We’re about halfway into 2021 and so far, there have been a number of amazing albums released. Demi Lovato’s “Dancing With The Devil…The Art Of Starting Over,” “Taylor Swift’s re-recording of her second studio album “Fearless” and Byun Baekhyun of EXO’s “Bambi” are some of the most talked about albums released this year so far.
The year isn’t over, though; we have at least eight months ahead of us to see what else the music industry has to offer. While there are tons of albums I’m looking forward to, here are a few I’m excited for the most!
- Planet Her by Doja Cat
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After the release of her highly successful second studio album “Hot Pink,” people are curious to see how Doja Cat will top it with her third studio album “Planet Her.” Fortunately, listeners have been given a peek of the album with the release of “Kiss Me More,” the album’s lead single featuring fellow singer SZA. The song is infectious and lively, and I think it gives audiences a great idea as to how the album will sound.
With Doja Cat’s catchy melodies, spectacular music video visuals and unique stage performances, I can’t wait for the album’s release!
- Alpha by CL
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Originally slated to be released in November of 2020, “Alpha” is the upcoming debut studio album by CL, former leader of South Korean girl group 2NE1. GZBs, which CL lovingly calls her fanbase, have been given a sneak peek of the album with the release of the singles “+HWA+” and “+5 STAR+” in October 2020. While it is uncertain as to what month the album will be released this year, GZBs continue to show CL support as she works hard on the album and makes a name for herself in the United States.
As someone who has been a longtime fan of CL, I am hoping the album will be a big break for her. She absolutely deserves the success.
- Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land by Marina
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One of the most well-known indie-pop artists, Marina’s anticipated fifth studio album “Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land” is to be released on June 11th of this year. With the release of album singles “Man’s World” and “Purge the Poison,” fans are curious to see what direction Marina will take. Personally, it seems as though she’s going back to her roots ala “The Family Jewels,” her debut studio album. As someone who loves the album’s raw honesty and deep lyrics, it would be interesting to see Marina revisit this era with a more mature attitude and mindset.
Nevertheless, I’m excited to see how the album pans out for Marina!
- Sour by Olivia Rodrigo
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A lot of artists have been on the rise this year, but one that most individuals are familiar with is Olivia Rodrigo. Starting out as an actress in Disney productions such as “Bizaardvark” and “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Olivia Rodrigo released her debut single “Driver’s License” on January 8th of this year. The single received critical and commercial acclaim, breaking a number of records and even reaching number one on the Billboard 100. It will also be serving as the lead single for her debut studio album “Sour,” with the song “Deja Vu” serving as the second.
I’ve never heard of Olivia Rodrigo until the release of “Driver’s License,” but I am curious to see where her place in music will be once “Sour” is released.
- SZA: TBA
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While audiences are uncertain as to when SZA’s upcoming studio album will be released, it is safe to assume it will be this year. After the release of her debut studio album “Ctrl” (which is still charting on the Billboard 200 to this day), audiences are curious to see what SZA’s upcoming solo music will sound like. With the release of the songs “Hit Different” (featuring Ty Dolla Sign) and “Good Days,” fans are ready for another stellar album from SZA. “Good Days” peaked at number nine on the Billboard 100, which made it SZA’s first top ten single as a solo artist.
After seeing how popular the two songs are, it’s safe to say that people cannot wait for SZA’s new album. I know I am!
There are definitely more albums to come this year, but these five are some of the few I’m highly looking forward to! If you’ve never heard of the aforementioned artists before, I definitely urge you to check out their albums once they come out! Hopefully, you won’t be disappointed.