The year 2014 saw remarkable music, from Mac DeMarco’s “Salad Days” to Sam Smith’s “In the Lonely Hour.” This year, music fans are eagerly waiting for the releases of music from artists such as Frank Ocean, Adele, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West, who all have not dropped an album in years. The winter season holds music releases from Bob Dylan to Tyga, giving listeners a small taste of the music this year has in store.
“Title”
Meghan Trainor
Epic Records
Jan. 13
Setting her sights on becoming an advocate for body positivity, Meghan Trainor made a splash this summer with her bubble-gum pop single “All About that Bass.” Although the track has received praise and backlash from critics, it has sold six million copies, making it one of the best-selling tracks in recent years. The newcomer’s success has continued as she reached the top five in the Billboard Hot 100 with her second single, “Lips are Movin’.” Trainor is set to release her first full-length studio album, “Title,” which takes on flavors of pop, hip-hop and doo-wop.
“Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance”
Belle and Sebastian
Matador Records
Jan. 20
With its albums consistently receiving critical rave and its musical journey spanning 18 years, Glasgow’s Belle and Sebastian has cemented itself as one of the most prominent bands in the indie music scene. The group’s newest album, “Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance,” shows the band venturing out of its melodic sound. While Belle and Sebastian’s classic pop is heard in the first single, “Nobody’s Empire,” the band opts for a more synthesized, electronic production in its second single, “The Party Line.”
“The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty”
Tyga
Young Money Entertainment
Jan. 27
Although Tyga reached higher levels of fame in 2014 with his appearance on Chris Brown’s song “Loyal,” the former Bruin Bash performer has yet to release a track with the same bite as his 2011 hit “Rack City.” The rapper has also made headlines, taking to Twitter to express his discontent with his record label, Young Money Entertainment. However, his newest album, “The Gold Album: 18th Dynasty,” shows promise, with Kanye West as its executive producer. Tyga described his album as having “straight rap” with “a faster tempo,” signaling a change of musical approach.
“Shadows in the Night”
Bob Dylan
Columbia Records
Feb. 3
Following up his 2012 album, “Tempest,” Bob Dylan will release his 36th studio album, “Shadows in the Night,” a set of covers of songs he chose himself. In May, he released one of the covers, Frank Sinatra’s “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” giving the track a makeover with his signature hearty voice and soft guitar chords. Although the album might not fully satisfy the thirst for new, original music from Dylan, its release proves that at 73 years old, the folk-rock legend is still at it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ2PHtS2bKg
“Strangers to Ourselves”
Modest Mouse
Epic Records
Mar. 3
For eight years, fans have been deprived of a new Modest Mouse album. But the indie rock band is back with its latest, “Strangers to Ourselves.” Since the release of “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” in 2007, the band has toured extensively and received commercial success with its song “Fire It Up.” The new album’s first single is not brand-new material, however, as it is a studio version of “Lampshades on Fire,” a song that the group has been playing live for nearly three years.
“Short Movie”
Laura Marling
Virgin Records
Mar. 23
British singer-songwriter Laura Marling is back with an album that documents her time being “lost in translation” in the U.S. In the title track of her latest album, “Short Movie,” it is clear that the three-time Mercury Prize nominee has added more electricity to her bare, acoustic sound. But the honesty in her lyrics still carries on as she sings, “I got up in the world today/ Wondered who it was I could save/ Who do you think you are?/ Just a girl that can play guitar.”
– Gail Acosta, A&E; senior staff