U2, Coldplay, Mariah pump up 2014 album roster
The Frozen soundtrack tops Billboard's album chart this week. Pharrell's Happy is No. 1 on the singles chart. Both were released in November. If not for a coming wave of superstar albums, last year's deluge of hit songs and superstar titles might continue to swamp 2014's musical landscape.
There's no guarantee that another Get Lucky or Blurred Lines will pop up in the next few months, but proven chart-toppers are waiting in the wings to bolster the bottom line and tune up the year's soundtrack. Chris Brown's repeatedly postponed X, preceded by tunes Fine China, Love More and Don't Think They Know, is now set for a May 5 release. The R&B star says he drew inspiration from Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.
Commercial expectations are high for Mariah Carey's still-untitled 14th studio album, expected May 6. The oft-delayed set was introduced by Beautiful featuring Miguel and, more recently, You're Mine (Eternal). Coldplay's sixth album, Ghost Stories, arrives May 19, the band's first since 2011's Mylo Xyloto. Kickoff single Magic is streaming on YouTube.
Invisible, launched February 2 as a free download, has spiked anticipation for U2's long-awaited follow-up to 2009's No Line on the Horizon. Produced by Danger Mouse, the album may arrive as early as June. Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence, produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, is expected by mid-2014. The singer's third studio album comes on the heels of breakout success with 2013 singles Summertime Sadness and Young and Beautiful.
Kanye West also signaled a possible mid-year release to follow last year's critically hailed Yeezus. Rick Rubin and Q-Tip are producing the rapper's new tracks. Adele, whose 2011 release 21 sold almost 27 million copies worldwide and broke multiple sales and chart records, could have a new album out by fall. The British sensation has been partnering with diverse artists ranging from Dianne Warren and Phil Collins to Ryan Tedder and Wiz Khalifa.
Rihanna will follow 2012's Unapologetic, which delivered the hits Diamonds and Stay, with a concept album based on DreamWorks' animated Home, opening in November. She's a voice in the film, along with Steve Martin, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Parsons. Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga's jazz duets album, Cheek to Cheek, another delayed project, has been pushed to the fall.
Taylor Swift, whose 2012 Red has sold 4 million copies, has been working with Warren, Tedder, Max Martin and Johan Shellback on her fifth studio album, expected by the end of 2014. No dates have been attached to possible 2014 albums by Miley Cyrus, who announced plans for an acoustic release, and Foo Fighters, who are at work on an eighth studio album. Kendrick Lamar also may have a fall release to follow 2012's acclaimed good kid, m.A.A.d. city.
And hopes persist that Dr. Dre's endlessly gestating Detox, in the works since 2001, might finally see daylight. Or will it be the album that jump-starts 2015? (USA Today)
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