There’s a lot to love about music in 2016. With Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, Soundcloud and more offering unending access into the entire canon of music, there’s almost too much to enjoy. Since there’s no way you’d be able to get through everything amazing that’s coming out this year and still have time for a social life, these are the records to mark in your calendar. All you have to do is figure out what app to listen to them on.
Drake – Views From The 6
Somehow, a Canadian teen soap star (we’ll never forget you, Wheelchair Jimmy) rose to become one of the biggest rappers in the world. In 2015, Drake proved he was here to stay, nabbing his 13th chart-topping hit with the ridiculously catchy and meme-generating Hotline Bling, two full-length mixtapes, and one very good diss track. He’s been working on Views From The 6 for at least two years, and as the consummate perfectionist, 2016 should prove that all that time was put to good use. Sorry, Meek Mill. Release Date: Any day now
Kanye West – SWISH
Its release has been pushed back multiple times and no one has a clue what it will sound like, but all leaks signify that Kanye’s seventh album is major. Paul McCartney, Sia, Hudson Mohawke and Post Malone are just a handful of the guest acts featured on SWISH, which has increased exponentially both hype and confusion as to where rap’s most chameleonic talent is heading next. The best news? GOOD Fridays are back, which means ‘Ye is dropping a new song from the album every Friday until its official release. Release Date: February 11
Frank Ocean – Boys Don’t Cry
If it feels like forever since Frank Ocean’s outstanding debut, that’s probably because it has been. Channel Orange dropped three and a half years ago, and Ocean has all but disappeared from the spotlight to concentrate on his sophomore effort. After multiple delays and broken promises of a July release date – as well as a November single that never came – it seems like Boys Don’t Cry is finally on the horizon. While we’re not holding our breath, we are giving that debut a dust-off in anticipation. Release Date: TBA
Beck – TBA
Following a surprising but well deserved Grammy for Album of the Year (even if Kanye wasn’t exactly a co-sign) Beck is back on mainstream lips for the first time since Loser. Which, knowing Beck, means that his follow-up could either follow the lead of single Dreams and lean more towards the radio-friendly, pop-rock Beck of The Information and Guero, or veer into the contemplative, melancholy Beck of Morning Phase and Sea Change. Release Date: TBA
Animal Collective – Playing With
The first new album from Animal Collective since 2012’s Centipede Hz is inspired by early Beatles and Ramones, dinosaurs, and the Poltergeist soundtrack – which is to say, it will be pure Animal Collective insanity. If the first single FloriDa is any indication of what to expect, then Playing With will be equal parts perplexing, catchy and a whole lot of cacophonic fun. Release Date: February 19
Gorillaz – TBA
Practically everything the Gorillaz do is shrouded in mystery – and their upcoming album is no exception. It’s been more than five years since their monster hit Plastic Beach, so what a 2016 iteration of the experimental band will sound like is anyone’s guess. The one definite is that it will feature of roll call of top shelf features, be peppered with whatever esoteric genres Damon Alburn’s delved into recently, and be more than worth the wait. Release Date: TBA
Vampire Weekend – TBA
Each successive Vampire Weekend album seems to improve upon the last, so there’s a lot to be excited about for their fourth studio album, the follow-up to 2013’s stunning Modern Vampires of the City. There aren’t too many specifics about the LP yet, but lead singer Ezra Koenig says to expect a new sound and a new era for the reigning kings of indie reinvention. Release Date: TBA
LCD Soundsystem – TBA
Yes, they broke up. Yes, they got back together. And they feel really bad about putting you through all that emotional turmoil. But frontman James Murphy promises that LCD Soundsystem is going to “make [this album] as f*****g good as [they] can possibly make it.” Coming from the mouth of the finest songwriter since Bowie, that’s a pretty good proposition. Release Date: TBA
Pusha T – King Push
King Push was recorded at the same time as 2015’s Darkest Before the Dawn but was split off to capture the two LPs’ distinct vibes. If Darkest stood out for its cool intensity, King Push should be something wholly different – but don’t think that it won’t go just as hard. After over 20 years in the industry, Pusha continues to be one of the most surprising and relentless rappers in the game. Release Date: Spring 2016
