As far as we know, Kendrick Lamar isn't releasing a record in 2018, meaning that everyone else will get a shot at making the best album of the year. Here are some of the albums that we're most looking forward to in the year ahead.
To relive the year that was, check out our Best of 2017 coverage and peruse our 2017 in Lists section.
Exclaim!'s 23 Most Anticipated Albums of 2018:
Poppy Ackroyd
Resolve
(One Little Indian / Friends of Friends)
Release Date: February 2
On her forthcoming Resolve LP, composer Poppy Ackroyd eschews the field recordings of her previous work in favour of richly textured, multi-instrumental suites featuring Björk collaborator Manu Delago on Hang, Mike Lesirge on clarinet and flute and Jo Quail on cello. If the first singles are any indication, Resolve is going to be one of 2018's most beautiful releases.
Bahamas
Earthtones
(Brushfire Records/Republic Records)
Release Date: January 19
Toronto songwriter Afie Jurvanen is known for his folksy leanings and soft rock smoothness, but he tapped into hip-hop influences when making this LP with D'Angelo collaborators. Reported inspirations include Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. Preview singles "Way with Words" and "No Wrong" are smooth slices of mellow, slinky soul.
Born Ruffians
Uncle, Duke & the Chief
(Paper Bag Records)
Release Date: February 16
The Ontario group have already shared a couple of tracks — "Love Too Soon" and "Forget Me" — from their forthcoming Richard Swift-produced album for Paper Bag Records. The new tunes steer away from their signature yelping indie rock in favour of atmospheric balladry. A press release cites influences like Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers and early Beatles, saying that the album is "less concerned with what sounds hip than what feels good."
Cadence Weapon
Cadence Weapon
(Entertainment One)
Release Date: January 19
Having released a few singles in 2017, rapper Cadence Weapon will issue a self-titled album via eOne in 2018, featuring guest spots from Deradoorian and Blue Hawaii. Cadence Weapon will be his fourth LP overall and his first since 2012. He's released a few tracks so far, which combine dark beats and atmospheric synths with introspective rhymes, making for a promising preview of what's to come.
Calexico
The Thread That Keeps Us
(Anti-)
Release Date: January 26
Many of the albums on this list are informed by political fears, and the latest from Arizona lifers Calexico is no exception. Case in point: The Thread That Keeps Us's lead single is a rustic rocker called "End of the World with You." A press release promises "an earthy yet expansive sound spiked with jagged guitar tones and flashes of distortion." It was mostly made in a home studio on the coast of Northern California.
Cardi B
TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
Cardi B has had an incredible journey, from supermarket cashier to exotic dancer to social media star to reality television personality to music star. Her 2017 single "Bodak Yellow" was a world-conquering smash, but she still hasn't released her debut album. That will apparently change in 2018, although there's still no confirmed details for the record. On November 19, she tweeted (sic), "Sometimes i think is ready sometimes i think it's not so I'm going to take my time till it's right."
Death Cab for Cutie
Title TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
What do we know about Death Cab for Cutie's upcoming ninth studio album? Well, on November 17, the band tweeted a grainy black-and-white photo of frontman Ben Gibbard playing an acoustic guitar with the caption "LP9 // 2018." Currently, that's all the info we've got, but when the new disc arrives, it will be the followup to 2015's Kintsugi.
Nils Frahm
All Melody
(Erased Tapes)
Release Date: January 26
Adventurous German composer Nils Frahm has spent the past two years building his very own Saal 3 studio, even getting some friends to help out with building a pipe organ and mixing desk from scratch. While past albums were defined by limitations, All Melody was reportedly inspired by the freedom that this new space afforded him.
Franz Ferdinand
Always Ascending
(Domino)
Release Date: February 9
Even though the Scottish dance-rock group aren't quite at their mid-aughts peak anymore, we're looking forward to their first album since 2013. Frontman Alex Kapranos called the record "simultaneously futuristic and naturalistic," and the title track is an epic that shifts between cerebral artiness and urgent danceability.
Zaki Ibrahim
The Secret Life of Planets
(Independent)
Release Date: January 31
Genre-crossing Toronto musician Zaki Ibrahim launched a GoFundMe in late 2016, promising her new album would arrive in 2017. That never happened, but she's finally scheduled to drop The Secret Life of Planets in 2018. The first taste of the album's "sci-fi soul" is available in the form of single "Cold Feet."
Nicki Minaj
TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
We find it a little difficult to trust Nicki Minaj after that time in 2016 when she trolled fans by claiming she had an album called Pick My Fruit Out coming out imminently. Although that turned out to be a joke, she does appear to have an actual, not at all fictional album in the works for 2018. This past fall, she told T Magazine, "I am getting Nicki Minaj figured out with this album and I'm loving her."
Ministry
AmeriKKKant
(Nuclear Blast)
Release Date: March 9
There's nothing subtle about Trump's politics, and there's also nothing subtle about Ministry's response. Not only is the veteran industrial metal band's new album called AmeriKKKant, its song titles include "Antifa" and "Wargasm." Leader Al Jourgensen said that the record is designed to "provide FEMA-type relief for the devastation 'Hurricane Cheeto' has brought upon us." Come on, Al — tell us how you really feel.
Moby
Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt
(Arts & Crafts)
Release Date: March 2
Veteran electronic musician Moby has had a very busy couple of years, releasing These Systems Are Failing (2016) and More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse (2017) between penning open letters criticizing the state of American politics. He'll be keeping the streak going Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt, which "finds him returning to his orchestral, soul, trip-hop and gospel roots," according to a press release.
Kacey Musgraves
Golden Hour
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
Bridging the gap between pop-country success and alt-country cool, Americana fans will want to keep an eye out for Kasey Musgraves' upcoming album Golden Hour. She told Entertainment Weekly that the "trippy" new album's influences include Neil Young, the Bee Gees and Sade. No details beyond the title have been announced, but it's expected in early 2018.
My Bloody Valentine
TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
Given that it took My Bloody Valentine 22 years to follow up 1991's Loveless, we take any promises leader Kevin Shields makes with a major grain of salt. That being said, he seems quite confident that an album will be out soon; when asked by Pitchfork whether the group would release their next record in 2018, he said, "We one hundred percent will." It will reportedly be a fairly short release, since Shields has said it will contain between five and eight tracks (depending on which interview you read).
Ought
Room Inside the World
(Royal Mountain Records / Merge Records)
Release Date: February 16
When recording their third album, Montreal post-punks Ought teamed up with notable indie rock producer Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, the War on Drugs) for a record that's apparently bigger and more nuanced than spiky past efforts. Room Inside the World follows frontman Tim Darcy's 2017 solo album, Saturday Night.
Panda Bear
A Day with the Homies
(Domino)
Release Date: January 12
Let's hope your record player is in full working order, because the new five-song EP from Animal Collective pop experimentalist Noah Lennox will be available exclusively on vinyl. In a statement, he said that A Day with the Homies was mostly mixed in mono, meaning that it's better suited for listening on speakers than headphones.
Rhye
Blood
(Last Gang)
Release Date: February 2
Originally known as a duo, Rhye is now the solo vehicle of Canadian electro-soul artist Milosh. And unlike the project's bedroom origins, Milosh says that the new album is designed to be performed live. Blood's pre-release singles have combined groove-laden funk with breathy coos and spacious, cinematic electronic textures.
Superchunk
What a Time to Be Alive
(Merge Records)
Release Date: February 16
Not to be confused with the Drake/Future mixtape of the same name, Superchunk's What a Time to Be Alive will feature Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields) and David Bazan (Pedro the Lion). It's inspired by the grim current political climate, but judging by the pre-release singles, the group's raucous indie rock sounds as fun as ever.
Tune-Yards
I can feel you creep into my private life
(4AD)
Release Date: January 19
Previously a solo project, Merrill Garbus is now joined in Tune-Yards by longtime collaborator Nate Brenner. According to a press release, I can feel you creep into my private life is a danceable record with 12 songs that tackle "race, politics, intersectional feminism and environmental prophecies head on." We're also happy to see that Garbus has ditched the labour-intensive former capitalization of her moniker, tUnE-yArDs.
U.S. Girls
In a Poem Unlimited
(Royal Mountain Records / 4AD)
Release Date: February 16
Toronto-based pop experimentalist Meghan Remy recorded her latest LP with local jazz explorers the Cosmic Range. It touches on funk and disco influences while exploring themes of women's struggle against oppression. Preview singles "Velvet 4 Sale" and "Mad as Hell" are darkly psychedelic pop anthems that pair bongo-bopping rhythms with hints of anxious, stormy rock.
Vampire Weekend
TBA
(Columbia Records)
Release Date: TBA
Guitarist/keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij left Vampire Weekend early last year, but he chipped in for the group's upcoming fourth LP, which had the working title of Mitsubishi Macchiato. Frontman Ezra Koenig has said it's a more upbeat and sunny album than 2013's Modern Vampires of the City, and is partly inspired by Kacey Musgraves' forthright lyricism.
Jack White
Boarding House Reach
(Third Man Records)
Release Date: TBA
Jack White is known for his back-to-basics garage rock and Americana inclinations, but the recent teaser video "Servings and Portions from My Boarding House Reach" is filled with MPC beats and synths. We can't wait to hear how this plays out on his upcoming third solo LP. Although the title Boarding House Reach hasn't technically been confirmed yet, the teaser video hints at it very strongly.
To relive the year that was, check out our Best of 2017 coverage and peruse our 2017 in Lists section.
Exclaim!'s 23 Most Anticipated Albums of 2018:
Poppy Ackroyd
Resolve
(One Little Indian / Friends of Friends)
Release Date: February 2
On her forthcoming Resolve LP, composer Poppy Ackroyd eschews the field recordings of her previous work in favour of richly textured, multi-instrumental suites featuring Björk collaborator Manu Delago on Hang, Mike Lesirge on clarinet and flute and Jo Quail on cello. If the first singles are any indication, Resolve is going to be one of 2018's most beautiful releases.
Bahamas
Earthtones
(Brushfire Records/Republic Records)
Release Date: January 19
Toronto songwriter Afie Jurvanen is known for his folksy leanings and soft rock smoothness, but he tapped into hip-hop influences when making this LP with D'Angelo collaborators. Reported inspirations include Anderson .Paak, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West. Preview singles "Way with Words" and "No Wrong" are smooth slices of mellow, slinky soul.
Born Ruffians
Uncle, Duke & the Chief
(Paper Bag Records)
Release Date: February 16
The Ontario group have already shared a couple of tracks — "Love Too Soon" and "Forget Me" — from their forthcoming Richard Swift-produced album for Paper Bag Records. The new tunes steer away from their signature yelping indie rock in favour of atmospheric balladry. A press release cites influences like Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers and early Beatles, saying that the album is "less concerned with what sounds hip than what feels good."
Cadence Weapon
Cadence Weapon
(Entertainment One)
Release Date: January 19
Having released a few singles in 2017, rapper Cadence Weapon will issue a self-titled album via eOne in 2018, featuring guest spots from Deradoorian and Blue Hawaii. Cadence Weapon will be his fourth LP overall and his first since 2012. He's released a few tracks so far, which combine dark beats and atmospheric synths with introspective rhymes, making for a promising preview of what's to come.
Calexico
The Thread That Keeps Us
(Anti-)
Release Date: January 26
Many of the albums on this list are informed by political fears, and the latest from Arizona lifers Calexico is no exception. Case in point: The Thread That Keeps Us's lead single is a rustic rocker called "End of the World with You." A press release promises "an earthy yet expansive sound spiked with jagged guitar tones and flashes of distortion." It was mostly made in a home studio on the coast of Northern California.
Cardi B
TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
Cardi B has had an incredible journey, from supermarket cashier to exotic dancer to social media star to reality television personality to music star. Her 2017 single "Bodak Yellow" was a world-conquering smash, but she still hasn't released her debut album. That will apparently change in 2018, although there's still no confirmed details for the record. On November 19, she tweeted (sic), "Sometimes i think is ready sometimes i think it's not so I'm going to take my time till it's right."
Death Cab for Cutie
Title TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
What do we know about Death Cab for Cutie's upcoming ninth studio album? Well, on November 17, the band tweeted a grainy black-and-white photo of frontman Ben Gibbard playing an acoustic guitar with the caption "LP9 // 2018." Currently, that's all the info we've got, but when the new disc arrives, it will be the followup to 2015's Kintsugi.
Nils Frahm
All Melody
(Erased Tapes)
Release Date: January 26
Adventurous German composer Nils Frahm has spent the past two years building his very own Saal 3 studio, even getting some friends to help out with building a pipe organ and mixing desk from scratch. While past albums were defined by limitations, All Melody was reportedly inspired by the freedom that this new space afforded him.
Franz Ferdinand
Always Ascending
(Domino)
Release Date: February 9
Even though the Scottish dance-rock group aren't quite at their mid-aughts peak anymore, we're looking forward to their first album since 2013. Frontman Alex Kapranos called the record "simultaneously futuristic and naturalistic," and the title track is an epic that shifts between cerebral artiness and urgent danceability.
Zaki Ibrahim
The Secret Life of Planets
(Independent)
Release Date: January 31
Genre-crossing Toronto musician Zaki Ibrahim launched a GoFundMe in late 2016, promising her new album would arrive in 2017. That never happened, but she's finally scheduled to drop The Secret Life of Planets in 2018. The first taste of the album's "sci-fi soul" is available in the form of single "Cold Feet."
Nicki Minaj
TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
We find it a little difficult to trust Nicki Minaj after that time in 2016 when she trolled fans by claiming she had an album called Pick My Fruit Out coming out imminently. Although that turned out to be a joke, she does appear to have an actual, not at all fictional album in the works for 2018. This past fall, she told T Magazine, "I am getting Nicki Minaj figured out with this album and I'm loving her."
Ministry
AmeriKKKant
(Nuclear Blast)
Release Date: March 9
There's nothing subtle about Trump's politics, and there's also nothing subtle about Ministry's response. Not only is the veteran industrial metal band's new album called AmeriKKKant, its song titles include "Antifa" and "Wargasm." Leader Al Jourgensen said that the record is designed to "provide FEMA-type relief for the devastation 'Hurricane Cheeto' has brought upon us." Come on, Al — tell us how you really feel.
Moby
Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt
(Arts & Crafts)
Release Date: March 2
Veteran electronic musician Moby has had a very busy couple of years, releasing These Systems Are Failing (2016) and More Fast Songs About the Apocalypse (2017) between penning open letters criticizing the state of American politics. He'll be keeping the streak going Everything Was Beautiful, and Nothing Hurt, which "finds him returning to his orchestral, soul, trip-hop and gospel roots," according to a press release.
Kacey Musgraves
Golden Hour
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
Bridging the gap between pop-country success and alt-country cool, Americana fans will want to keep an eye out for Kasey Musgraves' upcoming album Golden Hour. She told Entertainment Weekly that the "trippy" new album's influences include Neil Young, the Bee Gees and Sade. No details beyond the title have been announced, but it's expected in early 2018.
My Bloody Valentine
TBA
(TBA)
Release Date: TBA
Given that it took My Bloody Valentine 22 years to follow up 1991's Loveless, we take any promises leader Kevin Shields makes with a major grain of salt. That being said, he seems quite confident that an album will be out soon; when asked by Pitchfork whether the group would release their next record in 2018, he said, "We one hundred percent will." It will reportedly be a fairly short release, since Shields has said it will contain between five and eight tracks (depending on which interview you read).
Ought
Room Inside the World
(Royal Mountain Records / Merge Records)
Release Date: February 16
When recording their third album, Montreal post-punks Ought teamed up with notable indie rock producer Nicolas Vernhes (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, the War on Drugs) for a record that's apparently bigger and more nuanced than spiky past efforts. Room Inside the World follows frontman Tim Darcy's 2017 solo album, Saturday Night.
Panda Bear
A Day with the Homies
(Domino)
Release Date: January 12
Let's hope your record player is in full working order, because the new five-song EP from Animal Collective pop experimentalist Noah Lennox will be available exclusively on vinyl. In a statement, he said that A Day with the Homies was mostly mixed in mono, meaning that it's better suited for listening on speakers than headphones.
Rhye
Blood
(Last Gang)
Release Date: February 2
Originally known as a duo, Rhye is now the solo vehicle of Canadian electro-soul artist Milosh. And unlike the project's bedroom origins, Milosh says that the new album is designed to be performed live. Blood's pre-release singles have combined groove-laden funk with breathy coos and spacious, cinematic electronic textures.
Superchunk
What a Time to Be Alive
(Merge Records)
Release Date: February 16
Not to be confused with the Drake/Future mixtape of the same name, Superchunk's What a Time to Be Alive will feature Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee), Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields) and David Bazan (Pedro the Lion). It's inspired by the grim current political climate, but judging by the pre-release singles, the group's raucous indie rock sounds as fun as ever.
Tune-Yards
I can feel you creep into my private life
(4AD)
Release Date: January 19
Previously a solo project, Merrill Garbus is now joined in Tune-Yards by longtime collaborator Nate Brenner. According to a press release, I can feel you creep into my private life is a danceable record with 12 songs that tackle "race, politics, intersectional feminism and environmental prophecies head on." We're also happy to see that Garbus has ditched the labour-intensive former capitalization of her moniker, tUnE-yArDs.
U.S. Girls
In a Poem Unlimited
(Royal Mountain Records / 4AD)
Release Date: February 16
Toronto-based pop experimentalist Meghan Remy recorded her latest LP with local jazz explorers the Cosmic Range. It touches on funk and disco influences while exploring themes of women's struggle against oppression. Preview singles "Velvet 4 Sale" and "Mad as Hell" are darkly psychedelic pop anthems that pair bongo-bopping rhythms with hints of anxious, stormy rock.
Vampire Weekend
TBA
(Columbia Records)
Release Date: TBA
Guitarist/keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij left Vampire Weekend early last year, but he chipped in for the group's upcoming fourth LP, which had the working title of Mitsubishi Macchiato. Frontman Ezra Koenig has said it's a more upbeat and sunny album than 2013's Modern Vampires of the City, and is partly inspired by Kacey Musgraves' forthright lyricism.
Jack White
Boarding House Reach
(Third Man Records)
Release Date: TBA
Jack White is known for his back-to-basics garage rock and Americana inclinations, but the recent teaser video "Servings and Portions from My Boarding House Reach" is filled with MPC beats and synths. We can't wait to hear how this plays out on his upcoming third solo LP. Although the title Boarding House Reach hasn't technically been confirmed yet, the teaser video hints at it very strongly.