Summer is quickly approaching and along with beautiful weather, small clothes and longer days comes some of the best music of the year. Who will have the official “summer jam” of 2010? Who will provide the soundtrack to countless summer parties? Take a look at our 15 most anticipated albums.
15. Big Boi ‘Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son of Chico Dusty’
Outkast’s Big Boi has been preparing to release his first solo album for years now. After tons of promising first singles (“Royal Flush” with Andre 3000 and Raekwon is a classic, and “Somethin’s Gotta Give” with Mary J. Blige which should’ve done much better) and false starts, things seem to finally be on the right track for Big. He recently signed a deal with Def Jam and today released his official first single “Shutterbug.” The album is set to feature appearances from Gucci Mane, Too $hort, Jamie Foxx and Andre 3000 among others, and should hold us over until Outkast finally drops that seventh album.
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14. Kelis ‘Flesh Tone’
We last heard from Kelis in 2006 with Kelis Was Here. For her new project, Flesh Tone, the singer is switching her style up yet again, working with producers like Crookers and Diplo for a more dance-oriented sound. Her first single “Acapella,’ produced by French house DJ David Guetta, has rocketed to #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts. Kelis has made a career out of being ahead of the curve and with this album it seems that she’s still trying new things.
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13. M.I.A. ‘Untitled’
Cult-favorite M.I.A. had the surprise hit of summer 2008 with ‘Paper Planes.” On the as-of-yet-untitled new album, the Sri-Lankan native is going totally left-field, promising a lot more singing and even weirder beats. Collaborator Diplo describes the album’s sound as “Gucci Mane meets Animal Collective.” That said, the album will still have M.I.A.’s trademark political consciousness and world-weariness with tracks such as “I’m Down Like Your Internet Connection” .
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12. Diddy ‘Last Train to Paris’
Diddy’s last album, Press Play, was one of 2006’s biggest surprises. For the follow-up, Diddy along with his new group Dirty Mon
