Complex’s 25 Most Anticipated Albums of 20103:23 pm | Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
In a business where release dates shift for multiple years before an LP actually drops, it’s tough to really get excited for an artist’s new album. But we’re starting the new year off with an optimistic attitude—2010 is gonna be filled with some fuckin’ amazing albums. Halfway through January, we’ve already seen a few solid releases (Vampire Weekend’s Contra and Kanye’s Storytellers), but the best is yet to come.
To let you know what’s in store for 2010, we rounded up all the albums we’re expecting this year (key word being expecting—forget pipe-dream releases like Detox), including everything from the psychedelic indie rock of Yeasayer to Drake’s long-awaited debut. See who made the cut with Complex’s 25 Most Anticipated Albums of 2010…
#25: Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1
RELEASE DATE? First Half of 2010
PRODUCERS/COLLABORATORS: Nas, Santigold
WHAT WE KNOW: The iconic NYC trio’s first proper album in 5 years was originally supposed to drop last fall, but was delayed after MCA was diagnosed with cancer. Expect the boys to build on the retro style of To The 5 Boroughs for an album they described as “strange” and “bizarre” in a BBC interview. After their Nas duet “Too Many Rappers” got a good buzz going last summer, we’re eager to see what they drop next.
#24: Nicki Minaj TBD
RELEASE DATE? Third Quarter
PRODUCERS/COLLABORATORS: Polow Da Don (rumored), JR Rotem (rumored), Young Money
WHAT WE KNOW: Fresh off a hit mixtape and some song-stealing verses on the Young Money album, our recent Hot Complex is easily the most buzzed-about female rapper in a decade. She recently took a break from touring to focus on finishing her debut, and teased the fact that she might leak a single called “Married In The Club” (nope, no sign of it yet). With mixtape records like “I Get Crazy” and “Itty Bitty Piggy” still getting burn, expectations for her debut are high.
#23: Pac Div Grown Kid Syndrome
RELEASE DATE? Summer 2010
PRODUCERS/COLLABORATORS: Swiff D, The Neptunes (rumored)
WHAT WE KNOW: These three Cali kids had everyone bumping their Church League Champions mixtape last year (even Diddy…in the lambo!), and their new mixtape “Don’t Mention It” should be dropping any day. Their official debut is now slated for some time this summer—expect more futuristic boom-bap goodness from in-house producer Swiff D, along with whatever came out of that week they spent in Miami with Pharrell.
#22: Common The Believer
RELEASE DATE? Summer 2010
PRODUCERS/COLLABORATORS: Kanye West, No I.D.
WHAT WE KNOW: Right around the time Common’s last LP, Universal Mind Control, dropped and people didn’t like it so much, due to its dance faux-future feel, he began talking up his next endeavor: an entirely No I.D. and Kanye West produced album. While no details have leaked, Common has clearly made the best music of his career with these guys so The Believer will hopefully recapture that magic.
#21: Hot Chip One Life Stand
RELEASE DATE? February 8, 2010
PRODUCERS/COLLABORATORS: N/A
WHAT WE KNOW: The kings of British electropop never disappoint, so we’re expecting their fourth album to bring them even more mainstream exposure than their 2008 album Made In The Dark (are we the only ones who want them to cross over?). In fact, the new LP leaked last week, led by the single “One Life Stand,” and from our first listen, it seems like their most pop-friendly album to date.
• CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REST OF THE COUNTDOWN (ALBUM #20 – #16)
ya dig January 21, 2010 at 11:49 pm
j cole up next to make a classic
nate easy January 22, 2010 at 12:23 am
caint wait for jay electronica to drop, dude is on another level
Carlito January 22, 2010 at 1:21 am
what about the nas and damien marley project, distant relatives?
raf January 22, 2010 at 3:42 am
great job calling james murphy a UK dance-punbk band
yourstruly January 22, 2010 at 5:30 am
you’re tripping Kanye’s album should be #1 [for his production alone].
Where’s the Nas & Damian Marley??? Or the new Sade???
Please dig deeper!!!
I’m from Cali, you forgot Game’s “The Red Album” or Dr. Dre’s Detox???
let me know when yo stop…
jisd January 22, 2010 at 7:15 am
Ludacris Battle of The Sexes out March 16 gonna be dope.
SupaSeon January 22, 2010 at 10:22 am
@yourstruly…that Detox bullshit aint never coming out…and if it did who the fcuk cares…that whole label over hyped and their music don’t back up their so call talent…as far as Game’s album I can’t wait…Game is the shit…and KanYe’s album should be #1
nameBrandn January 22, 2010 at 1:53 pm
one word. Kanye
mynameis January 22, 2010 at 3:21 pm
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abren14 January 23, 2010 at 1:09 am
carter 4 at #7? woow so much young money dick riding. another example .. drake at 1. kids good but kanyes album will be massive
briana January 23, 2010 at 8:56 pm
KANYE come on loves drake dizzy but kanye will kill dude on the mic anyday or time he’s a insane lyricaly!! plus the swag OMG talk about robbing the cradle
kiddomikey January 23, 2010 at 10:22 pm
what happen to N.E.R.D ?
and Game R.E.D. ?
timothy January 24, 2010 at 9:33 pm
good call on drizzy. So much buzz in 09 it’s crazy. That kanye album is gonna be massive as well. Woulda liked to see lupe higher but I mean hey. Good work. Tbh I’m looking forward to almost everything listed. MIA, Santogold, MGMT, Cudi. Theres a lot going on in 2010
W.A.S January 25, 2010 at 10:16 am
Definitely lupe should have been higher, i think this might be his best yet, in case you haven’t heard I’m Beaming or the 2min clip of “Army Girl”, it’s gonna be MASSIVE. (lil wayne should have been #26) : )
blaccghost January 25, 2010 at 2:06 am
ghost/doom top 5…yall playing with this silly ish, homos do run the world
htwon new yorker January 25, 2010 at 11:51 am
wow really complex really…go redo ur list and add the great escape on there NOW!..joe budden the great escape and remove that young jezzy bullshit..who anticipates young jezzy still talking about the trap in his fourth album…dang we get it you sold white..ok! tell me something else and make sense speaking about it also…joe budden and j.cole best rappers alive and will have the best albums of 2010 be prepared to say so complex!…iight i’m done
John Henry January 26, 2010 at 2:41 pm
What about redman?
Joy January 26, 2010 at 2:48 pm
um wow. *blank stare* don’t understand how Drake is numero uno and Lupe didn’t break top 10. Okay bump that; didn’t break top 5. What is Jeezy doing at #5?!
Significant January 26, 2010 at 2:49 pm
J COLE is tha one 2 watch 4…and Jay Electronica should put out some fye this year
dollabeelz January 27, 2010 at 9:41 am
im waiting for teflon don by rick ross, i could be on my own but to me he had the best street album of 09
mike January 27, 2010 at 10:08 pm
LUPE FIASCO! he should be higher on da list
and where’s nas ans damien marley album.
And FUCK lil wayne and tha carter 4!
he’s very mediocre at best!
Realhiphop January 28, 2010 at 8:24 pm
all that shits wack but not common he inspirse me
and fuck lil wayne all the way and death to young money
Realhiphop January 28, 2010 at 8:27 pm
JUSTICE YEAH
TCKDOPE January 29, 2010 at 10:19 pm
the Cool kids are droppin their album soon, and wayne get a slot for 2 pushed back albums
WTF !!!
John January 30, 2010 at 4:05 pm
WHY THE HELL ISNT JANET JACKSON ON THEREE !? SHES SOLD WAY MORE RECORDS THEN EVERYONE ELSE, AND IS JUST WAY MORE TALLENED THEN ALL OF THEM!!!!!!!! and DRAKE .. well he cant do a decent song by himself
sean February 1, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Cassie Electro Love should be on here
smurph February 1, 2010 at 11:46 pm
detox aint dropping until 2012
Buay Wuol February 2, 2010 at 7:50 pm
J. Cole’s album is the one I’m looking forward to the most.
Reggie February 5, 2010 at 3:40 pm
they all suck
Brandon February 9, 2010 at 10:26 pm
J COLE AND YE’ ALBUM!!!! CANT WAIT..THAY BOTH GUNNA TOP THE CHARTS!! AND KILL ANY RAPPER..ESPECIALLY WAYNES WEAK ASS!!!!
Ray Perez February 10, 2010 at 3:44 pm
wow drake #1? he’s good but not good enough to beat j.cole, kanye, jeezy, and common. other than that this year is gonna be another great year for music alot of great albums coming out. mgmt, justice, kanye, j.cole, common, kid cudi, jeezy, and drake. damn ima be broke hahaha
206dizzy February 23, 2010 at 10:20 am
DRAKE^#1, CUDI^#2, Kanye^#3, COLE^#4, JEEZY^#5—– dATS HOW IT IS N HOW ITS GONNA BE KANYE WILL NOT SELL MORE DEN CUDI PONIT BLANK JUS B/C THE SIMPLE FACT THAT CUDI IS ALREADY BETTER THAN KANYE MUSIC WISE N WE ENTERING A NEW ERA SO J,COLE, DRAKE, CUDI R GONNA B THE NEW MAIN ARTIST OF 2010 N WIZ KALIFA N PAC DIVISION 4 DA YOUNG NIGGAS
206dizzy February 23, 2010 at 10:22 am
O N SHOUT OUT 2 LUPE….. BUT WHERES JUELZ?????
eman May 4, 2010 at 8:37 pm
man nicki, eminem, kanye, n drake should be at the top
Razvan May 5, 2010 at 7:33 am
hate that nicki all she does is look good.I honestly think kanye gonna have the best album and outsell drake.I mean drake is good but not that good.