Month: January 2022

Alana Haim’s collaborations with Paul Thomas Anderson extend beyond Licorice Pizza. He’s directed multiple Haim music videos, including “Little of Your Love,” “The Steps” (the band’s best song imo), and “Man from the Magazine.” He also photographed the cover art for the Grammy-nominated group’s excellent third album, Women in Music Pt. III. The point is, PTA is a huge Haim fan — and Alana is a huge fan of his.

When asked by i-D to name some of her favorite movies, Alana listed There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love, and Phantom Thread, all directed by Thomas Anderson (she also gave props to Jonny Greenwood for his “insane” score in Phantom Thread). But her all-time favorite is A Goofy Movie. “People make fun of me, but my favorite movie is A Goofy Movie,” she said. “If you haven’t seen it, you need to watch A Goofy Movie. It’s the best movie of all time.” Name a better movie set at Lester’s Possum Park. You can’t.

A Goofy Movie doesn’t have the same reputation as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, or Beauty and the Beast (it’s not considered part of the hallowed Disney Renaissance because it was made by the former-Disney MovieToons, not Walt Disney Animation Studios). But I’d argue it’s one of the best show-to-movie adaptations ever, and it inarguably has a soundtrack full of bangers. Haim should cover “I 2 I” on their 2022 tour.

(Via i-D)

Does Jack Antonoff ever sleep? The New Jersey-born songwriter and producer behind Bleachers has been one of the busiest people in the music industry as of late, and he’s not stopping in the new year. A new Bleachers album is coming in 2022 and we heard it straight from the horse’s mouth, without any glitz or glamour: “i am going to put out a bleachers album this year,” Antonoff tweeted over the weekend.

I guess when you’re spending your days in the studio with Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey, do you really have time to craft lengthy, cryptic tweets? Nah, dog. New Bleachers album, 2022. Mark it down.

In 2021 alone, Antonoff’s production credits are fairly insane. He was the primary producer on Lana Del Rey’s seventh studio album, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, which came out in March. He hunkered down in the studio with St. Vincent’s Annie Clark for the dashing ode to New York City that is Daddy’s Home. He took another stint behind the boards with Lorde, producing her third album, Solar Power, and also produced Clairo’s Sling — which along with Chemtrails, was one of Uproxx’s Best Albums of 2021. He also worked on tracks for Olivia Rodrigo, Sia, and oh yeah, claimed production on eight tracks from Taylor Swift’s Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), including the famous 10-minute version of “All Too Well.”

Pardon if this feels like reeling off an AllMusic credits page, but Antonoff is beyond prolific, especially when you consider the caliber of artists he’s working with in the studio. Of course, he’ll be up for Producer of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. And we didn’t even touch on how he somehow found time in 2021 to put out Take the Sadness Out Of Saturday Night, Bleachers’ third album, too.

Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Amidst turmoil in Trumpland, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle have confirmed that they’ve been secretly engaged for over a year. Guilfoyle kicked off the reports with a new Instagram post on Sunday that showed her clearly sporting a diamond engagement ring and explicitly saying she can’t wait to be with Don Jr. forever.

“Tonight was extra special celebrating @donaldjtrumpjr’s birthday,” Guilfoyle wrote. “Don, you are strong, smart, courageous, funny and the love of my life. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Love you.”

The engagement news was then confirmed by the Daily Mail:

‘Don and Kim got engaged on New Year’s Eve 2020 – which is Don’s birthday. They’ve been together for almost four years now and have been friends for 15 years.’

‘They’ve kept it private for the past year as they settled into life in Florida after moving from New York,’ the source added. ‘Both are focused on their children – they have six between them – and their work.’

Of course, people can’t help but notice the awfully convenient timing of the couple’s announcement. On Monday, Don Jr., along with his sister Ivanka, was subpoenaed by the New York Attorney General’s office as part of the fraud investigation into their father and the Trump Organization. As people on social media quickly noted, spouses can’t be compelled to testify against each other, which seems like a possible explanation for the engagement, in addition to true love. Although, there were plenty of other jokes, too, but in Don Jr. and Guilfoyle’s defense, there was some mention of passion. Passion regarding those other jokes, that is.

(Via Daily Mail)

Over the past few years, more and more rappers have received recognition from their hometowns for their contributions to the arts and their philanthropy in the community. Recently, such rappers as DMX, Travis Scott, and both Nases (the original and Lil Nas X) have been recognized with their own days in their hometowns and soon, Jack Harlow will join that list with the declaration of December 18 as Jack Harlow Day in Louisville, Kentucky.

Jack himself shared a copy of the city certificate on his Instagram signed by Louisville mayor, Greg Fischer, who made sure to drop in a “What’s Poppin” reference. The resolution reads:

“The City of Louisville honors Jack Harlow for answering, once and for all, that what’s poppin’ is Louisville when it comes to talent that makes it bigger than big, but doesn’t forget the ‘home’ in hometown or homegrown. The rapper’s way with words and beats has earned him untold fans, chart-topping releases, and an ability to give back in meaningful ways, and he does. Our city is excited and proud to observe December 18, 2021, as Jack Harlow Day in Louisville.”

Jack’s efforts to give back to his hometown have included donations to local nonprofits, a visit to his alma mater, and an in-city No Place Like Home Tour giving natives multiple chances to see him perform live at some of the city’s historic venues.

Due to the Omicron variant, Covid-19 continues to make the contagious rounds, even causing L.L. Cool J to pull out of his New Year’s Eve set among a sea of cancellations. Things will likely be very messy for awhile, considering that the holiday surge-and-backlog factor caused an unprecedented one-million U.S. infections to be reported in one day. The New York City subway’s down some train routes, businesses everywhere are attempting to keep operations going amid callouts, and so on.

Yet there’s one person who has no sympathy for anyone who does the right thing by not going to work while sick and infectious. That would be Fox And Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade, who began Tuesday morning with complaints that people won’t just “live with it” and spread that virus even further than it’s already going. And curiously enough, Kilmeade unloaded on the subject while broadcasting remotely, via Mediaite:

“It’s called ‘live with it.’ Go to work. Live with it. Get on a train. Get on a bus. Get on a plane. How do we live with it? We can no longer hide from it.”

Yikes, someone is really trying to outdo his colleague, Tucker Carlson, who’s now incredibly bored with this Covid thing. Well, Covid ain’t bored with people yet, but Fox And Friends has already lamented how “no one wants to work anymore,” so looking for logic here isn’t going to be a fruitful search. As Steve Doocy recently pointed out, though, the entire Fox And Friends trio is vaccinated, so at least there’s that.

(Via Mediaite)

On last week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart dated January 1, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” was the first No. 1 song of the new year, making it the first song to top the Hot 100 chart during four separate years (2019 to 2022). Well, Christmas is over, but the reign of Carey’s timeless hit continues: On the Hot 100 chart dated January 8, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is once again No. 1 for the third consecutive week. This is especially impressive considering the tracking week reflected on the new chart (December 24 to 30) is mostly after Christmas.

Other holiday tunes remained high on the chart as well: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is No. 3, Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” is No. 4, Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” is No. 5, Andy Williams’ “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year” is No. 8, and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” is No. 8. Meanwhile, Adele’s “Easy On Me” rises from No. 5 to No. 2, The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” rises from No. 9 to No. 6, and a couple of non-holiday tunes re-enter the top 10: Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” (No. 7) and Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers” (No. 9).

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Donald Trump once described Marjorie Taylor Greene as one of his “favorite people,” so she returned the favor by getting banned from Twitter almost exactly a year after the former-president’s suspension. The anti-vaxxer congresswoman from Georgia had her tweeting privileges revoked on Sunday for repeatedly sharing COVID-19 misinformation. It was her fifth strike, according to the New York Times, after Twitter “had issued her a fourth strike in August after she falsely posted that the vaccines were ‘failing.’ Ms. Greene was given a third strike less than a month before that when she had tweeted that Covid-19 was not dangerous and that vaccines should not be mandated.”

Since the ban, Greene has been posting on Joe Rogan’s favorite right-wing social media service, GETTR. “Twitter forgot about the 2 times they accidentally suspended my account this past year. That means I’ve only had 3 strikes in their 5 strike system. Twitter has to reinstate my account immediately,” she wrote, sounding a lot like someone who f*cked around and found out. Even her followers are sick of her complaints about Twitter.

A sample of replies to her most recent tweet, er, gettr (?):

“Don’t post things like this, it makes you sound needy.”

“Begging twitter to reinstate your account is beneath you.”

“For someone who hates social media so much you love being on it go spend time with your kids or somn”

Why do you want your account back so bad You complain about how mean they are join your supporters on here.

Why do you want to even be on their communist platform ? I dont understand you folks at all. I DONT DO COMMIES PERIOD !!!!

“Who cares leave twitter in the fucking dust”

Just move on MTG….

Greene wants to be back on Twitter? Maybe she really is under the influence of Satan.

(Via Raw Story)

After dominating the action genre with the John Wick films and making a return to The Matrix, Keanu Reeves is reportedly signing on to his first prestige TV drama. Reeves is in talks to star in a Hulu series adaptation of The Devil in the White City, which is a project that Leonardo DiCaprio has been circling for years after becoming obsessed with the Erik Larson book following its 2003 release. However, Leo has now slid into an executive producer role alongside Martin Scorsese, who will shepherd the series to life.

Via Deadline:

The Devil in the White City tells the true story of two men, an architect and a serial killer, whose fates were forever linked by The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. It follows Daniel H. Burnham, a brilliant and fastidious architect racing to make his mark on the world and Henry H. Holmes, a handsome and cunning doctor who fashioned his own pharmaceutical “Murder Castle” on fair grounds – a palace built to seduce, torture and mutilate young women. The story takes the viewer on a tour of murder, romance and mystery in the gilded age.

Again, this will be Reeve’s first major TV role, but talk about a creative team to make the leap with on the way. Marty and Leo? We hate to used this cliched phrase in a Keanu post, but whoa.

(Via Deadline)

As 2021 fades in the rearview, it’s time to start looking forward. 2022 will hopefully bring us more normalized touring and festivals, while also seeing a number of our favorite artists returning with new work. Whether hip-hop, pop, or indie (or entirely different genres), 2022 will have no shortage of new tunes, and here’s a selection of the most anticipated albums of 2022 that we’re excited about.

6LACK

After cutting himself free from the chains of life and love on Free 6lack and grappling with his own faults in romance on East Atlanta Love Letter, 6lack is perfecting the next story he wants to tell the world. The singer’s third album is set for release at some point in 2022, and if there’s anything we can expect, it’s another batch of songs backed by strong songwriting and his trademark gloomy and clouded production. 6lack ended 2021 with two singles — “Rent Free” and “By Any Means” — both of which evoked optimism for what he has to offer in the future. – Wongo Okon

Arctic Monkeys

We last heard from Arctic Monkeys on 2018’s weird, excitingly experimental Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. Despite its left-turn sound for the band, the record still cracked the top 10 of the Billboard albums chart, and signaled a fruitful future for the English rockers. The band has been pretty silent since the conclusion of the album’s accompanying tour, and it would appear that their return is imminent. Drummer Matt Helders confirmed in an interview earlier this year that the Monkeys’ seventh album is just about “ready to go,” saying that fans can expect the project’s sound to “pick up where the other one left off in a way. It makes sense when you think about it in the context of the last record. But we always do try and do something a bit different.” – Zac Gelfand

Bartees Strange

Pandemic be damned, Bartees Strange was still 2020’s breakout indie star with his incredible debut, Live Forever. The album picked up massive critical acclaim, and when touring returned earlier this year, Bartees was catapulted onto festival stages and support slots alongside the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Courtney Barnett. Rumor has it that the producer/songwriter has been hard at work on the follow-up to Live Forever during breaks on his grinding tour schedule, and that we can expect new music soon. We’ve already heard the new song “Weights,” a Live Forever bonus track that quickly made its way onto our list of the year’s best songs. If that track is any indication of what we can expect from his sophomore album, 2022 is set to be the year of Bartees Strange. – Z.G.

Beach House – Once Twice Melody (2/18)

The gazy pop duo’s first album in four years is following an ambitious rollout. Once Twice Melody’s 18-track’s are being released in four separate chapters. The first two are already out, with part three due out January 19th and then chapter four on February 18th, marking the project’s completion. Singer Victoria LeGrande has said that these songs are her attempt to channel not her personal heartbreak, but that of the whole world’s as we try to emerge from a number of dark years. This is also the first time that the band has featured a live string ensemble, which is a promising advancement, considering their arrangements have always had a layered, cinematic feel to begin with. – Adrian Spinelli

Beyonce

While Beyonce certainly hasn’t been resting on her laurels, the BeyHive is pretty sure that five years since a de facto solo album is long enough. Between her joint album with Jay-Z as The Carters, Everything Is Love in 2018, coordinating and contributing to The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack in 2019, and putting together the Black Is King film in 2020 to go along with The Gift, the biggest pop star in the world has been expanding her vision into many different avenues. But, hey, who can blame us for pinning our hopes on the idea that she’s been steadily and quietly putting together another solo opus all the while? What’s the one thing that could make 2022 feel like a real break from the rest of this pandemic hell? A new Beyonce album. – Caitlin White

Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe You (2/11)

Big Thief just won’t quit. 2019 saw the Brooklyn quartet releasing two stellar albums in Two Hands and U.F.O.F. 2020 brought singer Adrianne Lenker’s double solo album in the sublime songs and the hypnotic instrumentals. Then in 2021 guitarist/vocalist Buck Meek released his own solo album of charming Southern folk in Two Saviors. Now the double LP, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You presents 20 new tracks showcasing the band’s chemistry in enacting music from perhaps today’s finest folk lyricist in Lenker. More than a third of the songs have already been released for your listening pleasure, like the beautifully fluttering “Change” and the elated banjo-studded Americana of “Spud Infinity.” – A.S.

Cardi B

Despite how well Cardi has managed to remain a part of the cultural conversation lately, it’s been a while since her last album, her 2018 debut Invasion Of Privacy. She’s brought up her upcoming sophomore LP here and there, but she recently gave a strong indication that it’s finally coming in 2022: In a December video in which she discussed her hectic life, she noted, “I’m in a lot of positions and that requires a lot of my time, and on top of that, I gotta put out this album next year.” – Derrick Rossignol

Charli XCX – Crash (3/18)

Charli XCX kept her fans completely in the loop as she wrote her 2020 album How I’m Feeling Now. But for her 2022 release Crash, the pop singer is keeping things a bit more guarded. Bringing on a new era filled with bold leather, dramatic eyeliner, and blown-out hair, Charli announced Crash is set for a March 18 release and has shared the two disco-infused singles, “Good Ones” and the Christine And The Queens and Caroline Polachek collaboration “New Shapes.” Charli noted in a radio interview on Apple Music 1’s The Chart Show that her upcoming LP “heavily ’80s-inspired.” “There are a lot of uptempo tracks,” she said. “It’s dark, it’s kind of sexy and sexual and sort of demonic at points, I suppose. But then there are lighter moments, too. But yeah, I think the whole record is about my relationship with relationships and sex and power.” – Carolyn Droke

Coi Leray

Coi Leray’s rise to fame seemed to occur right when our calendars flipped to 2021 earlier this year. The New Jersey native got a taste of stardom thanks to records like “No More Parties” and “Big Purr (Prrd)” as well as success on TikTok. With a XXL Freshman class inclusion under her belt as well as multiple plaques, the clock is ticking for a new project from Coi Leray. If it arrives in 2022, it’ll be her first body of work since 2020’s Now Or Never, which was quite the appetizer from her thanks to help from Gunna, Kiana Lede, Sevyn Streeter, and more. Coi stepped into the spotlight in 2021, and all she has to do this year is find a way to stay in. – W.O.

Dua Lipa

Sure, Future Nostalgia is barely two years old this spring. And sure, Dua hasn’t even had the chance to really tour behind it due to the pandemic. And yes, there’s been multiple reworks of the project that surely took up some of her time, like the Club Future Nostalgia take, and my personal favorite, the Moonlight Edition. But even with all of those irons in the fire, that still leaves plenty of time for Dua to have written and recorded her third album! With a potential breakup on the horizon, the freed up schedule of the pandemic, and increasing recognition from her industry and peers, now is the time for Dua to strike. Release that epic third album midway through your world tour, and let the veteran icons know that a new star is ready to ascend. – C.W.

Earl Sweatshirt – Sick (1/14)

When Earl dropped “2010” this past November, the Black Noi$e-produced track called back to the introspective early days of the LA rapper’s career, when on tracks like “Chum,” he lamented the family and slimy media roadblocks that were standing in the way of his budding career. Earl and Alchemist teased a new album from the rapper throughout 2021, citing everything from a hidden album on YouTube under a fake name, to a 21-minute release. Earl set it straight when he announced Sick in December, dropped the no-nonsense “Tabula Rasa” with Armand Hammer and said that the ten songs on the new album created during the pandemic “are what happened when I would come up for air.” – A.S.

Father John Misty – Chloe And The Next 20th Century (4/8)

Over the last few months, Father John Misty has been slowly teasing away at what appears to be his first full-length release since the 2018 album God’s Favorite Customer. First came the reactivation of his social media accounts, which have been mostly silent for the last few years. Then, back in November, he shared a mysterious video on that newly-reactivated account featuring a nighttime cityscape and some reverb-heavy musical ambience. Now, it would seem that fans are receiving vinyl in the mail containing a pitch-shifted voice declaring “Available April 8, 2022 on Sub Pop and Bella Union. Father John Misty’s new album: Chloe And The Next 20th Century.” There still hasn’t been a “conventional” announcement, but when has Father John Misty been one for conventional? – Z.G.

Future

For well over a decade, Future has opened various doors of his artistry to the world. When it’s the truth of his life as Honest presented or a wave of toxicity as he grapples with love on HNDRXX, each album Future presents offers a slight change in the lens from the last one. It’s what makes the impending arrival of his upcoming ninth album so intriguing. What will the Atlanta trap star bring to the table thing time around? A focus on fame, pain, love, or evildoings? Or mix of it all? Whatever it is, we can rest assured knowing that it’ll continue his streak of strong releases. – W.O.

JID

We haven’t heard a full-length project from Atlanta-bred Dreamville artist JID in over three years — Spillage Village’s extremely good 2020 group effort Spilligion notwithstanding. While DiCaprio 2 showcased an artist at the absolute peak of his craft, the events of the intervening years have given us all cause for reflection and a wealth of weighty matters to unpack. JID’s already proven adept at addressing tough topics with tracks like “Skeegee” in the past year and with the next wave of Dreamville releases in the wings, he could very well prove once again to be the crew’s standout. – Aaron Williams

Kehlani – Blue Water Road

Since her emergence with her 2014 debut mixtape Cloud 19, Kehlani has gone without releasing an project in a calendar year on three occasions: 2016, 2018, and 2021. It truly speaks to the Oakland native’s consistency and it’s something she looks to continue with her upcoming third album, Blue Water Road. So far, we’ve received it’s lead single “Altar,” a pop-leaning declaration of love, and the confirmation that the album will arrive this winter. With less than three months left until the seasons change, Kehlani’s Blue Water Road could be an early favorite in 2022. – W.O.

Kendrick Lamar

It’s been four years since Kendrick Lamar’s last album, DAMN. — practically an eternity in the streaming era. Of course, the delay in following up is perfectly understandable from Kendrick’s perspective. Aside from the obvious global disruption of a deadly pandemic, the Compton rapper must also contend with nearly insurmountable expectations after DAMN. accumulated both the usual assortment of accolades (Grammy nods; critical acclaim) and less than usual ones (a freaking Pulitzer Prize). That’s not the only reason he’s taking his time; his next album will be his final one for TDE, so it’s important that he goes out on top. – A.W.

Khruangbin/Leon Bridges – Texas Moon (2/18)

The union of these native Texan acts really is the best of both worlds. 2020’s Texas Sun EP was like a gift from the sky that met squarely in the middle of Khruangbin’s globally-inspired funk and Bridges’ buttery soul coo. It sure felt like a one-off project that we’d merely turn to in those sun-soaked days on the porch, but lo and behold, its companion piece is now set to drop in February. The foursome have indicated that Texas Moon is indeed the yin to the first edition’s yang: “Without joy, there can be no real perspective on sorrow,” Khruangbin explained. “Without sunlight, all this rain keeps things from growing. How can you have the sun without the moon?” – A.S.

Latto

Kicking off the run-up to her new album with the “Fantasy”-sampling “Big Energy,” the Uproxx cover artist from Atlanta is already showing growth and experimentation to begin the next phase of her career — the first part she’ll be able to tour behind, as well. And, lest anyone get nervous that she’s wandered too far afield of her comfort zone, she’s made sure to allay those concerns with tracks like “Soufside,” showing she’ll stick to her punchline-slinging trap rap roots even as she strives for the next level of pop stardom. – A.W.

Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert has been promising a handful of new albums ever since releasing his double album Eternal Atake in 2020 after a multi-year delay — or it could just be one album with an ever-evolving title. Whether it’s The Pink Tape, Forever Young, or Luv Is Rage 3, the wait has extended from 2020 into 2022, with a projected Halloween release date scuttled so as to not rush the work. Considering the Philly rapper’s intimation that Eternal Atake was “dumbed down” despite its warm reception from fans, it’s possible that whenever the new album drops, under whatever title it drops, it’ll display new dimensions to his quirky sound. – A.W.

Mitski – Laurel Hell (2/4)

Mitski’s 2018 album Be The Cowboy was one of the best albums of that year, so of course her follow up Laurel Hell is hotly anticipated. The LP is set for an early February release and the singer has already previewed the effort with three singles, showing that she’s is back and better than ever with poetic, heart-tugging lyrics which give an intimate look at the highs and lows of her lust for love. Named after a thicket of poisonous plants in the Appalachian Mountains, Laurel Hell, according to a Rolling Stone interview with Mitski, went through several different genres before landing in a pop-leaning direction. “This album has been a punk record at some point, and a country record,” she said. “Then, after a while, it was like, ‘I need to dance.’ Even though the lyrics might be depressing, I need something peppy to get me through this.” – C.D.

Nilüfer Yanya – Painless (3/4)

UK musician Nilüfer Yanya burst onto the indie scene with her 2019 album Miss Universe and after a series of singles, EPs, tours, and TV performances, Yanya is set to make a grand return with her sophomore studio album Painless. Out in late March this year, Painless is set to feature the singer’s textured, lilting vocals while taking a more direct sonic approach. So far, Yanya has shared the full track list and cover art to the new album along with her lead single “Stabilise,” a song which boasts rapid-fire instrumentation and musings on the monotony of city life. As a whole, though, Yanya says in press materials that Painless is a “record about emotion” in which she’s not scared to admit her feelings. “I think it’s more open about that in a way that Miss Universe wasn’t because there’s so many cloaks and sleeves with the concept I built around it,” she said. – C.D.

Rihanna

Rihanna has been endlessly teasing the release of her ninth album for years. So much so, it’s even turned into a joke that she’s fully aware of. But if everything goes according to plan, it looks like 2022 is the year R9 finally arrives. While she’s notoriously tight-lipped about her new music, Rihanna has said her album is going to be “completely different.” Based on previous interviews and a collaborative song teased by Skylar Gray, all signs point to Rihanna pivoting to a Reggaeton-inspired sound. “Whatever you know of Rihanna is not going to be what you hear,” she told Billboard. “I’m really experimenting. Music is like fashion. You should be able to play. I should be able to wear whatever I want. I treat music the same way. So I’m having fun and it’s going to be completely different.” – C.D.

Rina Sawayama

Rina Sawayama’s 2020 album Sawayama cemented her status as a buzzworthy pop star, boosted her fanbase, and earned her a number of accolades. That’s why many have been impatiently awaiting any news of a new release from the UK pop singer. And based on a series of tweets from September, the wait won’t be too much longer. Though she hasn’t yet officially revealed the title or date of her upcoming LP, Sawayama did confirm that her next project is set to arrive in late summer of 2022. The singer said her LP won’t be highly refined as it was written in “1/20th of the time of the first one.” She noted that she’s “working with some producers [she’s] always dreamed of” and cannot for the life of her “write a heterosexual love song.” – C.D.

Rosalía – Motomami

While 2018’s El Mal Querer was Rosalía’s second album, it was undoubtedly her breakthrough. The Spaniard effectively took the flamenco pop sound mainstream, winning the Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album, as well as the Latin Grammy for Album Of The Year. Suffice it to say, the stakes are high for Motomami and she’s poised to go big in every way. Like on the official first single from the album, “La Fama,” which features The Weeknd and a wild video with Danny Trejo that would make Robert Rodriguez proud. – A.S.

Sky Ferreira – Masochism

2022 marks almost a full decade since Sky Ferreira dropped her debut album Night Time, My Time. Since then, Ferreira has regularly been promising the release of her sophomore album Masochism is coming soon, citing difficulties with her health and her label as the cause for continued delays. Back in 2019, she released the single “Downhill Lullaby,” which seemed to indicate that Masochism was actually ready. Three years and zero new songs later, Ferreira is once again claiming that the album will finally drop in 2022. “Top 5 most anticipated albums of 2022 @Stereogum,” she wrote on Instagram. “(it happens every year, but it’s actually coming out this time).” – Z.G.

Spoon – Lucifer On The Sofa (2/11)

Spoon does everything well. The Austin staples fronted by Britt Daniel have been one of the tightest units in indie for the past 25 years. When their 10th album and follow-up to 2017’s well-received Hot Thoughts is released, it will end the longest period the band has gone without releasing an album. For Lucifer On The Sofa, Daniel and company moved back to Texas to write and record and were feeding off the energy they built from years of touring Hot Thoughts. Daniel told NME that rather than recording demos and using that as a starting point, they tried to channel the magic that they were finding on stage: “You’re not figuring out the song as you record it: You figure it out, then you record it.” First single “The Hardest Cut” features a furious guitar part that Daniel refers to as “the Texas riff” and it’s a fresh wrinkle in their always impeccable sound. – A.S.

SZA

For seemingly the third or fourth consecutive year, SZA fans will begin a new year with the hope that TDE’s first lady will grace them with a new body of work in 2022. For what it’s worth, the past year and a half has been the most active period for SZA since she released her 2017 debut Ctrl. She delivered a trio of singles with “Hit Different” alongside Ty Dolla Sign, “Good Days,” and “I Hate U.” If there’s any year in the past half-decade that points to good signs of a SZA album en route, 2022 is the one. – W.O.

Troye Sivan

After a massive breakthrough with his second studio album, Bloom, back in 2018, Troye Sivan has been biding his time for the follow-up. Focusing on a a shorter EP in 2020, In A Dream built up more dream-pop synths and yearning lyrics. But he released a string of new singles last year, like a collaboration with Regard and Tate McRae on “You,” and the adoring “Angel Baby,” paving the way for a full-length in 2022. Between quarantine romances and pandemic-induced loneliness, listeners around the world could really use more polished, romantic pop from one of Australia’s brightest stars. – C.W.

Vince Staples

Before dropping Vince Staples, his eponymous third studio album, in July, the Long Beach rapper had been teasing numerous new projects to be released in the coming year. Circumstances being what they are, it makes sense that he wasn’t able to follow through on these designs — but that just gives fans more to look forward to in 2022. While we were never quite sure whether the full project Vince had supposedly completed with Alchemist was the same one he teased prior to the release of Vince Staples, the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to Vince, who takes delight in defying expectations. – A.W.

The Weeknd – Dawn FM (1/7)

In October 2021, The Weeknd noted his impending After Hours follow-up was just “a couple characters that are key to the narrative” short of being finished. He then started 2022 by not-so-subtly hinting that he’s just about ready to drop the project. It didn’t take long for him to return with some more substantial, concrete, and exciting info: Dawn FM, as it is titled, is dropping on January 7. Jim Carrey, who is featured on the project, has already heard it and declared it’s “deep and elegant.” – D.R.

Wet Leg – Wet Leg (4/8)

The next big thing? Here it is. The debut album on Domino Records from Isle of Wight duo Wet Leg comes on the heels of earth-shattering singles like “Chaise Lounge” and “Wet Dream.” The post-punk matter-of-factness of singers Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers comes across like recent London revelations Dry Cleaning, but with a far more playful streak. And they totally rip. Big basslines lean up against sticky guitar hooks and F Yeah lyrics like “Is your mother worried? Would you like us to assign someone to worry your mother?” This is the stuff right here, man. – A.S.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Weeknd announced his upcoming album Dawn FM yesterday and shared a minute-long trailer for the project. In that trailer, we catch some glimpses of The Weeknd in aging prosthetics, making him look like an old man. It turns out that look is key to the identity of the album, as that look is what The Weeknd sports of the album’s cover art, which he shared today. The simple cover is a photo of old man Weekend, staring at the camera with his gray hair and weathered skin.

The trailer noted the project features Quincy Jones, Tyler The Creator, Lil Wayne, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Jim Carrey, whose voice can be heard in the trailer. After the album was announced, Carrey tweeted, “I listened to Dawn FM with my good friend Abel @theweeknd last night. It was deep and elegant and it danced me around the room. I’m thrilled to play a part in his symphony. ;^•.” The Weeknd shared the tweet and added, “Thank you for being a part of this. It’s kismet. Full circle [single tear emoji].”

Check out the album art above and if you missed the album trailer, watch that below.

Dawn FM is out 1/7 via Republic. Pre-order it here.