Looking back, 2014 was a great year for music. There were some massive debut albums from the likes of George Ezra, Jungle, Sam Smith and Royal Blood as well as some fab pop records – Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to name just two. So what can we expect to hear in the next 12 months and will it top the offerings of 2014?
Here’s 12 albums – including some names that might be brand new to you – to start getting excited about right now…
Mark Ronson
One that you won’t have to wait too long for is Mark Ronson’s Uptown Special, which comes out at the end of January. And after Fleur East wowed us all with her version of single Uptown Funk on The X Factor, we know it’s going to be seriously… well…funky! Add appearances from Stevie Wonder and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and it could be just the ticket for getting rid of those January blues.
Wolf Alice
You may not have heard of Wolf Alice yet, but you will soon. Their 2014 Creature Songs EP – full of perfect ’90s-influenced grunge-pop – created something of a buzz around the band, securing them support slots for the likes of Manic Street Preachers and The 1975. No wonder then that they’ve made the BBC’s Sound of 2015 longlist. Get ahead of the curve and start listening now.
**The Libertines **
Peter Doherty and Carl Barât made a thousand indie girls and boys’ dreams come true last year when they reformed The Libertines to play a series of London shows. Now Barât has revealed the pair have been working on new stuff as well as resurrecting a host of older, not previously released material for their new record. Hopefully that’ll mean an album full of the blend of pop-punk and poetry that saw The Libertines rise to fame in the early 2000s.
James Bay
If you’re into the music of singer-songwriters such as Ben Howard, Goerge Ezra and Nick Mulvey then you should probably look up James Bay. This bluesy 24-year-old singer from Hertfordshire has already won the 2015 Brits Critics’ Choice award – see if you’re a fan when his debut album,* Chaos And The Calm* comes out in March.
Fleetwood Mac
With another world tour, rumours of a Glastonbury headline spot that refuse to away and a new album (their first in 30 years) on the way, 2015 could well belong to legendary soft rockers, Fleetwood Mac. And with Christine McVie joining in, the full lineup is back together at last (hurrah!) – exciting news for new fans and those of us who were brought up on the Mac alike!
Slaves
If the acts featured on this list are a bit tame for your tastes then check out Slaves. Like this year’s breakthrough rock act Royal Blood, Slaves are a duo (Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent) specialising in unadulterated rock. It’s clear the pair had their sights set firmly on the moshpit when coming up with their short and savage songs but they must have caught the attention of someone at the BBC, too, as they’ve been nominated for its Sound Of 2015.
Read More: The Songs To Keep On Your Spotify Playlist For 2015
Rihanna
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since our favourite Bajan pop princess put out a record. That’s all set to change in 2015, however, with stadium and arena tours already lined up and producer and friend Ne-Yo saying he’s heard a few tracks and they sound ‘amazing’.
Coldplay
Love them, loathe them or just feel totally ‘meh’ about them, this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Coldplay’s seventh album A Head Full Of Dreams, which Chris Martin has said could be the band’s final offering.
The Districts
American indie rockers The Districts toured around the UK quite a bit last year, and with the release of new album A Flourish And A Spoil in February, they will be back again quite soon. If last year’s self-titled EP is anything to go by it should be a brilliant album, as the boys from Pennsylvania already have a repertoire of stirring rock songs to rival the likes of The Black Keys and Kings Of Leon.
Florence And The Machine
The promise of a new album is good news for all festival fans that felt the absence of festival fairy Flo and her ethereal and powerful vocals last year. Florence and her band have already been confirmed to play Germany’s Hurricane festival, and it should mean she’ll be popping up on stages (and maybe even climbing up ’em) throughout the summer.
Years & Years
Merging electronica with R&B, Years & Years are unlike everything else on the list – give singles Take Shelter and Real a listen for a good introduction. The British trio supported Sam Smith on his European tour last year and their combination of grimy beats and soulful vocals from Olly Alexander won over a lot of new fans. Expect to see them all over the festival circuit this summer.
Madonna
It’s been heralded as Madonna’s best new album in years, but we’ll reserve judgment until Rebel Heart is officially released in March (some of the album was leaked back in December and single Bitch I’m Madonna is a bit Britney circa 2011). What we do know is that putting together her 13th studio album has seen Madge coin some solid gold hashtags on Instagram… I know I’ll be using #cantabitchjustfinishhersh**t at every possible opportunity.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.