The 2022 release grid looks packed with novelties, both those that have been cooked in recent months and those that have been waiting for the right moment for some time, looking askance at the reactivation of tours. We review the news that awaits us this year.
Pop and urban idols: waiting for Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar
Rihanna’s fans still don’t understand the reason for the six years of waiting since ‘Anti’ (2016), while they leak clues about the new album, which according to the Barbadian singer will mix reggae with the “experimental” drive. More specifically paints the third album of Camila Hair, ‘Family’, scheduled for summer edition. And the seventh of the punk-pop amazon avril lavigne, ‘Love sux’, for February 25.
In hip-hop and neighborhoods, the spotlight points to the returns of Kendrick Lamar and Cardi B, both without a specified date, since Kanye West, now known as Ye, with ‘Donda 2’. This January is expected ‘Unstoppable’, the unreleased album by the late Aaliyah, Up-and-coming r’n’b star whose life was cut short two decades ago, at age 22, by a fatal plane crash.
The classics: from The Cure to John Mayall
The Cure must close their long period of publishing drought (since ‘4:13 dream’, 2008), coinciding with their comeback tour. An album that could be translated into two simultaneous volumes, according to the band’s singer, Robert Smith. Too Two duets will reappear, Tears for Fears and Soft Cell. Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, with ‘The tipping point’, 18 years after its last installment. And Marc Almond and Dave Ball, after two decades of hiatus, with ‘Happiness not included’. Both works will be released on February 25.
The news is falling John Mellencamp (‘Strictly a one-eyed Jack’) and Janis Ian (“The light at the end of the line”), both on January 21. A week later, Jethro Tull, with Ian Anderson carrying the flame, he will break a 19-year hiatus with ‘The zealot gene’, and the ‘bluesman’ John Mayall will release ‘The sun is shining down’ after announcing, at the age of 88, his retirement from touring. In March, Bryan Adams (‘So happy it hurts’, 22) and in April (22), The Waterboys (‘All souls hill’). And two novelties in progressive rock: Marillion (‘An hour before its dark’, March 4) and Porcupine Tree (‘Closure / Continuation’, June 22).
Alternate Arena: Ready for Arctic Monkeys and Beach House
The return of Arctic Monkeys, expected before the summer, will be one of the events of the year in the area of what, for lack of a better idea, we continue to call alternative or ‘indie’ rock. News is also expected from Interpol, Arcade Fire, Morrissey and Slowdive, all of them undated, unlike those of Band of Horses (‘Crutch’, January 21), spiritualized (‘Everything was beautiful’, February 25), Placebo (‘Never let me go’, March 25) and Block Party (‘Alpha games’, April 29).
Liam Gallagher will counterattack with his third post-Oasis album, ‘C’mon you know’ (May 27); pop abstraction Animal Collective will catch up with ‘Time skiffs’ (February 4), and there will be redoubled helpings of dream-pop from Beach House (two volumes of ‘Once twice melody’, February 18) and the neo-garage Jack White, ex-The White Stripes (“Fear of the dawn” will be out on April 8, and ‘Entering heaving alive’ on July 22). And arched eyebrows at the potion Big Thief folk rock (‘Dragon new warm mountain I believe in you’), the cryptic art-rock by Alt-J (‘The dream’), both on February 11, and for Father John Misty’s ‘crooner’ exercise (‘Chloe and the next 20th century’, April 8). Pop with cliché-breaking ambition will come in charge of Mitsky (‘Laurel hell’ (February 4) and Charlie XCX (‘Crash’, March 18). And it would be necessary to have an own category for the Belgian Stromae, with ‘Crowd’, which will arrive on March 4, nine years after ‘Racine carrée’ was celebrated.
Metal and hard rock: Guns n’ Roses and Scorpions
In the field of hard rock there are other comebacks, such as that of Guns n’Roses with an album delivered in parts: after the song ‘August’, released in August, ‘Hard skool’ will follow in February, and both will be cited in an epe As stated slash, the band plans to continue publishing songs while the long album is finished. The guitarist will release the album ‘4’ on his own (February 11).
Scorpions will once again deny their long-ago withdrawal announcement with ‘Rock believer’, after an editorial lapse of seven years (February 25). There will be discs of Steve Vai (‘Inviolate’, January 28), saxon (‘Carpe diem’, February 4), Amorphis (‘Hallo’, February 11) and sebaton (‘The war to end all wars’, March 4). In the shoot, still undated, there are also Megadeth (‘The sick, the dying… and the dead’), as well as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Muse. Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, will publish solo ‘Earthling’ (February 11).
Spanish scene: countdown to Rosalía
This will be, now yes, the year of relief of ‘The bad want’, by Rosalía, an album that, with the title of ‘motomi’, points towards an adventurous appointment of Latin influences and avant-garde electronics, with an edition date yet to be revealed. Yes, the records of Los Planetas (‘The songs of the water’) and León Benavente (‘Era’), both for January 21, and a week later, on Carolina During (‘Four kids’).
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For spring, the launches of Manolo Garcia y Loquillo, and surely the Amaia, co-produced by Alizzz. Before, on February 11, Brighton 64 will celebrate its 40th anniversary resorting to irony in the album ‘Más de lo misma’. And there will be plenty of movement on the scene in Catalan, with the returns, in spring, of Antònia Font, Els Pets and Mishima. In this first semester there will be news from Els Catarres, La Pegatina, Stay Homas (a digital epé), Itaca Band, Pau Riba with the Fireluche Orchestra, Xarim Aresté, Xavi Sarrià (exObrint Pas), Maria Jaume, Miquel Serra, Magalí Sare and Name.
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