2017 was surely a great year for music and now that 2018 is upon us, we can anticipate some new music this year from our favorite artists that will possibly make 2018 another great year for music if not better than the last. Some of these albums have been in the works for quite a while, for most of these artists, it’s been years since they have released any music which makes all of these releases sure to be a refreshing treat for music-lovers. We’ve really missed these musicians and we can’t wait to find out what new sounds they’ve explored.

Grimes

It’s been 3 years since experimental-pop artist Grimes released her raved-about Art Angels, a fantasy pop world of music, and fans are definitely ready to see where she’s taking her music next. Since last summer, Claire Boucher has continually shared on social media that there have been new tracks in the works and last month she tweeted that her Art Angels follow-up was pretty much complete: “just played label new music they rly dig it so hopefully smthn soon.” She gave another update on Instagram a few days later stating “when u have all the songs but need to do vox and fix drums on p much everything and it’s been almost a year of isolation and despair…” Grimes has mentioned that the album will encompass “unexplored sonic landscapes” and I’m sure listeners are excited to see what kind of majestic strange world she transports us to next. – Ashley Flamenco

Travis Scott

Back in 2014, Travis set the bar for his ability with Days Before Rodeo, showcasing some of his best work (“The Prayer,” “Drugs You Should Try It,” and “Don’t Play,”) while developing a signature and packed “dark” production style (“Mamacita,” and “Skyfall”) that worked extensively well for Scott, syncing his reckless energy to a brooding sound. Then he dropped Rodeo in 2015, capturing a growth from Days Before Rodeo to producing more complex work that had vulnerable depth to it. He was surely at the center of his work, crafting sounds that catered to a wider audience and showed his versatility. Now, let’s skip to 2016 where he dropped Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight, this is when his work started developing stylistic flair as he experimented a bit in delivery and sound. Now, seeing that Travis’ work has refined, grown, and overall gotten progressively better since Days Before Rodeo, taking in a sense of energy, character, versatility, and style, this makes AstroWorld something to be excited for. – Miguel Anderson

Kali Uchis

Kali has been working on her debut album for a long time and according to her, it’s done and ready to be released but piece by piece. She has mentioned in the past on twitter that it’s a summer album so we could expect it during late spring (April/May). The last project she released was her EP, Por Vida, which left fans wanting more music. Ever since the release of Por Vida, she’s put out a few singles here and there to keep fans quenched. This album is packed with stars from Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker to Damon Albarn from Gorillaz. Kali recently released the third single off the album, “After The Storm”, which features musical icons Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins. We can definitely expect to hear a few more collabs on the album. – Louis Cano

Arctic Monkeys

I’m sure most of us remember hearing “Do I Wanna Know?,” “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?,” and “R U Mine? being played repeatedly on the radio. AM, released in 2013, was the album that we saw being plastered all over Tumblr blogs and that caused the Arctic Monkeys to blow up and gain an increasingly large fanbase. Fast forward 5 years and they’re making a comeback with a sixth album so people can obsess over them once again. In a September interview with For The Ride, a motorcycling magazine, Arctic Monkeys Bassist, Nick O’Malley, revealed that the band had begun recording the new record in a “secret location.” According to Nick, if the album’s not out by 2018, they’ve “got problems.” There’s no set release date for the new project but seeing as their name has been popping up on music festival lineups everywhere, we can hope that it’ll be out around the spring or summertime. – Ashley Flamenco

LOONA

The LOONA debut process has been pursued ambitiously since day one. Their process has been noted as the most expensive K-Pop debut in history, costing the company 4 million which is spent on music videos, choreography, promotions, and music. Not only has the process been noted as expensive, but it’s also extensive. In the span of 18 months, BlockBerry Creative plans to reveal 12 girls and 3 subgroups, all of which lead to the eventual debut of the whole group. So far, each reveal has been more intriguing, building an artistic one-of-a-kind charm with each release that has been filled with personality and sonic character. It’s an unorthodox project that prevails because of the showcase that displays each of the revealed subgroup & member’s potential. It’s the alluring quirkiness of “ViViD” by Heejin, the theatrical and dramatic “Kiss Later” by Yeojin, the dark facade of “Love Cherry Motion” by Choerry, the pulsating-yet soft “new” by Yves, the energetic push of “Girl Front” by ODD EYE CIRCLE, and the beautifully demanding “One&Only” by Gowon that draw you closer to the Loonaverse which is a charming venture, sonically rich and diverse. With all these outstanding songs and a diverse cast, one is left in awe of LOONA. They prove with visuals, amazing music, and diversity that they will have an impact. – Miguel Anderson

Mark Ronson x Tame Impala x SZA

Mark Ronson, Tame Impala, and SZA are scheduled to release an album in 2018. SZA confirmed this through an interview with the LA Times, stating “People grapple with labeling me…I’m just making music…I’m making an album with Tame Impala and Mark Ronson. When you try to label it, you remove the option for it to be limitless.” We’ve seen Kevin Parker, mastermind behind Tame Impala, work with Mark Ronson, incredible producer, on groovy songs like “Daffodils” and “Summer Breaking” and have watched their DJ sets at festivals across the world. We know that just the two alone make a great duo so it makes it all the more exciting that SZA has joined the group, adding to the musical genius that will without a doubt compose this album. With SZA rocking the music world with the release of her debut, Ctrl, last summer, Tame Impala’s Currents taking off shortly after its release in 2015, and having songs produced by Mark Ronson such as “Uptown Funk” become radio hits, this record is going to be a great one. – Ashley Flamenco

Blood Orange

Devonte Hynes, or Blood Orange, captured hearts all around the world with his 2016’s release Freetown Sound, a funk fueled perspective about identity and politics. Since post-Freetown Sound, we are left with a voice silenced, from someone who is usually open about topics that devastated politics and communities of color in 2017. Now that 2018 is upon us, we can expect some things from the masterful Blood Orange, especially since he has been very low key, but also very active in the studio in 2017. He’s released music as VeilHymn, backed writing on a couple of tracks from Haim to Blondie, and even went to be featured on. In addition to that, he’s also made his prerogative clear for 2018, teasing us through an Instagram post that music is coming. Now, all we have to do is wait for his silence to break. – Miguel Anderson