It ain’t over til (blank) sings

September 2nd, 2010

With huge album’s dropped from the likes of Drake, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, and Eminem, it’s easy to forget that there are still four months of 2010 left. Thankfully, it’s four months of amazing artists releasing albums. Let’s look at what records can’t be missed in two-oh-one-oh.

Bruno Mars

Working behind-the-scenes to help write huge hits, including Flo Rida’s Right Round and K’Naan’s Wavin’ Flag, Mars is set have his name listed next to successful writer-turned-singers such as Ne-Yo and Keri Hilson. Doo-Wops and Hooligans is set to be released on October 5, 2010 and the first single off the debut album, Just The Way You Are, has already peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. If fans haven’t already heard of Bruno Mars from the huge amount of momentum he gained this past year signing the hooks on B.o.B.’s breakout song Nothin’ on You and Travie McCoy’s Billionaire, they will most likely be aware of the 23 year-old Hawaiin born falsetto after he opens for Maroon 5 on their Hands All Over Tour this fall.

Kanye West

Love him or hate him, Kanye West is one of the most respected artists in music for a reason. His triumphant return to the spotlight at this year’s BET Awards marked the singer’s departure from his past indiscretions and shined a light on the new and improved Kanye West. The demons the singer suffered with over the passing of his beloved mother, which were so evident on West’s 808 and Heartbreaks, seem to have been quieted. After going into recluse, West has made steps to show his fans that he is back and ready for them, including joining Twitter and pledging to release songs for free every week. Judging by the response to Kanye’s first single Power off of the rumoured to be titled album Good Ass Job, West’s time off has allowed the musical genius to return to the spotlight in fighting form. Hopefully he saves the fights for the studio this time.

Rihanna

Fans are expecting big things from the Barbados born singer’s next album, especially after rumours began circulating that the record will feature more collaborations with her Love the Way You Lie partner Eminem. The artist has said that the new tracks, still with an unconfirmed release date, will be a departure from her dark Rated R album and include more of the up-tempo dance tracks that Rihanna became known for, ie. prepare yourself for another Umbrella (finally!). Word on the blogespher is that Ne-Yo, Taio Cruz and Sean Garrett are working on Rihanna’s fifth studio album. My hope? Rihanna calls in some of her heavy-hitter friends like Jay Z, Kanye West and Katy Perry to lend their talents to her album.

Robyn

Robyn is the Jason Bateman of the pop world. She was hugely successful as a child singer (Do You Know (What It Takes), Show Me Love), disappeared for a few years and came back to take over the world. The Swedish singer began her own label, Konichiwa Records, and is releasing Body Talk Pt. 2 on September 6 and Body Talk Pt. 3 on December 10 as follow-ups to Body Talk Pt. 1 on June 15. If BTP 1 is any indication of what fans are to expect with the two follow-ups, introspective lyrics set to groundbreaking dance music/classical instrument mash-ups will be here in time for the change in leaves and the first snowfall of the year.

T.I.

With his March 2010 release from a halfway house after serving time for unlawful weapon possession behind him, T.I. is set to move forward with his hugely successful rap career. As long as the ATL based rapper is able to stay within the terms of his probation, which as of today looks doubtful, the fittingly titled King Uncaged, T.I.’s seventh studio album, is set to be released by the end of 2010.

Mark Ronson

Possibly one of the biggest producer/artists to not yet make it in North American, the UK has been feeding Mark Ronson’s impressive career for the past decade. Penning hits for Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse (Back to Black, anyone?) among others, Ronson is one of the few artists in the industry who is equally respected and celebrated as both a performer and a singer. With his 2007 release Version, Ronson’s cover album threatened to outperform some of the heavy hitters he remixed, such as Coldplay, Radiohead and Britney Spears. Record Collection, Ronson’s third studio album, is set to be released in September of this year.

Kings of Leon

The band of brothers and cousins have left themselves some big shoes to fill with 2008’s Grammy winning Only By The Night. With Sex On Fire, Use Somebody and Notion heard on every major television and film soundtrack, Kings of Leon became overnight successes nine years in the making. KOL frontman Caleb Followill has publicly apologized for disrespectful comments about the bands followers that he made during the height of the group’s popularity in 2009. The band has returned, humble and ready to regain their title as the not only the Kings of Leon, but the Kings of Rock and Roll. Come Around Sundown is slated for release in late 2010 with the first single, Radioactive, to be released on September 14.

Kid Cudi

With friends like Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Common, Snoop Dogg, MGMT and Drake on your side, it’s difficult to not pay attention to a rapper that has been hailed as the future of hip hop. With a recurring role on the HBO series How To Make It In America and a Billboard topping debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Cudi, born Scott Mescudi, is set to become a household name. That is, as long as he can stop punching people at his concerts. Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager is set to be released November 9, 2010.

Taylor Swift

Few artists can say that they’ve won just about every award in the music industry, written all their own material, toured worldwide and done it all with class. Even fewer can say they’ve done all this before turning twenty. While many people may know Taylor Swift as the singer who was embarrassed by Kanye West at the 2009 MTV VMAs, her fans know her as their friend. This year, Swift spent an astonishing 14 hours at the Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena doing a meet and greet and free performance for her legion of loyal fans. Swift is back with a follow-up to 2008’s Fearless, titled Speak Now and slated for release on October 25. Judging by the first single off Swift’s third studio album, Mine, the country-pop singer is still singing about relationships and heartache, but with a maturity that comes from making the transition into adulthood…and the record books.

Brandon Flowers

After releasing what is considered by many as one of the greatest albums of this century with his band, The Killers, lead singer Brandon Flowers announced in the spring of 2010 that he would be embarking on his first solo album. The critical and commercial successful of the first single off of Flamingo, Crossfire, more than hints that Flowers was and is the driving force behind The Killers’ success. Set to hit stores on September 14, Flamingo could round out 2010 with one of the strongest rock records of the year.