Missing in Action: Our Favorite Artists Who Went Silent in 2018

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This was mostly just wishful thinking, at least at first. Rihanna was the JAY-Z of pop on her first seven albums, impacting the fourth quarter as reliably as Daylight Savings Time. Then Anti and the extended hiatus leading up to it broke that run. Rihanna has simply become too powerful, imperial, and rich to move on anyone else’s time but her own. Recently, she’s only gotten richer. With a full-on beauty product empire bringing in makeup bags full of cash, she might be even less bothered with recording. She gave a stray tease in an interview, before a Rolling Stone feature revealed she’s been going hard with producer camps in search of a reggae, tropic-tinged sound. Then, finally, she wrote on Instagram that a new album will be coming in 2019. Like Anti, we're sure it will be worth the wait. —Frazier Tharpe

PartyNextDoor has lent Drake more sauce than Quentin Miller, and at one point he was poised to be, if not the next Weeknd, then the next Dream: a prolific writer (“Work,” “Shining”) whose solo career would be beloved, even if it might not transcend his hits for others. Then the project that was supposed to put him on the map ended up paling in comparison to his mixtape material. He’s also released EPs and tapes here and there that stuck like uncooked pasta. Worse yet, they vary in tone and sound, like he’s still trying to find his footing of where to go next.

We had our fingers crossed for a 2018 return to form, but not only did that not happen, Party barely appeared at all. Drake even dropped a 25-track album and his once go-to secret weapon was reduced to a production credit on one of Side A’s more tepid songs (“Elevate”) and a writing credit on “Ratchet Happy Birthday,” which might explain why that song is more charming than it has any right to be. PND, wya? —Frazier Tharpe

Renzel gave us a top 10 album of 2017 in my book, and he seemed ready to do it again in 2018, with a sequel to his debut Port of Miami. He dropped a few songs, notably the underrated “Green Gucci Suit” with Future in the summer, but we saw no further solo movement from him after that. Guest verses for the likes of Pusha-T and the fact that he held his own against Jigga on “What’s Free” shows he’s still sharp as ever. And recently, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League hinted that the classic magic they’ve made with Ross will be plentiful on PoM2 whenever it comes. —Frazier Tharpe

Where the hell is Eternal Atake? The arrival of Lil Uzi Vert's second studio album has seemed to be right around the corner for the majority of 2018, but the year ended with more questions than answers for fans of the Philly rapper. Over the past 12 months, there was a mysterious "hacked" Instagram account, a beef with the Heaven's Gate cult, a concert where he told all his fans they're going to hell, and more than a few viral moments, but no album. Then in December, he announced the project was finished, but then cruelly told everyone, "If you waited this long, why not wait a little longer?" Sure, it's only been 16 months since Uzi dropped Love Is Rage 2, but for an artist who records more than 700 songs a year, it's a borderline injustice that we haven't heard an album from him in 2018. Let's hope the dry streak finally ends in 2019. —Eric Skelton

Top Dawg Entertainment is in the midst of its imperial phase, and following the release of Jay Rock's Redemption, ScHoolboy Q seemed primed to have his big moment. I have a theory that following DAMN, TDE has figured out how to make the music that is authentic to their sound, while presenting it in a more commercially palatable way, in order to take them to the next level as solo acts and as a label overall. We saw Kendrick do it on his fourth, most popular, and arguably best album. Then he passed that game to Jay Rock with similar results. It feels like Q is next to take that formula and soar with it. He might have done it this year, but following the death of his longtime friend and collaborator Mac Miller, Q disclosed that he was shelving his album temporarily because he couldn’t bare to do the press rounds and have to face questions about Miller. No one can put a schedule on bereavement leave. When Q’s ready, I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait. —Frazier Tharpe

Big Sean DMX’d 2017 with his fourth studio album, which was cool (but not as cool as Dark Sky Paradise), plus a collab with Metro Boomin that didn’t have the critical impact he likely wanted. Still, fans were excited for a tour he promised this year, which was set to prioritize classic mixtape material for the day ones. Then he pulled the plug on that, sat G.O.O.D. Music Summer out completely, and receded from the game in general, besides a show-stopping verse on “Big Bank.” If you believe the tabloids, his love life has seen another overhaul, too. I don’t care about the gossip, all I’m saying is last time Sean had a high-profile break-up (not an amicable split with Ariana), we got shit like “4th Quarter” and “IDFWU.” Whether it’s over seven soul samples from Ye or his hometown talent like Key Wane and Amaire Johnson, let’s hope time off and plenty of real life source material helps Sean get back in the booth, laser focused. —Frazier Tharpe

When 2018 began, Justin Bieber seemed poised to finally deliver the follow-up to 2015's Purpose. Instead, he spent the year focusing on his personal life and proposed to Hailey Baldwin. Unfortunately for fans who were expecting to hear new music from the Biebs in 2018, he said his main priority was to get married. By year's end, the couple did eventually tie the knot, so it looks like we might finally get that long-awaited album in 2019 (and be treated to our first taste of married Bieber). In the meantime, at least we can keep replaying “No Brainer” and his TMZ rap about Jesus. The year wasn't a total loss, after all. —Eric Skelton

Donald is a multi-hyphenate, and he loves to strike all at once just to remind us how much of a savant we’re fucking with. This spring, he gave us SNL, Atlanta, Solo, and "This Is America" at the same damn time. That gave way to two more songs on the Summer Pack EP and a tour, which all but signaled an album was imminent—maybe even the final Childish Gambino album. But that moment never came. His tour is back in production following an injury, though, and he’s leading the buzzworthy Lion King remake next year. Gambino wasn't completely silent this year, but it looks like 2019 might be the year we finally get that long-awaited project. There are plenty of opportunities on the schedule to hit us over the head with his genius yet again. —Frazier Tharpe