Kanye West and Drake are releasing a collaborative mixtape? We'll believe it when we see it. For now, here are the albums we're most looking forward to in 2017.
To take one last look backwards, head to Exclaim!'s Best of 2016 and 2016 in Lists sections.
Exclaim!'s 21 Most Anticipated Albums of 2017:
Arcade Fire
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: Spring
We don't know much about the forthcoming Arcade Fire album, but we do know that the band have been debuting new material here and there, and that both Will Butler and Tim Kingsbury have suggested it'll be out in 2017. And after 2013's sprawling Reflektor, it could sound like literally anything.
Stephen Carlick
Austra
Future Politics
(Domino Records/Pink Fizz)
Release date: January 20
Austra's third album promises "urgent but disciplined anthems" that confront our troubled times and offer a way forward: "Not just hope in the future, but the idea that everyone is required to help write it," offers frontwoman Katie Stelmanis. Of course, it helps that the record will also feature Austra's signature mix of seismic beats, sweet melody, synth pulses and Stelmanis' signature Earth-shattering voice.
Stephen Carlick
Black Hippy
TBA
(Top Dawg Entertainment)
Release date: TBA
Following a year in which Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul all delivered solo offerings, the conversation surrounding Top Dawg Entertainment for 2017 will now undoubtedly turn towards the possibility of a Black Hippy group album. Ab-Soul had the latest word on the project's existence, but if TDE's 2016 release schedule demonstrated anything, it's to expect the unexpected.
Calum Slingerland
Bonobo
Migration
(Ninja Tune)
Release date: January 13
Bonobo (a.k.a. Simon Green) has said that the forthcoming 12-track Migration is "the study of people and spaces" through sound. Alongside two impressive singles in the Brandy-sampling "Kerala" and the Rhye-assisted "Break Apart," the record is set to feature samples of an elevator, a rainstorm, a tumble dryer and a fan boat engine.
Calum Slingerland
Broken Social Scene
TBA
(Arts & Crafts)
Release date: TBA
The beloved Canadian supergroup went on hiatus in 2011 and have reunited to play some live dates. This past summer, they confirmed that work had begun on a new album, and that Feist is involved in the sessions, and more recently, Kevin Drew suggested a possible summer 2017 release date.
Alex Hudson
Converge
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
Iconic metallic hardcore outfit Converge haven't released a full-length since 2012's All We Love We Leave Behind, marking the longest gap between releases in the band's history. However, a recent Instagram post from frontman Jacob Bannon has us thinking listeners won't have to wait much longer for new material.
Calum Slingerland
Fleet Foxes
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
Having been silent since 2011's Helplessness Blues, Robin Pecknold and company are set to come out of hibernation with a new album as Fleet Foxes. Describing the band's long-awaited third disc as "crazy" and "vast," Pecknold promised autoharp, electric guitar, cello, goat hooves and more would be present — and that's just on the first song.
Calum Slingerland
Foxygen
Hang
(Jagjaguwar)
Release date: January 20
On Foxygen's first full-length in a good while — the band released an album a year from 2012 to 2014 — Sam France and Jonathan Rado embrace the indulgences of '70s rock even more fully, eschewing the psych leanings of their previous work in favour of orchestral pomp, honky-tonk piano and, on lead single "Follow the Leader," breezy, soulful AM-radio string arrangements and horns.
Stephen Carlick
Gorillaz
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
After Damon Albarn revealed in June that a new Gorillaz record was coming "fairly soon," the band continued building hype by releasing a four-part origin story of how Noodle, Russel Hobbs, Murdoc Niccals and 2D came together to record the forthcoming disc. Rumoured collaborators include Jean Michel-Jarre, Twilite Tone, Liam Bailey and Vic Mensa.
Calum Slingerland
Grandaddy
Last Place
(30th Century Records)
Release date: March 3
It's been over a decade since revered indie rock troupe Grandaddy offered up a full-length of new material, but that's about to change with Last Place, the band's forthcoming LP for Danger Mouse's 30th Century Records label. In the meantime, first single "Way We Won't" suggests the band's knack for synth-infused space rock hasn't faded.
Stephen Carlick
Grizzly Bear
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste promised in 2015 that the band would take a "more adventurous" approach to their followup to 2012's Shields, but it wasn't until this past June that they actually headed into the studio to record it. Here's hoping it's out sooner than later, and that it's every bit as good as their elegant last few LPs.
Stephen Carlick
HAIM
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
The second full-length from sister trio HAIM has taken a minute, but we know it's imminent; last July, they cancelled a European tour, citing that they were "at a critical point of finishing up" and needed to see the recording through, and they played two new tracks at WayHome. This is going to be a big one.
Stephen Carlick
Japandroids
Near to the Wild Heart of Life
(Arts & Crafts)
Release date: January 27
After disappearing for a few years, the triumphant Vancouver rock duo will release Near to the Wild Heart of Life this month. The lead single sounds like classic Japandroids, but they've promised that the rest of the album branches out with synths and acoustic guitar.
Alex Hudson
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Damage and Joy
(ADA/Warner)
Release date: March 24
Nearly two decades after their last album, brooding Scottish outfit the Jesus and Mary Chain are set to reclaim the fuzz-rock throne with their seventh studio album. Details are scarce, but if the electrically charged, reverb-drenched first single "Amputation" is anything to go by, Damage and Joy should maintain their legacy just fine.
Stephen Carlick
LCD Soundsystem
TBA
(DFA)
Release date: TBA
James Murphy and company broke up with great ceremony in 2011 before reuniting for live dates in 2016. A promised new album never dropped, but they've signed with Columbia Records and even cancelled a fall tour of Asia to work on it. Fingers crossed it's coming soon.
Alex Hudson
Lorde
TBA
(Universal)
Release date: TBA
Lorde was just 16 when she hit it big with 2013's Pure Heroine. Now 20, she's moving past her teenage years with an album that chronicles her experiences in early adulthood. In a November update, she wrote, "I just need to keep working a while longer to make it as good as it can be."
Alex Hudson
Pallbearer
Heartless
(TBA)
Release date: March
Pallbearer recently paid homage to the likes of Black Sabbath and Type O Negative with the Fear and Fury EP, and will now follow the crushing sonics of Foundations of Burden with a new LP. Speaking with Decibel, the Arkansas outfit revealed that Heartless will see the light of day in March.
Calum Slingerland
Run the Jewels
Run The Jewels 3
(Independent)
Release date: January 13
Rap hell-raisers El-P and Killer Mike dropped "Talk to Me" and "2100," hinted at a Jack White collaboration and plotted out a winter tour all before announcing a release date for Run The Jewels 3, their most anticipated record yet. (Ed. note: Then, they dropped it over the holiday break.)
Alex Hudson
The Sadies
Northern Passages
(Dine Alone)
Release date: February 10
The Sadies will explore Northern Passages on their tenth studio album, reverting to their original lineup after collaborating with Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie in 2014. The record has been described as a "wild acid-folk-country-punk trip," making their collaborative album cut with Kurt Vile seem that much better of a fit.
Calum Slingerland
Sampha
Process
(Young Turks)
Release date: February 3
With plenty of high-profile collaborations under his belt already, Sampha's full-length solo LP Process is finally arriving next month. We've already been treated to the powerful "Blood On Me," and if recent live performances are any indication, the record should be the greatest look at Sampha's skill as both a vocalist and producer yet.
Calum Slingerland
The xx
I See You
(XL/Young Turks)
Release date: January 13
A "joyous" the xx album? That's not a term with which the UK trio have commonly been described, but the band say they took a freer, more exploratory approach to their forthcoming third album. If new single "On Hold" is any indication, we're in for a treat.
Stephen Carlick
Relive the year that was with Exclaim!'s Best of 2016 and 2016 in Lists write-ups.
To take one last look backwards, head to Exclaim!'s Best of 2016 and 2016 in Lists sections.
Exclaim!'s 21 Most Anticipated Albums of 2017:
Arcade Fire
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: Spring
We don't know much about the forthcoming Arcade Fire album, but we do know that the band have been debuting new material here and there, and that both Will Butler and Tim Kingsbury have suggested it'll be out in 2017. And after 2013's sprawling Reflektor, it could sound like literally anything.
Stephen Carlick
Austra
Future Politics
(Domino Records/Pink Fizz)
Release date: January 20
Austra's third album promises "urgent but disciplined anthems" that confront our troubled times and offer a way forward: "Not just hope in the future, but the idea that everyone is required to help write it," offers frontwoman Katie Stelmanis. Of course, it helps that the record will also feature Austra's signature mix of seismic beats, sweet melody, synth pulses and Stelmanis' signature Earth-shattering voice.
Stephen Carlick
Black Hippy
TBA
(Top Dawg Entertainment)
Release date: TBA
Following a year in which Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q and Ab-Soul all delivered solo offerings, the conversation surrounding Top Dawg Entertainment for 2017 will now undoubtedly turn towards the possibility of a Black Hippy group album. Ab-Soul had the latest word on the project's existence, but if TDE's 2016 release schedule demonstrated anything, it's to expect the unexpected.
Calum Slingerland
Bonobo
Migration
(Ninja Tune)
Release date: January 13
Bonobo (a.k.a. Simon Green) has said that the forthcoming 12-track Migration is "the study of people and spaces" through sound. Alongside two impressive singles in the Brandy-sampling "Kerala" and the Rhye-assisted "Break Apart," the record is set to feature samples of an elevator, a rainstorm, a tumble dryer and a fan boat engine.
Calum Slingerland
Broken Social Scene
TBA
(Arts & Crafts)
Release date: TBA
The beloved Canadian supergroup went on hiatus in 2011 and have reunited to play some live dates. This past summer, they confirmed that work had begun on a new album, and that Feist is involved in the sessions, and more recently, Kevin Drew suggested a possible summer 2017 release date.
Alex Hudson
Converge
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
Iconic metallic hardcore outfit Converge haven't released a full-length since 2012's All We Love We Leave Behind, marking the longest gap between releases in the band's history. However, a recent Instagram post from frontman Jacob Bannon has us thinking listeners won't have to wait much longer for new material.
Calum Slingerland
Fleet Foxes
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
Having been silent since 2011's Helplessness Blues, Robin Pecknold and company are set to come out of hibernation with a new album as Fleet Foxes. Describing the band's long-awaited third disc as "crazy" and "vast," Pecknold promised autoharp, electric guitar, cello, goat hooves and more would be present — and that's just on the first song.
Calum Slingerland
Foxygen
Hang
(Jagjaguwar)
Release date: January 20
On Foxygen's first full-length in a good while — the band released an album a year from 2012 to 2014 — Sam France and Jonathan Rado embrace the indulgences of '70s rock even more fully, eschewing the psych leanings of their previous work in favour of orchestral pomp, honky-tonk piano and, on lead single "Follow the Leader," breezy, soulful AM-radio string arrangements and horns.
Stephen Carlick
Gorillaz
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
After Damon Albarn revealed in June that a new Gorillaz record was coming "fairly soon," the band continued building hype by releasing a four-part origin story of how Noodle, Russel Hobbs, Murdoc Niccals and 2D came together to record the forthcoming disc. Rumoured collaborators include Jean Michel-Jarre, Twilite Tone, Liam Bailey and Vic Mensa.
Calum Slingerland
Grandaddy
Last Place
(30th Century Records)
Release date: March 3
It's been over a decade since revered indie rock troupe Grandaddy offered up a full-length of new material, but that's about to change with Last Place, the band's forthcoming LP for Danger Mouse's 30th Century Records label. In the meantime, first single "Way We Won't" suggests the band's knack for synth-infused space rock hasn't faded.
Stephen Carlick
Grizzly Bear
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste promised in 2015 that the band would take a "more adventurous" approach to their followup to 2012's Shields, but it wasn't until this past June that they actually headed into the studio to record it. Here's hoping it's out sooner than later, and that it's every bit as good as their elegant last few LPs.
Stephen Carlick
HAIM
TBA
(TBA)
Release date: TBA
The second full-length from sister trio HAIM has taken a minute, but we know it's imminent; last July, they cancelled a European tour, citing that they were "at a critical point of finishing up" and needed to see the recording through, and they played two new tracks at WayHome. This is going to be a big one.
Stephen Carlick
Japandroids
Near to the Wild Heart of Life
(Arts & Crafts)
Release date: January 27
After disappearing for a few years, the triumphant Vancouver rock duo will release Near to the Wild Heart of Life this month. The lead single sounds like classic Japandroids, but they've promised that the rest of the album branches out with synths and acoustic guitar.
Alex Hudson
The Jesus and Mary Chain
Damage and Joy
(ADA/Warner)
Release date: March 24
Nearly two decades after their last album, brooding Scottish outfit the Jesus and Mary Chain are set to reclaim the fuzz-rock throne with their seventh studio album. Details are scarce, but if the electrically charged, reverb-drenched first single "Amputation" is anything to go by, Damage and Joy should maintain their legacy just fine.
Stephen Carlick
LCD Soundsystem
TBA
(DFA)
Release date: TBA
James Murphy and company broke up with great ceremony in 2011 before reuniting for live dates in 2016. A promised new album never dropped, but they've signed with Columbia Records and even cancelled a fall tour of Asia to work on it. Fingers crossed it's coming soon.
Alex Hudson
Lorde
TBA
(Universal)
Release date: TBA
Lorde was just 16 when she hit it big with 2013's Pure Heroine. Now 20, she's moving past her teenage years with an album that chronicles her experiences in early adulthood. In a November update, she wrote, "I just need to keep working a while longer to make it as good as it can be."
Alex Hudson
Pallbearer
Heartless
(TBA)
Release date: March
Pallbearer recently paid homage to the likes of Black Sabbath and Type O Negative with the Fear and Fury EP, and will now follow the crushing sonics of Foundations of Burden with a new LP. Speaking with Decibel, the Arkansas outfit revealed that Heartless will see the light of day in March.
Calum Slingerland
Run the Jewels
Run The Jewels 3
(Independent)
Release date: January 13
Rap hell-raisers El-P and Killer Mike dropped "Talk to Me" and "2100," hinted at a Jack White collaboration and plotted out a winter tour all before announcing a release date for Run The Jewels 3, their most anticipated record yet. (Ed. note: Then, they dropped it over the holiday break.)
Alex Hudson
The Sadies
Northern Passages
(Dine Alone)
Release date: February 10
The Sadies will explore Northern Passages on their tenth studio album, reverting to their original lineup after collaborating with Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie in 2014. The record has been described as a "wild acid-folk-country-punk trip," making their collaborative album cut with Kurt Vile seem that much better of a fit.
Calum Slingerland
Sampha
Process
(Young Turks)
Release date: February 3
With plenty of high-profile collaborations under his belt already, Sampha's full-length solo LP Process is finally arriving next month. We've already been treated to the powerful "Blood On Me," and if recent live performances are any indication, the record should be the greatest look at Sampha's skill as both a vocalist and producer yet.
Calum Slingerland
The xx
I See You
(XL/Young Turks)
Release date: January 13
A "joyous" the xx album? That's not a term with which the UK trio have commonly been described, but the band say they took a freer, more exploratory approach to their forthcoming third album. If new single "On Hold" is any indication, we're in for a treat.
Stephen Carlick
Relive the year that was with Exclaim!'s Best of 2016 and 2016 in Lists write-ups.
