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14 Most Anticipated Albums of 2020

Halsey, Dua Lipa, Tame Impala, and more.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

While it's plenty fun to revisit music of the last year (or decade), it's equally exciting to point our focus to future releases.

2020 is coming soon, with no shortage of both indie and major-label releases in the early months to keep our ears busy. Below, we've picked just a few that we can't wait to hear.

The 1975: Notes On A Conditional Form (Interscope/Dirty Hit, 2/21)

After dropping their acclaimed A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships late last year, the modern indie pop legends return this year with their fourth studio album. They've released three songs from it so far, including opener "The 1975," featuring teen climate activist (turned Matty Healy's friend) Greta Thunberg.

The 1975 - People (Official Video)www.youtube.com


Grimes: Miss Anthropocene (4AD, 2/21)

The follow-up to Grimes' 2015 magnum opus, Art Angels is "a concept album about the anthropomorphic goddess of climate change." She's released five singles, most recently "4ÆM."

Grimes – 4ÆMwww.youtube.com


Georgia: Seeking Thrills (Domino, 1/10)

British producer Georgia Barnes' second album is due at the beginning of the year. If '80s-indebted synth-pop is up your alley, check out her fantastic single "About Work the Dancefloor."

Georgia - About Work The Dancefloor (Official Video)www.youtube.com


Frances Quinlan: Likewise (Saddle Creek, 1/31)

Frances Quinlan is best known as the lead singer of Philadelphia indie rockers Hop Along, but her inimitable voice still packs a punch as a solo act. Her first album under her own name comes out next month. Check out a single from it, "Now That I'm Back."

Frances Quinlan - Now That I'm Backwww.youtube.com


Tame Impala: The Slow Rush (Interscope, 2/14)

The Slow Rush is Kevin Parker and company's first album since 2015's instant-classic, Currents. The Australian band has released three singles so far: "Borderline," "It Might Be Time," and "Posthumous Forgiveness."

Tame Impala - Borderline (Audio)www.youtube.com


Halsey: Manic (Capitol, 1/17)

Manic is Halsey's third album. It includes her No. 1 hit "Without Me," as well as features from Alanis Morrisette, Dominic Fike, and Min Yoon-gi of BTS.

Halsey - Without Mewww.youtube.com


Beach Slang: The Deadbeat Bang of Heartbreak City (Bridge Nine, 1/10)

Last year, James Alex released the mellowed-out, acoustic-focused Everything Matters But No One Is Listening as Quiet Slang. Now he's back with his full punk band, Beach Slang, with their third studio album. It features Tommy Stinson of the Replacements on bass.'

Beach Slang - Bam Rang Rangwww.youtube.com


Kesha: High Road (Kemosabe, 1/10)

After the stream of empowerment anthems that comprised 2017's Rainbow, Kesha is returning to her party-pop roots for her fourth album. Singles "Raising Hell," "My Own Dance," and "Resentment" are out now.

Kesha - Raising Hell (Official Video) ft. Big Freediawww.youtube.com


Mura Masa: Raw Youth Collage (Polydor, 1/17)

Grammy-winning British producer Mura Masa's second record is on the horizon. It features guest vocals from pop darling Clairo, idiosyncratic rapper slowthai, lo-fi R&B upstart Tirzah, and more.

Mura Masa, Clairo - I Don't Think I Can Do This Again (Official Video)www.youtube.com


Bombay Bicycle Club: Everything Else Has Gone Wrong (Island, 1/17)

After taking some time off, London indie pop band Bombay Bicycle Club are back with their first new album since 2013. So far, you can hear "Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)," "Racing Stripes," and the album's title track. Read our interview with bassist Ed Nash about the band's return.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Racing Stripeswww.youtube.com


Okay Kaya: Watch This Liquid Pour Itself (Jagjaguwar, 1/24)

Norweigan singer-songwriter Okay Kaya's second album is out soon, intertwining her themes of melancholy and anxiety into dark, eerie pop. She's released three singles so far: "Ascend and Try Again," "Baby Little Tween," and "Asexual Wellbeing."

Okay Kaya - Ascend and Try Againwww.youtube.com


Wolf Parade: Thin Mind (Sub Pop, 1/24)

Indie rock stalwarts Wolf Parade are back with their fifth album, their first since departure of multi-instrumentalist Dante DeCaro. They've already released two songs from it, "Forest Green" and "Against the Day."

Wolf Parade - Forest Green [LYRIC VIDEO]www.youtube.com


Andy Shauf: The Neon Skyline (Anti-, 1/24)

Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf is soon releasing his sixth solo album. The singles "Things I Do" and "Try Again" are out now.

Andy Shauf - "Try Again"www.youtube.com


Dua Lipa: Future Nostalgia (Warner, TBA)

Dua Lipa's second studio album doesn't have a set release date, but we know it's coming in early 2020. If the two lead singles so far—"Don't Start Now" and "Future Nostalgia"—are any indication, it won't be a disappointment.

Dua Lipa - Don't Start Now (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com

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Julia Thompson Captures Desire on "DNA" feat. Reo Cragun

Probing the chemistry of love.

Alt-pop singer-songwriter Julia Thompson debuts her first single of 2019, "DNA," featuring Reo Cragun.

Thompson explains the song's title, "There's always that someone in your life that becomes a part of who you are, that makes you who you are, and there is nothing you can do to escape. They become ingrained in your DNA."

With her music featured on Spotify's New Music Friday, Poptronix playlists, and MTV, Thompson joined forces with Cragun, whose collaborations involve G-Eazy, Flume, and Ekali, along with solo hits like "Thrilla" and "Holy."

"DNA" rides a trap-lite rhythm locked in with a piano's sensuous R&B savors. Cragun's silky falsetto balances Thompson's evocative voice, smoldering with unabashed desire. "I can't tell you to leave 'cause you're a part of me / Even when I can't see you out there / It's rushing / Through my bloodstream / It's in everyday / 'Cause you make up my DNA."

Follow Julia Thompson Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

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Cassandra Violet Discusses Gun Violence on "Dead!"

Dealing with the existential nightmare of controlling men.

Los Angeles indie-pop singer-songwriter Cassandra Violet released her latest single, "Dead!" a few days ago.

Violet said of the track, "I wrote this song tongue-in-cheek from the point of view of my alter ego. However, gun violence is a real and terrifying epidemic in this country that must be stopped. For the first 2 months of the release of 'Dead,' 100% of all proceeds will be donated to Everytown for Gun Safety."



"Dead!" opens on dark sonic colors, as Violet's velvety femme fatal voice glides overhead accompanied by three-part harmonies.

"Woke up alone in bed, with echoes in my head / My dress is ripped, and I have no more thread / Your blood I've shed, the blankets are all red / Last night we wed, and then I shot you dead, then I shot you dead, then I shot you dead."

Follow Cassandra Violet Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify

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Riah Talks Confidence and Joy On "Heartbreak Magic"

The independent singer-songwriter discusses her dark and inviting debut EP, the culmination of her years of hard work and growth.

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Riah's Heartbreak Magic feels like something of a homecoming.

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Push Push Releases Trippy New Video for "INB4"

The video for the South African rapper's latest single builds a delightfully weird pastel world from a methodical electronic beat.

Push Push's psychedelic new video isn't afraid to get weird.

The South African rapper's latest single, "INB4," is a bouncing, electronica-steeped track, part early-hustle story and part breakup missive: "Motherfucker, trust me, I am not bluffing / Loose lips sink ships and I hold grudges," Push Push raps in her clipped flow. There's a warning in there, but the playful computer-beep beat—produced by Moon Bounce, native Philadelphia electronic artist and Push Push's husband—keeps the proceedings light, turning her caustic bars and threats into carefree dismissals.

The new video sets the music against a bizarre pastel world, indulging the track's sparse weirdness with a well-matched visual palette. Push Push dances and plays with mannequin hands in a red-lit room, then strides over more mannequin limbs in an empty pool, even garroting a massive fairground-prize teddy bear. Even with the video's purposefully odd aesthetic, she's always the element that stands out, decked out in latex outfits and sporting bright pink hair. The video gleefully watches her take up space, equally at ease in junkyards full of mannequin bodies and picturesque homes. With the beat humming along underneath the visuals, Push Push makes herself into some kind of color-coded glitch, unresolvable but still present. It's an interesting contrast between the expected and the bizarre, and Push Push seems at home in the center of that contrast.

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All the Best New Music for the Weekend of June 7th

New music from Jay Som, Whitney, GoldLink, (Sandy) Alex G, and more!

Fresh Music Friday is here to give you a breakdown of new singles, EPs, and albums to check out as you make your way into the weekend.

Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new releases from those you already know and love.

Singles

1. Jay Som - "Superbike"

Jay Som (a.k.a Melina Duterte) announced her sophomore album, Anak Ko, by sharing a new single. On "Superbike," Jay Som channels '80s dream-pop into a shoegazey tune swirled together with fuzzy guitar work and a bittersweet chorus. Plus, the accompanying visuals feature nostalgic shots of the open road to match the song's nostalgic atmosphere. About "Superbike," Duterte explained that she hoped to harness the sounds of "Cocteau Twins and Alanis Morisette," and it's safe to say she succeeded. Anak Ko is out August 23rd via Polyvinyl.

2. Whitney - "Giving Up"

Chicago's indie-folk-rock outfit, Whitney, are gearing up to put out a new record, Forever Turned Around, the follow up to 2016's acclaimed Light Upon A Lake. This week, they shared a new, cozy single called "Giving Up." On the new song, Whitney rounds out their warm, folksy sound with a bright horn section, soulful vocals, and a big, jammy breakdown. Despite its wistful lyrics, "Giving Up" feels like a deep exhale, the perfect musical accompaniment to a sunny morning or a summer storm. Forever Turned Around is out August 30th via Secretly Canadian.

3. GoldLink - "U Say" (featuring Tyler, The Creator and Jay Prince)

GoldLink announced his forthcoming album Diaspora, and this week he teamed up with Tyler, The Creator and Jay Prince in a new track called "U Say." Diaspora is out June 12th via Squaaash Club/RCA Records.

4. Tei Shi - "A Kiss Goodbye"

Tei Shi (real name: Valerie Teicher) returns with a new song called "A Kiss Goodbye," the first single from her forthcoming LP. She melds together Latin influences and modern trap beats, breathing life into a gently-shuffling, Brazilian-inspired rhythm. This is her first music since appearing on Blood Orange's "Hope" and marks her first solo project since 2017's Crawl Space.

5. (Sandy) Alex G - "Gretel"

Alex G introduced his newest album, House of Sugar, with a new song and video for "Gretel." He layers sped-up vocals, gnarled guitars and off-kilter strings over one another to create a track that is––in typical Alex G fashion––equal parts eerie and charming. House of Sugar is out September 13th via Domino.

6. Arthur Moon - "Homonormo"

"Homonormo" is the latest offering from the experimental electro-pop group, Arthur Moon. On their new song, the Brooklyn group (fronted by Lora-Faye Åshuvud alongside collaborators Cale Hawkins and Martin D. Fowler) strikes the perfect balance between eccentricity and infectious avant-pop. Foll owing the deconstructed pop sound of "I Feel Better," "Homonorno" is gorgeous and expansive, leaving plenty of room for Åshuvud's loping vocals to color in the song's spaced-out melody. The new single comes ahead of their debut self-titled, out in July via Vinyl Me, Please.

7. Yung Bae - "Must Be Love"

Portland-based producer Yung Bae has a new album in the works, and today he shares his new luminous single "Must Be Love." With nods to disco and funk, "Must Be Love" swirls together a palette of colorful synths and 70's vocal samples. The song builds up to a vibrant peak and then transforms into a euphoric drop, making it the perfect summertime jam.

8. Wild Mercury - "Orange County"

This week, Montreal-based rockers Wild Mercury shared a new track called "Orange County." Though initially starting as a folk group, Wild Mercury adopt a grittier edge in their new song, combining euphoric pop energy with a full-bodied blues-rock sound.

EPs

9. The Bliss - Heaven If You Want It

Vocalist Chelsea Davenport and producer Felix Snow came together in a new venture called The Bliss, and together they created hook-driven electro-pop that pushes sonic boundaries. Their songs are ultra-catchy and feel radio-ready thanks to Snow's crisp production skills and Davenport's captivating vocals. Vibrant singles, like " Shiny Days," dazzle and complement one another when heard in succession on their debut EP, Heaven If You Want It.

Video

10. Stef Chura - "Scream"

Detroit's Stef Chura is sure to be the angsty cheerleader of your dreams in her new video for "Scream." The visuals find the Detroit indie-rocker shredding in a high school gymnasium decked out in a Bring-It-On-approved outfit, as she channels the sound of early Liz Phair in her riff-heavy rocker "Scream." Chura's new record, Midnight, is out now via Saddle Creek.

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