For many, the summer means one thing: new music. Sure, there are new albums released before and after the summer months, but it’s in the heart of the warm season, from about mid-June to about mid-September when much of the year’s greatest records drop. Why? Because sunshine and good tunes mix like iced tea and lemonade.
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But what are some albums coming out this year that really have our attention? Below are five albums we can’t wait to get our sun-tanned hands on.
1. Rumours Live, Fleetwood Mac (September 8)
A live album from one of the most iconic rock groups at the height of their fame in 1977? Combine that with the renewed awareness from the most unlikely viral video of the 2020s and what do you get? The hotly anticipated Rumors Live album from Fleetwood Mac. The band, then comprised of Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham, was a blazing sun of success and music. Click on the link below for an audible example and just bask because that’s what listeners do when Fleetwood Mac comes on. Bask.
2. The Returner, Allison Russell (September 8)
The recent multi-time Grammy-nominee Allison Russell announced this summer that her sophomore solo album, The Returner, will drop on September 8. With the news came her new song, “Stay Right Here,” a blend of folk and disco. If there was such a thing, Russell could do it. The artist, who released her album Outside Child in 2021, has gone on to be vocal about the sexual assault she experienced as a youth. She has also turned that pain into power. Russell, who was in several super-groups in her past, including Our Native Daughters, has earned acclaim from both the industry and her peers like Brandi Carlile, who has been a vocal champion. One can only imagine what the next big steps Russell’s career will take with her new album.
3. World Music Radio, Jon Batiste (August 18)
The last time Jon Batiste released a solo album, he earned more Grammy Awards than he could carry. Now, the New Orleans artist has announced his next album, World Music Radio, and with it came the lively, authentic-pop song, “Drink Water.” A song that is believably joyful without the machinations of commerce so palpable. The former house bandleader for Late Night with Stephen Colbert, Batiste is a force whether in front of a grand piano or a Pro Tools beat.
4. Unreal Unearth, Hozier (August 18)
The Irish rocker who rose to fame with the hit single, “Take Me to Church,” has a new solo album coming out this year. The LP, his third, is rich with styles. One might even say the album, inspired by Dante, has layers. Depths. Hozier’s voice gets your veins vibrating. And that’s evident in his latest single, “De Selby (Part 2),” which he released last week.
5. Drama Queen, Idina Menzel (August 18)
The “Let It Go” singer is a star on both stage and screen. She has won Tony Awards and earned eyeballs and accolades seemingly wherever she performs. Her forthcoming solo album, Drama Queen, showcases her knack for the dramatic as well as her penchant for posing on the dance floor. The energetic new LP will get you hotter on a hot summer night.
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