The end of the year is perhaps the most productive time for the music industry. Artists across all genres drop new songs and albums as a means of building hype for the following year. This was when Beyoncé surprised the world with the release of her self-titled LP in 2013 and when Taylor Swift, a year later, broke the record for the first platinum-selling album in 2014 with the debut of “1989” — which is currently still in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.¶
Here is a handy list of all of the confirmed and rumored musical endeavors that your favorite artists are set to release in late 2015.
Adele (“25,” November): The follow up to “21” has been expected for a while. After multiple rumors and speculation, the London native’s new album, “25,” was confirmed for a release in November 2015. In the past, Adele’s chart toppers have been inspired by heartbreak. For this album, however, it’s safe to say you can expect some mood-lifting bangers. The four years since her last LP have seen cheery times for Adele, as she has had a baby boy, has been in a serious relationship and won an Academy Award for her James Bond theme song, “Skyfall.” Details on the album have been protected with a Beyoncé-esque level of security, as there has been no information released to the public except that Adele is working with Sia and the same producer who helped her write “Rumour Has It.” Regardless, with Adele’s track record, you can definitely expect some hits.
Justin Bieber (“Purpose,” November 13): After a successful summer in the top 10 collaborating with Skrillex and Diplo for “Where Are Ü Now,” Justin Bieber got his first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “What Do You Mean?” On October 2, he announced his newest album, “Purpose,” as well as a release date of November 13. Bieber is rumored to be collaborating with Drake for his fourth studio album, building positive hype amidst the rumors that One Direction — releasing the same day as Bieber — will take the number one spot away from him.
One Direction (“Made In The A.M.,” November 13): Ever since Zayn’s controversial exit from the group, One Direction hasn’t done much in 2015 other than touring. In late July, they released “Drag Me Down,” the debut single off their upcoming album “Made In The A.M.” and their second-highest charting single in the U.S. yet. This album is also being kept under wraps, as not much is known other than the November 13 release date. The album drops the same day as Bieber’s, who has stated that One Direction most likely picked the same date in order to build publicity. It’s a battle of the heartthrobs for this one, as only one album can go to number one.
Rihanna (“Anti,” TBA): Rihanna’s next album — referred to by fans as R8 until she announced the album’s title on October 7 — has been in the making since the beginning of the year. Other than the name, the Barbadian artist has been keeping any information about her album to herself, sharing no details with fans or during interviews. This year has seen the release of her singles “FourFiveSeconds,” “American Oxygen,” and her provocative “Bitch Better Have My Money,” but Rihanna has been spending her year receiving accolades for her fashion, designing new shoes for Puma and gracing magazine covers rather than promoting her newest effort. However, history tends to repeat itself, and we may see a new Rihanna album in November since her four previous albums have all been released in that month. When asked about “Anti” in the past, Rihanna’s reply has been that she was still mixing songs for it. A surprise release may be upon us with this one, hopefully — and most likely — before the year is over.
Drake (“Views From The 6,” TBA): 2015 has been Drake’s year. His two mixtapes have both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and he finished his beef with Meek Mill with a handful of diss tracks that went viral. But Drake isn’t finished yet. His newest album “Views From The 6” is slated for a late release this year. His newest collaboration with Beyoncé, “Can I,” debuted on his Apple Music radio show on October 4. With Beyoncé on “Views From The 6,” fans are even more excited for the album to drop.
Lady Gaga (TBA, TBA): Lady Gaga has been busy the past year with the filming of “American Horror Story: Hotel.” Her affiliation with the show has garnered her attention and critical acclaim, as did her “The Sound of Music” tribute at this year’s Academy Awards. In fact, she already gave her fans what they’ve been asking for with the September release of her song “Til It Happens To You.” The music video, which is raw and gripping, already has more than 16 million views. Gaga is most likely releasing a new album to coincide with the finale of “AHS: Hotel,” which is set to conclude in early January, so it’s unlikely that she’ll dominate the Billboard 200 until next year.
Grimes (TBA, TBA): Grimes’ third album, 2012’s “Visions,” put her in the spotlight, collecting critical acclaim for her electronic material. Since “Visions,” she’s been producing new tracks for her fourth studio effort. Her 2014 single “Go” feat. Blood Diamonds was rumored to originally be for Rihanna, who rejected it, leading Grimes to record it herself and put out a mind-blowing music video to go with it. Fans criticized her for changing her sound, and a few weeks later Grimes announced that she scrapped her entire album and started from the beginning. Grimes has been touring with Lana Del Rey over the summer, establishing herself as a performer before releasing her next album. However, Grimes has announced dates for her own tour starting in late October, leading her fans to believe she will drop new material sometime around that date.
Coldplay (“A Head Full Of Dreams,” TBA): Despite getting “Ghost Stories” only a year ago, die-hard Chris Martin fans are still waiting for more, and will hopefully be satisfied with “A Head Full Of Dreams.” While it’s not here yet, it’s already been suggested by Martin that it could be the band’s last album. Despite this upsetting speculation, Coldplay was recently seen in India filming a music video for the soon-to-be album’s title track, so dream no longer and expect something soon.