Graphic by Jessica Silverman

In a poll with 136 respondents, rap/hip hop was the genre students were most excited for this year. Students specifically indicated they were excited for new music from artists like RIhanna and Sam Smith, as well as for music in the musical theatre and synth-pop genres.

It’s 2019 and a new year means new music to enjoy from all of our favorite artists. Artists both new and old are planning to come out with music this year and students are excited to see what their favorite musicians will release. Here is a preview of some new albums from WJ’s favorite music genres to look out for in 2019!

Pop

Many pop artists are ready to come into 2019 with a bang. Artists like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Rihanna and Meghan Trainor are expected to come out with new music this year.

Coming off the high of her newest album Sweetener and her hit stand-alone single “thank u, next,” Grande is back in the studio working on a new album for 2019. Grande has been teasing various parts of her new album, like the tracklist in her music videos and even possible song lyrics on Twitter. While the release date for the album is TBA, there’s no doubt Grande is ready to dominate the charts once again.

Fans have also been waiting for the return of R&B/Pop queen Rihanna. Rihanna has been busy with the debut of her makeup line Fenty last year, but fans are itching for new music. Back in December, Rihanna confirmed on Instagram that her album would be coming out this year. Rihanna recently teased videos of her in the studio working on new music. There is also no official release date for this album, but fans will certainly be put into a frenzy once Rihanna drops some new music.

In addition to newer artists, 90s sensation Avril Lavigne is planning to release her sixth studio album after six years. Lavigne released her most recent single “Tell Me It’s Over,” a definite deviation from her trademark Pop-Punk genre, on December 12 and is planning to come out with her newest album on February 15. Lavigne’s single from September “Head Above Water” has over 52 million streams on Spotify, proving that Lavigne is ready to step back into the spotlight.

Alternative/Indie

Along with pop artists, many artists in the Alternative/Indie scene are also teasing new music.

Lana Del Rey’s new album Norman F***ing Rockwell has yet to have an official release date, but it has been confirmed that it’s coming out sometime this year. The “Summertime Sadness” singer has been periodically releasing singles for the past two years, but this will be her first album since Lust for Life which came out in the summer of 2017.

Despite just releasing A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships back in November, The 1975 is already planning the release of their next album, Notes on a Conditional Form. The band’s last album was very well received by both critics and fans, and it’s going to be interesting to see what the band plans to do next. The first single from this new album is rumored to drop in February, and the band’s manager Jamie Oborne suspects the album to drop in May.

Bastille saw great success with their most recent collab with Marshmello on the song “Happier” and are preparing to release a new album sometime this year. Not much is known about this album except for the name, Doom Days. The theme of the album has been rumored to be different times of the night, with the first song in the tracklist named “Quarter Past Midnight” and the last song titled “4AM.” Back in December the band released Other People’s Heartache (Pt. 4), the fourth installment of a series of mixtapes done by the band since 2012.

Rap/Hip Hop

With rap and hip hop dominating the charts right now, it seems like there’s always something to look forward to. However, with the common practice of the genre to have surprise releases and drops, it’s hard to guess what new music is coming out when. Here’s what we know so far.

Kanye West has certainly been very vocal in the political scene, but West has recently been back in the studio working on his latest album set to come out this year, Yandhi, a supposed follow-up to his 2013 album, Yeezus. The album has already seen some controversy after West confirmed the inclusion of rappers 6ix9ine and XXXTentacion on some tracks. The album also supposedly features Lil Wayne, Migos and 2 Chainz. The album has been delayed twice now, originally set to come out in September of 2018, but is likely going to be released sometime this year.

Rap group Migos is preparing to drop their fourth studio album, Culture III, at the beginning of 2019 according to Quavo. Both albums preceding this one came out in late January, so look out for this album soon! The members of Migos are ready to join forces again after both Quavo and Takeoff released solo albums last year. Offset is looking to release his solo album soon, after pushing it back from its original December 14 release date.

Cardi B blew up the charts this year with hit songs “Finesse,” “I Like It” and “Bodak Yellow.” Cardi B also released her album Invasion of Privacy last year, but is rumored to come out with yet another one this year. On an Instagram Live Cardi B confirmed a new album to be released around the same time as her last album, which came out in April. Not much else is known about the album, but Cardi B’s single “Money” from back in October should give us an idea of the album’s sound.

Based on what we know already, this year seems like a great year for music!