This year, we’ve witnessed major releases in the music industry, from the history-making and numerically inclined 21 by Adele and Beyonce’s 4, to the highly anticipated joint album from Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch The Throne.
There was Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light, Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter IV and J.Cole’s debut album Cole World: The Sideline Story. Oh, and we can’t forget about Lady Gaga’s Born This Way.
But it ain’t over yet! Check out which artists plan on closing out the year with a bang and some bangin’ music.
Rock royalty Coldplay are dropping Mylo Xyloto on October 24, 2011.
According to Chris Martin, the album:
“Is based on a love story with a happy ending in which two protagonists: Mylo and Xyloto, who are living in an oppressive, dystopian urban environment, meet one another through a gang called “The Lost Boys,” and fall in love. Lyrically, the album is inspired by old school American graffiti and the White Rose Movement.”
He also said that the album was inspired by HBO TV series The Wire. With all those influences, we know we’re in for some electic and surprising new music from the veteran band.
Mylo Xyloto has one guest appearance by none other than Rihanna on a track called “Princess Of China,” the album’s official second single.
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Also dropping an album on October 24th is the original American Idol, Ms. Kelly Clarkson, with Stronger.
Kelly revealed that Stronger would be a concept album with a theme “very much about strength and empowerment, so ‘Stronger’ felt like the perfect title. Plus that song is just a gold mine — it’s a little bit pop, a little bit pop-rock, a little bit urban, a little bit dance, and it ties everything in. And everybody loves that message. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It’s a perfect representation of my life.” She co-wrote seven tracks from the album, collaborated with Ester Dean, Rodney Jerkins, Lauren Christy, Bonnie McKee, and described it as “like Garbage-meets-pop-meets-Muse.” The lead single, “Mr. Know It All”, was written by Ester Dean, Brian Kennedy and Brett James, and is a mid tempo pop song with R&B influences, similar to the songs of her debut album Thankful and was described by critics as a fusion of Bruno Mars and P!nk.
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Scottish singer Susan Boyle is dropping her third album in three years, Someone To Watch Over Me on November 1st. This album is said to be 80’s inspired and includes covers of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence” and Tears For Fears’ “Mad World”. The album’s first single, “You Have To Be There”, was written by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and is from their 1995 musical Kristina.
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Florence And The Machine‘s new album, Ceremonials, will drop November 1st.
Singer Florence Welch told NME that Ceremonials, the follow-up to their 2009 Lungs album, is built around “big” themes of “love, death, violence and guilt”. She said, “There’s big moments of confession in it, overcoming your demons and trying to find in song the ultimate hangover cure.”
The album was recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios with producer Paul Epworth, who added that Ceremonials is more “stripped down” but also “much heavier” than Lungs.
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Just in time for the holiday season, Justin Bieber will release his Christmas album, Under The Mistletoe on November 1st!
The teen hearthrob collaborated with the likes of Busta Rhymes, Usher, Boys II Men, and the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” queen, Mariah Carey on what’s sure to be in every teen girl’s wish list this year.
Justin said of the album, “I love Boyz II Men’s Christmas album, I love Mariah Carey’s Christmas album, and luckily enough, I got them both on my album. So that was amazing. I wanted to make a Christmas album that everyone would remember. Those are albums that people remember, so to have them be able to collaborate with me was incredible. I just picked my favorite Christmas songs. I picked “Silent Night”, I picked “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”, because everyone loves those songs. Those are classics. They get people excited for Christmas. And then, for songs that we wrote, we wanted to make enough new songs for people to hear new music and not just hear some classics. There’s a lot of new stuff on there.”
His version of “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” with mentor Usher, will be the next single following “Mistletoe”.
Portions of the sales from the album will go to charities such as Pencils of Promise and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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The Twi-hards are going to be lined up on November 8th when Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Soundtrack hits stores.
Bruno Mars scored the soundtrack’s leading single, “It Will Rain,”and said “After seeing the movie, I thought that it would be a perfect fit,”regarding the lead single. “The Twilight movies for me are a love story. But it’s a dark love story,” he added. “And I think the best way to describe the song is: It’s the darker side of love. I think that pretty much sums it up.” Other artists on the soundtrack include Christina Perri on a track called A Thousand Year, Angus & Julia Stone, and guitarist Iron & Wine for the movie’s wedding scene.
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The queen of hip-hop soul Mary J. Blige is releasing her new album, My Life 2: The Journey Continues on November 8th.
It includes production and writing from Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Bangladesh and DJ Premier. The album will also include guest appearances by Rick Ross, Nas, her rapping alter ego Brook Lynn, and a much anticipated collabo with Beyoncetitled “Loving A Woman”.
MJB on My Life 2: The Journey Continues: “I would say I’ve learned that trials and tribulations will continue to stand but the beauty is I know how to deal with navigating through them now. As long as you’re living, you’re going to have to deal with life.”
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Heartbreak Drake‘s second studio album, Take Care, drops November 15th.
It’s produced by Noah “40” Shebib, whose work includes DJ Khaled‘s “I’m On One,” Lil Wayne‘s “I’m Single”, and Alicia Keys‘ “Un-Thinkable”. It includes guest appearances by Nicki Minaj, on his latest single “Make Me Proud”, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and even the legendary Stevie Wonder.
Drake told MTV: “Thank Me Later was just song, song, song, song, song, whereas So Far Gone was a consistent thread,” the Young Money MC said of his debut album in relation to his breakout mixtape. “It was a story to me. And Thank Me Later, I sort of didn’t have enough time mentally to piece together a story. It’s very tedious.” So expect some mixtape Drake in Take Care.
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Who better to end the year than Ms. Rihanna? The Bajan beauty is continuing her streak of hits with her new album, Talk That Shit, in stores November 21st.
It features the single “We Found Love” produced by Calvin Harris. The singer made the album while on her LOUD tour around the globe and worked with hitmaker The Dream once again. Rumor has it that Rick Ross is on the album on a track called Blunts Rolled, which would definitely be a hit.
