interview.
While Solange’s promise of the new album releasing “sometime soon” proved untrue at the time, many are still holding on to hope that the album will be released at the end of this year, instead.
Fans are eager to discover just what Solange meant when she said the record will “make your trunk rattle.”