With a new decade comes new music. The upcoming new albums of 2020 include releases from BTS, Justin Bieber, Rihanna (we hope!), Selena Gomez and other fan-favorite artists. After an incredible 2019—which saw LPs from Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Lana Del Rey and other beloved musicians—we’re ready to find out what 2020 has in store.
So far, the New Year seems to be a welcome for artists we haven’t heard from in a long time. Exes Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are both expected to release new music this year, which will be their first more than four years. Bieber’s most recent album, Purpose, was released in November 2015, while Gomez’s last album, Revival, came out a month earlier in October 2015. (The former Disney Channel star did release four singles between 2017 and 2018, which will be included on the deluxe edition of her new album, Rare. More on that later.)
The 2020 Grammys haven’t even happened yet, but we’re excited to find out which of this year’s musical releases will be included in the nominees list for 2021. Will Gomez earn her first Grammy nomination? And what new artist will rise up that we didn’t see coming? It’s an exciting year for music. Ahead, check out the upcoming new albums of 2020 we can’t wait to listen to.
Selena Gomez – Rare
Source: Instagram
Release date: January 10
Rare will be Gomez’s third studio album. She released the first single off the album, “Lose You to Love Me,” in October. In the ballad, which many fans speculate is about Gomez’s breakup with on-and-off ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber, Gomez sings about love, loss and self-identity. Rare consist of 13 songs, including two tracks featuring Kid Cudi and 6lack. The album is Gomez’s first in four years. In between Rare and her last album, Revival, Gomez released five songs—”Bad Liar,” “Fetish,” “It Ain’t Me,” “Back to You” and “Wolves—which will be included in the deluxe edition of Rare.
Buy: Rare $11.95Halsey – Manic
Source: Instagram
Release date: January 17
Halsey revealed album artwork for her third studio album, Manic, in September in the music video for “Graveyard,” which saw her paint a portrait of her face. That portrait was later revealed as the artwork for Manic. “Graveyard” is one of 16 songs off the album, which also includes tracks like “Ashley” (a nod to Hasley’s real name). Halsey also includes three features on the album, each titled with “interlude.” The featured artists include Dominic Fike, Alanis Morissette and Suga of BTS.
Buy: Manic $12.94Kesha – High Road
Source: Instagram
Release date: January 31
High Road, which was scheduled to be released on January 10, will now come out at the end of the month. The LP is Kesha’s fourth studio album and follows her most recent album, Rainbow, which was regarded as her comeback to music after her legal battle with Dr. Luke. High Road includes 15 songs, each written by Kesha. Among the LP’s featured collaborators are Big Freedia and Wrabel.
Buy: High Road $11.50BTS – Map of the Soul: 7
Source: Instagram
Release date: February 21
BTS revealed the title of their seventh studio album, Map of the Soul: 7, in January. The LP will follow the K-pop band’s 2019 album, Map of the Soul: Persona, which made BTS the first band since The Beatles to have three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 charts in less than a year. The band, which consists of members RM, J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, Suga, Jimin and V, haven’t revealed the album cover or the tracklist yet, but fans theorize that the title of the LP could be an homage to BTS’ seven members and journey. It, of course, is also a reference to how Map of the Soul: 7 is their seventh album.
Justin Bieber – TBD
Source: Instagram
Release date: TBD
Bieber released the first single off his fifth studio album in January. The single, titled “Yummy,” was written by Bieber and record producer Poo Bear, who has cowritten “Where Are Ăś Now,” “What Do You Mean?” and several other of the singer’s songs. The track is also speculated to be about Bieber’s wife, Hailey Baldwin, and their sex life. Bieber’s upcoming album, which is yet to be titled, will be his first LP since 2015’s Purpose. Many fans theorize that Forever will be the title of the singer’s next album after he tattooed the word on his neck.
Normani – TBD
Source: Instagram
Release date: TBD
Normani released her first single as a solo artist, “Motivation,” in August. Though she had featured on tracks like Sam Smith’s “Dancing With a Stranger” and Khalid’s “Love Lies,” “Motivation”—which was written by Ariana Grande and Max Martin—was Normani’s first official solo project since Fifth Harmony disbanded in 2018 after four albums. Her debut solo album, which she said is inspired by ’90s R&B, is expected in 2020.
“I’m not just the artist that shows up, gets on stage, performs the record or go into the studio and cut the record,” Normani told Billboard about the upcoming LP in December 2019. “I’m producing from the ground up with such amazing people I’ve wanted to work with for such a long time and they’re teaching me. I’m writing on everything that I touch as well. I’ve been heavily involved and it’s been like, wow, self-discovery for me too because I’m like, ‘Oh, I can actually wear all of these hats and do them well.’”
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Source: Instagram
Release date: TBD
Future Nostalgia will be Dua Lipa’s second studio album after her self-titled debut album in 2017. The first single off the LP is “Don’t Start Now,” which Lipa released in November 2019. The song reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 2 on the U.K. chart. The singer told Metro in December 2019 that the album will incorporate disco and pop.
“What I wanted to do with this album was to break out of my comfort zone and challenge myself to make music that felt like it could sit alongside some of my favourite classic pop songs, whilst still feeling fresh and uniquely mine. My sound has naturally matured a bit as I’ve grown up but I wanted to keep the same pop sensibility as I had on the first record,” she said. “I realised that what I wanted to make was something that felt nostalgic but had something fresh and futuristic about it too.”
Lady Gaga – TBD
Source: Instagram
Release date: TBD
Gaga teased on her Instagram Story in September that her sixth studio album is on its way. “#LG6,” she wrote over a photo of her in the recording studio. The LP will follow her folk-inspired fifth album, Joanne. Other than that, Gaga hasn’t revealed much about her upcoming album. In March 2019, she responded to pregnancy rumors by revealing that the only thing she’s expecting is new music. “Rumors I’m pregnant? Yeah, I’m pregnant with #LG6,” she tweeted at the time. Months later, in October 2019, she trolled Adele by joking that the title of her upcoming release is the “Rolling in the Deep” singer’s name. “I’m calling my next album ADELE,” she wrote at the time. While she hasn’t specified the release date of LG6, fans expect it some time in 2020, especially after Gaga launched her beauty brand, Haus Laboratories, in 2019, which took up most of her time.
Adele – 30
Source: Instagram
Release date: TBD
There have been rumors about Adele’s fourth studio album for a while. Adele’s most recent album, 25, came out in 2015, which means that fans are well overdue for new music. According to Billboard, Adele confirmed in March 2019 that she was “working” on her next album while at a New York drag bar. (The singer was also photographed at a Manhattan recording studio soon after.) In May, Adele teased that her next album will be titled 30, which follow in the age theme of her previous records: 19, 21 and 25. “30 will be a drum n bass record,” she wrote in an Instagram post on her 31st birthday. As for when 30 will come out, we’re not sure, but we hope it’s by the end of 2020.
Rihanna – TBD
Source: Instagram
Release date: TBD
Rihanna told her Instagram followers in 2018 that her ninth studio album would be released in 2019. Throughout the year, Rihanna posted photos and videos of her in the recording studio. Fans were especially excited for new Rih music when her record label, Def Jam Recordings, tweeted a photo of her with the diamond emoji on December 26, 2019. However, the new year came and went and no new Rih music. So, R9 has to come out in 2020, right? We’re crossing our fingers. As for what the sound will be like, Rihanna told Vogue in October that it will be reggae-inspired.
“I like to look at it as a reggae-inspired or reggae-infused album,” she said “It’s not gonna be typical of what you know as reggae. But you’re going to feel the elements in all of the tracks. Reggae always feels right to me. It’s in my blood. It doesn’t matter how far or long removed I am from that culture, or my environment that I grew up in; it never leaves. It’s always the same high. Even though I’ve explored other genres of music, it was time to go back to something that I haven’t really homed in on completely for a body of work.”
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