The 25 Most Anticipated Albums of Summer 2012

Image via Complex Original

Release Date: 6/26/2012
Label: United Music and Media Group/Fontana
Producers: Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease
Collaborations: Machine Gun Kelly
Singles: "I Don't Dance"

Hip-hop's favorite loose cannon is finally ready to step back into the spotlight, and dammit, we can't wait. In his absence, rappers have shed the hard exterior, in favor of a more curated aesthetic, and they've shun the tough-guy posturing to instead get more in touch with their feelings.

We love the softer stuff as much as the next listener, but X's aggressive energy and rough-around-the-edges approach is sorely missed. Look for X to exhibit some of the growth he's experienced over the past few years, while still bringing the excitement that has made him a legend.

Release Date: 6/26/2012
Label: Warner Bros.
Producers: Rick Rubin, Mike Shinoda
Collaborations: N/A
Singles: "Burn it Down"

Debuting 12 years ago with the certified-diamond Hybrid Theory, the L.A. rock/rap band Linkin Park has resisting the temptation to simply repeat their successful formula. "Whenever we get in the studio we react really badly to anything feeling like it's a throwback or a repeat of what we've done," Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda recently told Complex. "As long as it feels like we're taking a step forward it feels good." After an exclusive preview of the band's fifth album, we can say that it's a big step forward. The lead single "Burn it Down"-co-produced by Shinoda and the legendary Rick Rubin-puts aside the screaming and shredding guitars in favor of a warmer but no less intense sound.

Release Date: 7/2/2012
Label: Shady/Aftermath/Interscope
Producers: Dr. Dre, Eminem
Collaborations: Eminem
Singles: "Girls Go Wild"

It's been a few years since excitement for a new 50 Cent project was this high, but after an impressive showing on his The Big 10 mixtape released in March, it showed that 50 is ready for a comeback. The focus and the hunger is evident, and it sounds like someone's turned the clock back on hip-hop's favorite bad guy. Label disagreements permitting, 2012 could be the year that 50 Cent makes a return to the charts.

Release Date: 6/12/2012
Label: Domino Records
Producers: N/A
Collaborations: N/A
Singles: "Flutes," "Night and Day"

Of all the electropop groups that burst on the music scene in the early to mid 2000s, few have maintained the consistency displayed by British five-piece Hot Chip. Across the board, their albums have retained the crucial dance floor elements that garnered them attention in the first place while never growing stale. That's why, even with four albums under their belt, we're itching to hear where the electro masters in Hot Chip head next on their new album, In Our Heads.

Release Date: 5/22/2012
Label: Sony Music Distribution
Producers: R. Kelly
Collaborations: N/A
Singles: "Share My Love"

It's been a long time coming for the king of modern r&b, but R. Kelly is finally ready to make us remember him for what he does inside the booth, instead of outside of it. The singing and songwriting ability has always been there, but with Kells' newfound focus and energy, we're excited to see what he's got in store for us on the upcoming Write Me Back.

Release Date: July 17
Label: Bad Boy
Producers: Lex Luger
Collaborations: Rick Ross
Singles: "Shot Caller"

French had a big 2011, riding the wave of several street hits and guest features, eventually leading to his first major label situation when he inked with Bad Boy. He's shown his proficiency at writing catchy hooks and spitting entertaining verses, but writing a full cohesive work will be his biggest challenge yet. He's finally gotten all the support he needs, and we think his debut album will come together quite nicely.

Release Date: N/A
Label: Warp
Producers: Flying Lotus
Collaborations: N/A
Singles: N/A

Given the universal acclaim of his previous album—2010's nearly flawless Cosmogramma—it's almost an understatement to call Flying Lotus' next release anticipated. Further feeding into that sentiment is the fact that the Los Angeles producer has only gotten better with each subsequent release. With that in mind, you would think the pressure would be immense for FlyLo. But think again: he debuted a slew of tracks from his new album, Until the Quiet Comes, at this year's Coachella and had the place roaring.

Release Date: N/A
Label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic
Producers: Big KRIT, DJ Toomp
Collaborations: Brandy, B.o.B, Big KRIT
Singles: "Love This Life"

Unlike on 2010's No Mercy-released after the first of his two most recent prison stints-T.I. has returned with his trademark energy and charisma. His Fuck da City Upmixtape-released on new year's day-saw T.I. finally regaining his footing, and he has since had solid showings on a handful of recent features.

The release of Trouble Man will either re-establish Tip as a hip-hop superstar, setting the foundation for a career resurgence, or it will serve as a hurdle as trying as his back-to-back prison sentences. Expect the king to rise to the occasion.

Release Date: 6/19/2012
Label: Mosely/Interscope
Producers: Salaam Remi, Rodney Jerkins (who produced “Big Hoops”), Bob Rock, Tiesto, John Shanks and Da Genius
Collaborations: Fraser T. Smith, Mike Angelakos, Kenyan Boys Choir
Singles: "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)"

The last time the Grammy-winning Canadian cutie Nelly Furtado took a few years off from the game, she returned with the 2006 album Loose, a groundbreaking record full of banging beats by Timbaland that brought out her sexy side. Three years later she made a softer Spanish-language album, Mi Plan, but now she's back with another banger.

Although Timbaland is not on board this time around, judging by the first Rodney-Jerkins-produced single "Big Hoops (The Bigger The Better)" Nelly's taking it back to that Loose vibe, but perhaps even more experimental. "I don't wanna talk about sex, wanna express myself tonight," she sings. Go ahead girl!

Release Date: 8/28/2012
Label: Maybach Music Group/Warner Bros
Producers: N/A
Collaborations: N/A
Singles: N/A

Cam'ron originally occupied this spot, but when Meek Mill announced he had a release date during the MMG press conference we knew the Philly spitter had to take his spot. Meek has proven he can make street anthems with songs like "Tupac Back" and "House Party" and of course he's got Rozay in his corner. We're looking for him to make some more street hits but mix it up with a few Billboard bangers as well.

Release Date: 6/22/2012
Label: RCA
Producers: David Guetta, The Runners, Brian Kennedy, Drumma Boy, That Bizness, Polow da Don, Jason "JP" Perry, Danja, The Underdogs, Fuego
Collaborations: Big Sean, Asher Roth
Singles: "Turn up the Music," "Sweet Love," "Till I Die"

Chris Brown may have thrown a wrench in his career trajectory, a few years ago, but the good music never stopped coming. Now, Breezy's reinvented himself by establishing himself as both a rapper and a singer, as well as adding a little more edge to his once youthful sound. Look for Fortune to mark the official return of Chris Brown, whether you're ready for it or not.

Release Date: 6/5/2012
Label: Def Jam
Producers: Big KRIT
Collaborations: B.B. King, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, 8Ball & MJG, Anthony Hamilton, Yelawolf
Singles: "I Got This"

Since releasing his mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here in 2010, Mississippi's Big K.R.I.T. has been building his pedigree, not only on the mic, but on the boards, too. Last year's 4eva N a Day mixtape saw K.R.I.T. bounce back from the underwhelming Return Of 4eva. Now signed to Def Jam for his debut studio album, look for Live From The Underground to build on the growth he's experienced over the past two years and allow him to shine, both lyrically and musically.

Release Date: 6/12/2012
Label: RCA
Producers: Diplo, Swedish House Mafia, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love
Collaborations: Rick Ross
Singles: "Climax," "Scream," "Lemme See"

Usher may be growing into the bearded elder-statesman role, but his tempo hasn't slowed and neither has his dominance on the charts. Managing to reinvent himself, without abandoning his strengths in the process, Usher's sultry singing has enticed a new generation of listeners. Expect to hear more pop and dance influence on Looking For Myself, as well as the baby-making music that we've all come to love from him.

Release Date: 6/5/2012
Label: Jet Life Recordings/Warner Bros.
Producers: Monsta Beatz, Pharrell, Daz, BINK!, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Tone P, DJ Toomp
Collaborations: Wale, Pharrell, Wiz Khalifa, Big KRIT
Singles: "What It Look Like," "Capitol"

In recent years, Curren$y has shunned the rapidfire output of material he was once known for, and instead has settled into the practice of taking his time to craft complete projects. In an age of serial collaboration, he's also become an anomaly, in that he often opts to do full projects with only one producer.

Freshly relieved of his obligations to Dame Dash though, Spitta's going in an entirely new direction. This time around, he's recruiting everybody. Expect the leader of the Jets camp to experiment with a new sound, while collaborating with some of the game's biggest stars.

RELATED: INTERVIEW: CURREN$Y TALKS THE STONED IMMACULATE

Release Date: 7/24/2012
Label: Columbia
Producers: N/A
Collaborations: N/A
Singles: N/A

Passion Pit's 2009 album Manners was one of the few indie albums that started off obscure and ended up slowly spreading into the mainstream. After a year, songs like "Sleepyhead" had permeated college campuses, radio stations, and television commercials. After the success of their debut, it's going to be interesting to see if Passion Pit sticks to their energetic, slightly spastic pop or if they switch things up. When asked about the album, the band said their sound was "expansive." That makes sense when you consider how much their audience has grown.

Release Date: 6/19/2012
Label: Island
Producers: Mike Posner, Mason Levy, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Dr. Luke, Will.i.am, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Kanye West, Bei Maejor
Collaborations: Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Drake
Singles: "Boyfriend"

No longer just a tween sensation, Justin Bieber is all grown up now, as his recent Complex cover made perfectly clear. His next album is expected to be the record that solidifies his position as a young man in the pop promised land. The fact that he's been working with Timbaland has inevitably led to comparisons with that other Justin who flawlessly transitioned from boy band to grown-and-sexy hitmaker. But reports of JayBee collaborating with Drake, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Usher and Ludacris-as well as his snap-rap-flavored lead single "Boyfriend"-make it clear that he's charting his own course to adulthood. Even those who can't are not true Justin Bieber believers will be listening closely to see how the world's hottest tween megastar reinvents himself. Michael Jackson pulled it off, and JayBee believes he can too. Who's betting against him?

Release Date: June 26
Label: Maybach Music Group/Warner Bros/Def Jam
Producers: Beat Billionaire, Tone Beats, Jahlil Beats, Lil Lody
Collaborations: T Pain, Fabolous, Waka Flocka Flame
Singles: "Bag of Money"

2011's Self Made Vol. 1 was an impressively well-put-together posse album that really helped establish the Maybach Music sound while allowing each artist to express his own individual style. This time around there's been a couple additions to the roster, as well as the emergence of Gunplay and the exit of Pill. Expect Self Made Vol. 2 to pick up where volume one left off, only with added focus and polish.

Release Date: 6/26/2012
Label: Epic
Producers: N/A
Collaborations: N/A
Singles: "Every Single Night"

With '90s nostalgia at an all-time high-and younger ladies like Lana Del Rey exploring her old terrain-Fiona Apple came back into the spotlight at exactly the right moment. Apple's unconventional outlook, heavy lyrics, and powerful voice never really went out of style-and as a result she's come back to open arms. With a long-awaited return comes high expectations, but with her first single, the impactful and poetic "Every Single Night," she not only lived up to the hype, but created even more.

Release Date: 8/28/2012
Label: Rostrum Records/Atlantic
Producers: 1500 or Nothin', Benny Blanco, Pharrell Williams, Rico Love, StarGate, will.i.am.
Collaborations: Chris Brown, The Weeknd, Adam Levine, Cam'ron, Currensy, Mac Miller, 2 Chainz, Pharrell
Singles: "Work Hard, Play Hard"

Wiz Khalifa has a decision to make. After building his career with street and blog buzz, many of his original fans felt that his debut album Rolling Papers had more pop influence than they could handle. However, his latter tunes have made him an international superstar and household name. We're interested to see whether Wiz opts to remind his original fans that he's still that dude he always was, or whether his new life is too nice to trade for the street respect he once coveted. Our bet is on the latter-with just a touch of Taylor Gang grit-and we couldn't be more excited about it.

Release Date: 7/17/2012
Label: Def Jam
Producers: Salaam Remi, No I.D.
Collaborations: Rick Ross
Singles: "Nasty," "The Don," "Daughters"

Nas is back-for real. Although the legendary MC's career has been a bit of a roller-coaster through the years, ever since his much-slept-on album with Damian Marley Distant Relatives dropped in 2010, Nas has been in a zone.

The first sign of his second wind was a stellar guest appearance on Common's “Ghetto Dreams,” after which he blessed Rick Ross' with an incredible verse on “Triple Beam Dreams.”

But the comeback really became official after he dropped "Nasty," "The Don," and "Daughters"—three incredible singles that should appear on his tenth solo album, Life Is Good (unless he decides to put them on his forthcoming mixtape The Lost Tapes 2).

With Salaam Remi and No I.D. on the boards bringing a sound that's reminiscient of the old school, Life Is Good has us all salivating for the triumphant return that fans of the God MC have been waiting for.

Release Date: 6/12/2012
Label: 1017 Brick Squad/Asylum/Warner Bros.
Producers: Southside, Lex Luger
Collaborations: Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj
Singles: "Round of Applause," "I Don't Really Care"

The year 2011 was a tough one for Waka Flocka. Frustration with the music industry made him contemplate retirement, which was only compounded by the murder of his close friend and frequent collaborator Slim Dunkin, later in the year. We expect Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family to expose a matured and-get this-more contemplative Flocka, while still bringing that same energy and excitement that we've all become accustomed to.

Release Date: N/A
Label: A$AP Worldwide/Polo Grounds/RCA
Producers: Clams Casino, Hit-Boy, Pharrell, T-Minus, Boi-1da
Collaborations: Schoolboy Q
Singles: "Goldie"

Harlem came back in a big way in 2011, with the emergence of A$AP Rocky and his crew of flashy young Uptown boys. Songs like “Pe$o” and “Purple Swag” generated the buzz, but it was his mixtape LiveLoveA$AP that proved that he has what it takes to craft a strong body of work and land a $3 million deal with RCA / Polo Grounds. With the new single “Goldie” already gaining momentum, the stakes are higher and Rocky's buzz is even greater than ever. Expect to hear a more polished effort this time around from that PMF.

Release Date: 8/14/2012
Label: Def Jam
Producers: Drumma Boy, Mike Will, Kanye West
Collaborations: Drake, Kanye West
Singles: "No Lie"

In 2011, 2 Chainz (formerly known as Tity Boi) resuscitated his career with the breakout mixtape T.R.U. Realigion, and several street bangers that broke out of the Atlanta market and gained national radioplay. Since then, he's done a ton of high-profile features, signed a deal with Def Jam and garnered the respect of industry heavyweights like Kanye West. The next step for 2 Chainz is prove that he's got staying power. With a big budget and an even bigger buzz, we expect a monster effort from Atlanta's newest superstar.

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Release Date: July 31
Label: Maybach Music Group/Warner Bros/Def Jam
Producers: Dr. Dre, JUSTICE League, The Alchemist, Just Blaze
Collaborations: Drake, Lil Wayne
Singles: "You The Boss," "I Love My Bitches"

Believe it or not, it's been two years since Rick Ross's last solo album Teflon Don hit stores. Since then, his stature in the game has grown exponentially, with the growth of the Maybach Music Group brand, his epic Rich Forevermixtape-arguably the best rap album of 2012 so far-and a handful of stellar guest appearances.

God Forgives, I Don't will likely determine Rick Ross's place in hip-hop history. The smart money says that Rick Ross will continue the growth curve he's exhibited with his first four releases-but expectations are higher than ever. If this record does what it's supposed to do, the Bawse will perfectly positioned to stake his claim as one of the greatest who ever did it.

Release Date: N/A
Label: G.O.O.D./Def Jam
Producers: Hit-Boy, S1
Collaborations: 2 Chainz
Singles: "Mercy"

The G.O.O.D. Music family came into 2012 on a roll. The year 2011 saw strong efforts from a rejuvenated Common and Pusha T, a rise to stardom by Big Sean, and stellar collaborative albums from Kid Cudi (WZRD) and Kanye West (Watch The Throne), respectively. With the additions of Hit Boy and Q-Tip behind the boards, John Legend on keys and vocals, and cats like 2Chainz bringing that ATL trap rap as he did on "Mercy," we fully expect the G.O.O.D. Music album to set the standard for all hip-hop posse albums to come.