From what has been announced so far, 2024 is going to be jammed full of releases from all of our favourite artists! From Usher to Sheryl Crow, Taylor Swift to Bleachers, the anticipation is taking over every genre in the music industry.
February will see two big releases – Usher’s first solo album in seven years, Coming Home, as well as Jennifer Lopez’s twenty years late sequel to This Is Me… Then which will be called, to no surprise, This Is Me… Now.
Whilst Usher may have spent the past few years in Vegas, the R&B superstar won’t be fully retreating to the early 2000s. He knows how to keep up with trends whether it’s by exploring genres like EDM, using new slang or working with prominent collaborators. The lead single, Good Good, was released in August 2023, where Usher is joined by the contemporary heavyweights Summer Walker and 21 Savage. This new album is set to be released on February 11th, the same day that Usher will be taking the stage at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, where we can expect to see him play the hits alongside some of his new album.
J.Lo. announced her return to music after her last release in 2014 with her sequel, This Is Me… Now, in 2022, after she got back together with Ben Affleck, who served as the main inspiration for the 2002 double-platinum album This Is Me… Then. The long-awaited release will arrive on February 16th, shortly after Valentine’s Day, and will be accompanied by an Amazon Prime film of the same name which she stars in as she recounts her journey to love through her own eyes. Some of the album’s tracks include “Dear Ben Pt. II” which follows on from Lopez’s original song dedicated to Affleck as well as the first planned single, “Can’t Get Enough”, cementing the return to her love story with Ben Affleck.
If you think February has good releases, wait and see what March has in store for us. Ariana Grande, Bleachers, Kacey Musgraves and Sheryl Crow are all releasing albums, which we are sure will dominate the charts.
Despite spending the past several years preparing for and filming the Wicked movies, as well as developing and promoting her REM Beauty makeup line, Ariana Grande has announced that her new album Eternal Sunshine will arrive on March 8th. She shared a clip where she described her upcoming release as a ‘Really Vulnerable’ Concept Album, tearing up as she explained that "It's all different heightened pieces of the same story of the same experience”. The new album title likely refers to the beloved 2004 film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Jim Carrey who Ariana worked alongside in 2019, who she described as “someone [she has] idolized and adored since before [she] could speak”. The lead single of this awaited album, “Yes, And?” was released in January 2024, taking aim at critics and sceptics who jump to conclusions about her artistry and self from a distance.
Bleachers will finally be releasing a self-titled album, also on March 8th, several years into their career, a confident move cementing their sound. Their fourth record might be more of a reintroduction to the group, and we cannot wait to meet them again. The past decade has been spent with the band chasing ’80s inspired pop-rock. Band member Jack Antonoff is one of the biggest producers of our time, having worked with some of pop’s biggest names like Taylor Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey, who says that getting married to Margaret Qualley and deepening some of his friendships has sharpened his song writing, making this album all the more exciting. “Modern Girl’, the lead single, was released in 2023, marking their first release since 2021. The track features an 80’s style rave-up with anxious energy and instrumental breakdown. The second single off the album, “Alma Mater” is an intimate and present song featuring downbeat vocals from Lana Del Rey, the complete opposite to our first glimpse of the album. With the contrasting singles so far, we are sure that this record will be a rollercoaster of emotions that shouldn’t be missed!
Country supernova Kacey Musgraves will be releasing her fifth studio album, Deeper Well, on March 15th. Following her seventh Grammy award win, Musgraves announced the new album along with the release of her title track and its video, an acoustic-based song in which she reflects on how life changes and the choices made along the way. In a statement, Musgraves noted that she recorded the album at Electric Lady studios, taking inspiration from the energy in New York City’s Greenwich Village. With a different direction, we cannot wait to see what this record will bring and how Musgraves’ music will develop.
The end of the month will bring Sheryl Crow out of an early retirement with her new album, Evolution, set for release on March 29th. After claiming in 2018 that she wouldn’t be releasing any more music after her album Threads, Crow has surprised us all with a return to her pop shine with this new, nine-track long LP. When announcing the album, she said that she started writing and the songs “just kept flowing out of me and it was pretty obvious this was going to be an album.” The lead single, “Alarm Clock” is jammed full of pop hooks and her signature vocals with a modern rock sound, creating excitement amongst fans for her unexpected new LP.
As a self-proclaimed swiftie, I am so excited for what April has to offer. girl in red will be bringing out a new album, followed by Taylor Swift a week later, in an unexpected turn of events.
girl in red, the singer whose real name is Marie Ulven, will be dropping her sophomore album I’m Doing It Again Baby on April 12th, much to the delight of fans everywhere. The lead single, “Too Much”, was released on February 9th, in which she explores loving someone who is emotionally unavailable and gaining empowerment through embracing your vulnerability. Her new album promises to be an eclectic mix of songs with strong identities, continuing on the strength of her 2021 debut album. Always true to her queer self, girl in red can be counted on to speak from the heart, a quality that we are sure will shine through in her upcoming release.
In a surprise twist, Taylor Swift announced her next album, The Tortured Poets Department, at the Grammys 2024. Arriving on April 19th (national cat lady day!), the record will boast 16 tracks, with a 17th bonus track on physical copies. Swift explained that this album has been in the works for two years, since she turned in Midnights, with it being worked on throughout her first U.S. leg of the Eras Tour. With TTPD being in the works throughout the end of her relationship with Joe Alwyn, their breakup, her newfound romance with Travis Kelce and flourishing friendships amidst a record-breaking tour, this album could cover anything and everything! With features from Post Malone and Florence and the Machine, Taylor shows her ability to cover genres and collaborate with wildly different artists on the same album. The track list was released following the announcement due to unfortunate leaks, but fans have been theorising over what they mean, who the songs are about and the overall album tone and message. Thankfully, with only a couple of months until the release, we won’t have too long to clown before the album is upon us, I for one am counting down the days!
Dua Lipa and Cardi B will also be bringing out new albums in 2024, the dates yet to be confirmed, as well as a rumoured record from HAIM. This year promises to showcase incredible women dominating the pop world, alongside releases from a variety of other genres, artists and bands.
Comments