Admittedly 2017 has been pretty good for music so far. We got Kendrick Lamar, The xx and Lorde albums plus we saw the return of Gorrillaz which many doubted would actually happen. But, because it's 2017 good stuff only makes us want more so we've made a wish list for what we'd still like to see in order to make this year something spectacular.
The G.O.O.D. Music Album
A follow up to Kanye and co's Cruel Summer record has been teased for a very long time now. Last year, they dropped a single Champions but since then it seems Kanye has turned his attention back to his own solo work and left the record in limbo. In March, CyHi The Prince claimed the album was "really done" but you'd assume it would've dropped already if that was the case. Who knows what's going on but we can only hope it surfaces this year.
A Dua Lipa And Flume Collaboration
Last month, Dua Lipa and Flume posted a vid of themselves rolling through LA on scooters and we reckon it's the collaboration that could save pop music in 2017. Dua has proved from a collab with Martin Garrix that she knows her way around an electronic banger while Flume's Never Be Like You proved he could pen a pop hit. Make. It. Happen. Guys.
More Female Number Ones
The charts have been one big sausage fest this year. Here in Australia, we've had a grand total of one female at the top of the singles charts (shout out Anne-Marie) while in the US there has been zero. Part of that is to do with the lengthy chart assault of Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber's Despacito but that doesn't really make it good enough. It's not because the output from female popstars hasn't been strong enough either. Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Rita Ora, Dua Lipa, SZA and heaps more have had mighty singles. Hopefully 2017 wraps up with a little more balance.
Kevin Parker & Mark Ronson's Collaboration
Kevin Parker and Mark Ronson are back working on music together and they debuted one of the songs during a collaborative DJ set at Gov Ball in NYC. The banging disco track features the vocals of SZA and sounds mighty fine. If we get this is time for the Australian summer we'd be very, very happy. Particularly because it looks like it's going to be a little while 'til we hear from Tame Impala again.
A Lana Del Rey Australian Tour
C'mon Lana. It's been a long time since Lana Del Rey last visited the country for Splendour In The Grass in 2012. She's released four records since then and with a new one just out Lust For Life it would be a very appropriate time for her to chuck us a visit. She said that if she announces a tour for this record, "I hope that [Australia is] part of it," which is basically a bubble of uncertainty made to give us anxiety.
The Action Bronson Album
Action Bronson has been banging on about his new album Blue Chips 7000 for years but it seems it's finally coming out at the end of the month. 25th August to be exact. It's been preceded by a really great new song The Chairman's Intent and our thirst for the record just keeps growing.
A Kendrick Lamar Australian Tour
Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. has kicked off in the US and he's already been joined on stage by Chance The Rapper and J. Cole. K.Dot has a good history of not leaving Australia off his tour plans so we can only assume that he'll bring the tour down-under. His To Pimp A Butterfly tour is still one of the best large-scale hip-hop shows we've seen in this country for a very long time. Hopefully DAMN. can go one better.
A New Cut Copy Album
Cut Copy released their last album Free Your Mind back in 2013 but they're back playing shows and they have some new music in hand. Airborne is the first new single and it sees them harking back to the sounds of their early records while another new song they dropped during a few headline shows in the country last month was more like their later tunes. It's all sounding good though and hopefully we'll see the record before the year is out.
An Earl Sweatshirt Album
It really ain't easy being an Earl Sweatshirt fan. He rarely releases music and he also hasn't played many shows at all lately. His last album was 2015's I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside but there are whisperings off a new album on the way. In Feb he tweeted he was, "making the album," but he's given few updates since then. Odd Future mates Tyler, The Creator, Frank Ocean, Hodgy Beats and Syd have all released music in the past year so hopefully Earl can follow suit.
Vampire Weekend's Return
It's now been four years since Vampire Weekend's last album Modern Vampires Of The City and it feels as long as it sounds. Their next record has a tentative title of Mitsubishi Macchiato but it has no release date. Ezra Koenig provided us with an update in March saying he was, "trying to finish ASAP," but there hasn't been a peep about the LP since. It will be their first album since Rostam departed the band and, for the record, he's about to release his first solo album on 8th September. Maybe VW should try beat him to it.
