Albums To Look Out For in 2014

Expected release date: February 25

Being cutting edge in modern times is almost impossible. The edge simply moves too fast. While so many modern artists are just trying to keep up with the beat, Annie Clark is marching to her own drum. Impeccably cool and confident, St. Vincent is an indie rock outlier—a timeless talent in an age that places too high a value on trends, scenes, waves, and post-whatevers. Previous to the Love This Giant collaboration with David Byrne, St. Vincent released some of her best work yet with Strange Mercy. Her self-titled album is due February 25, and the first single, "Birth In Reverse," is a great sign of things to come.

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Expected release date: TBA

About her next album, Grimes said to MTV Hive, "I’m thinking about making one that is a bit more experimental that I don’t put out as Grimes, because I want to stick with this pop aesthetic as Grimes. I’ve been working on more percussive noise music and also a lot of straight vocal music." This wasn't a big surprise coming from Grimes, whose work previous to Visions was more experimental and less accessible, but something has changed since then. About halfway through December of 2013, Grimes announced she had signed with Roc Nation management. With pop acts like Haim, MIA, and Rihanna on the roster, Roc Nation doesn't seem like the ideal place to partner up with if you're planning a percussive noise music album. Whatever Grimes does, there's a good chance it will be awesome. No matter how experimental she gets, her deep love for pop music always shines through.

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Expected release date: February 25

In late December, Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony Tiffith tweeted, "WE RAN 2013 WITH OUT DROPPING 1 ALBUM. I WONDER WUTS GONE HAPPEN IN 2014 WHEN I DROP 6.. THEY NOT READY 4 THIS #TDE #HiiiPoWeR TAKE OVER."

One of these six will undoubtedly be ScHoolboy Q’s Oxymoron. It's his first under a major label, and even though Habits and Contradictions was excellent, this feels like the project that could take ScHoolboy to the level of elites in hip-hop. So far, things haven't popped the way they did for Kendrick Lamar. Singles "Yay Yay," the Kendrick Lamar-featuring "Collard Greens," and "Man of the Year" have all been solid, but none have rushed the issue of an album release. Stepping out from the shadow of Kendrick isn't an easy task, but ScHoolboy's always been on his own shit, and if he sticks to that, this album could be one of hip-hop's best in 2014.

Expected release date: March 25

Recently discovered in the archives, the music on this album was recorded in the '80s and never released. For a reminder of how awesome Johnny Cash was in the '80s, watch the video below of him stepping on stage with Waylon Jennings in 1985 at Farm Aid and performing "Folsom Prison Blues."

Here's a trailer for the album:

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Expected release date: TBA

Thanks in part to Drake for introducing Sampha Sisay's voice to so many unfamiliar listeners with "Too Much," the debut album of this Young Turks signee is one of the most anticipated debuts in 2014. With a tendency to lean toward the electronic/experimental worlds, Sampha’s timeless soul and distinct voice give him a real shot at crossover success.

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Expected release date: February 14

This will be Beck’s first album since 2008's Modern Guilt, and according to Rolling Stone, "it is said to be a return to his Sea Change days, where he explored dissolving love through a collection of heartwrenching, slow acoustic numbers. Many of the same musicians that played on that album appear on Morning Phase, including longtime collaborator Smokey Hormel."

Beck sounded cool, comfortable, and confident on his John Lennon cover, his recent single "Gimme" was excellent and weird, and a return to Sea Change wouldn't be a bad thing. 2014 should be a good year for Beck.

Expected release dates: TBA

So TNGHT are on an indefinite hiatus, but luckily: a. they aren't breaking up (Hudson Mohawke made that very clear), and b. they'll be dropping solo projects. Considering that they tantalized listeners with one-off releases, but also both dominated 2013 separately—Lunice collaborating with the Maybach Music Group, and Hudson Mohawke appearing on essentially everything, from Yeezus to Nothing Was the Same to My Name is My Name—their solo projects are definitely two to look forward to.

Expected release date: January 14

"Red Dust" and "Cavalier," from James Vincent McMorrow's upcoming Post Tropical, are devastatingly beautiful. If the "tropical" in the album title or that flamingo on the cover has you imagining bouncy beats and a lighthearted feel, think the opposite—these serene sounds should be good company in the cold first months of 2014.

Expected release date: TBA

Atlanta rapper Killer Mike and NYC producer/rapper El-P—together known as Run The Jewels—made one of the best albums of 2013. And they gave it away for free. If you need any convincing to look forward to the second installment of Run The Jewels, you're a lost cause.

Expected release date: TBA

At the Hollywood premiere of her short film Tropico, Lana Del Rey announced that her next album is titled Ultra Violence. It was a bit of surprise since earlier in the year, Lana alluded to a "farewell." Since Born To Die, Lana has found herself in an odd position, hovering between indie crossover act and mainstream pop star. The title of the new album is a reference to A Clockwork Orange, so it'll be interesting to see what Lana has in store. We wouldn't be mad if it was an entire album of twisted murder ballads and psycho-analyzing pop.

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Expected release date: ???

Ok look, we don't have much on this one. But in 2013 Lykke Li shared an Instagram pic with producer Björn Yttling. The caption: "Me and the master hard at work in the studio...... xxx." There were three years between her debut album Youth Novels and her last album Wounded Rhymes, so it's about time.

Expected release date: TBA

After kicking 2013's ass and making the world's first (and kind of unnecessary but cool bc it's Pharrell) 24-hour music video, Pharrell announced that he was signing with Columbia and releasing a solo album. "Happy” will be included on it. Unlike so many of the trend-setting producers before and after him, Pharrell has managed to evolve at the perfect pace, maintaining and effortless relevance over an impressive span of time. Timeless? Yes. Immortal? Yes. Long live Pharrell. If he made the best album of 2075 we wouldn't be mad.

Expected release date: March 10

Between her fearless lyrics and catchy, hook-driven melodies, MØ has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting new acts to listen to today. She released her fantastic EP Bikini Daze earlier this fall and she's been in the studio with Diplo. If No Mythologies to Follow is on the level of the magnetic electro-pop she's offered up so far, it could be one of the year's strongest pop debuts.

Expected release date: June 2014

Charli XCX works at warp speed. Before we ever even really sunk our teeth into her major label debut album True Romance, released in April 2013, she'd already moved on and dropped the first single "SuperLove" from her forthcoming third album by September of the same year. While it took Charli five years to make True Romance, she says this one will be completed in just under a year with Patrik Berger (Robyn, Lana Del Rey) handling the production work and recording taking place mostly in Sweden.

In a Facebook fan Q&A she gave a rather visual description of what the new album will sound like:

The second record is inspired by sex, beauty, the female body, anger. All the songs I've written so far are the colour red. I'm inspired by the Ramones, the Waitresses, the Flying Lizards, lots of '60s French pop and by movies like Alicia Silverstone's The Crush and Faster Pussycat Kill Kill and Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains.

Expected release date: May 26

Though Sam Smth's only been on our radar for a little over a year thanks to a stand-out feature on Disclosure's "Latch" and his gorgeous Nirvana EP, since day one we've been wanting more. And on May 26, he'll officially release his debut album In the Lonely Hour which he recently teased with the album's lead single "Money On My Mind." From everything we've heard in the album's trailer, it looks to be a remarkably soulful project with major stateside crossover potential.

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Expected release date: TBA

2013 was arguably not a great year for women in hip-hop. That may change though with the return of hip-hop's reigning queen, Nicki Minaj, who is set to release her third album sometime next year. Although we don't know many other details on the upcoming project, Minaj did hint that the record will be a departure from her previous material, stating:

I'm really excited and the people that have been working with me now, have been people that I haven't worked with before so it's like they're bringing a new sound to the album that I've never experimented with and plus, I got so much to talk about.

And if you guys don't remember what it sounds like when Nicki talks her shit (after all, it has been a year and a half since her last proper release), just listen to her scorching new freestyle "Boss Ass Bitch."

Expected release date: January 2014

It's kind of hard to believe we first heard Azealia Banks' "212" over two years ago and still haven't received a debut album from the young Harlem rapper-singer. Twitter feuds and release date set backs aside, Broke with Expensive Taste should finally arrive in January 2014. And it will include her breakthrough single "212" as well as the album's lead single "Yung Rapunxel." The album will also feature Theophilus London, Kevin Hussein, and Toko Yasuda.

It won't, however, feature her collaboration with Disclosure which she scrapped after a "really rude" interview the duo did that apparently pissed her off. She's also tweeted about removing her previously released Pharrell collaboration "ATM Jam" from the album. We shall see what ends up making the cut.

Expected release date: TBA

We have no concrete details about Jamie xx's debut solo album other than a recent confirmation on Benji B's radio show that the record was on its way, and a couple of recent songs which will presumably featue. In various interviews Jamie has also mentioned "mixtape" which will include contributions from Four Tet and his xx bandmates, so there will hopefully be lots more great stuff from the talented producer in 2014.

It'll just be ready when it's ready.

Expected release date: March 18

The Black Lips just toured the Middle East, but they return to that jangly southern rock sound on their new single, "Boys in the Wood." For Underneath The Rainbow, the band spent time recording with The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney, so expect some bluesy, rootsy, and untamed results.