BY: Alexis Eichelberger

We’re anxiously waiting for new work from some of the biggest voices in music to occupy our minds while we shelter at home. Plenty of our favorite artists have albums planned for 2020, but lots of plans have been altered due to global craziness during recent weeks. Nevertheless, many are still moving forward with album releases and working to reschedule affiliated live performances. 

Here are the big artists we’re dying to get new music from this year:

Adele

Rumors circulated for months about when Adele would release the follow-up to her last album, the stunning Grammy-winning collection of instant break-up classics 25. Finally, last month, she was caught on video admitting to a crowd at a friend’s wedding that we could expect her newest record in September of this year. We’ll be anxiously awaiting the lead single for now.

Sam Smith

The incomparable Sam Smith’s third album, To Die For, was scheduled to be released May 4. However, on March 30, Smith made an Instagram post explaining they’d be pushing the release back, as well as changing the album’s title and making other changes to the track list in light of the current global pandemic. That means our wait for the collection that includes some of our favorite recent singles like “Dancing with a Stranger” and “How Do You Sleep?” will continue indefinitely.

The Killers

The British rock band who brought you some iconic 2000’s rock hits announced late last year they’d release their sixth studio album sometime in the spring of 2020. A specific release date for Imploding the Mirage hasn’t been announced yet, but the Killers did release the lead single “Caution” earlier this month.

 

Lady Gaga

“Stupid Love,” the electric lead single for Lady Gaga’s upcoming sixth studio album, immediately had us thirsting for more after its release in February. But Gaga has also decided to postpone the release of Chromatica due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though she plans to release it later in 2020, a date has yet to be announced.

Cardi B

Although it’s been years since Cardi B’s 2018 album Invasion of Privacy was released, it seems we’re a way off from a new record. Cardi said in February that she needed a few more “club hits” to complete her sophomore album. However, her online reaction to the coronavirus pandemic did recently become a viral internet meme song.

Rihanna

The wait for Rihanna’s new work continues. She memed the music world months ago when she tweeted about listening to her completed album but neglecting to release it. And despite the fact that it’s been four years since the release of her phenomenal album Anti, it seems she’ll continue to tease us by withholding her latest work. The good news (or bad news) is that she did appear as a featured backup vocalist on a PARTYNEXTDOOR track that dropped last week — her first release in three years.