From Hip-Hop to Rock, These Albums Are Among the Most Anticipated Releases of 2022

We’re only four days into 2022, and it’s already shaping up to be a solid year for fresh music. Last year, rumors swirled around potential new albums in 2022 from Beyoncé, Rihanna, Cardi B, SZA, and other top-notch artists. While nothing’s guaranteed officially, we’re still beaming from all those artists’ iconic discography and excited at the faintest possibility of something new this year. So as we await what’s next from those music behemoths, we are grateful for these forthcoming albums listed below.

The Weeknd, dawn FM (Jan. 7)

Whenever The Weeknd unveils a new single or album, you can rest assured knowing it will be distinct. There’s no denying he manifests a je ne sais quoi in his approach to musical motifs and production. Today, he revealed dawn FM’s cover artwork which features an old version of The Weeknd – wrinkles and gray hair. The album will feature Tyler, the Creator, Quincy Jones, Lil Wayne, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Jim Carrey. Yes, the comedian Jim Carrey. While we don’t know what to expect, we know we’re in for a ride.

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FKA Twigs, Caprisongs (Jan. 14)

Caprisongs is a mixtape, but who cares?! This is the first body of work from FKA twigs since 2019’s brilliant Magdalene. In addition, the mixtape’s lead single, “Tears In The Club,” features The Weeknd. Sidebar: What are the chances we get new FKA twigs and The Weeknd just weeks apart?

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Khruangbin & Leon Bridges, Texas Moon (Feb. 18)

While this is a five-track EP and not an album, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to rave about the bluesy-psych rock collaboration consisting of trio Khruangbin and singer-songwriter Leon Bridges. Their second joint EP, Texas Moon, will be released in February. “It’s like a short story,” Khruangbin’s Laura Lee said in a press statement about the new EP. “And it leaves room to continue having these stories together. It’s not Khruangbin, it’s not Leon, it’s this world we created together.” Indeed, it’s a world we look forward to being in sonically.

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Kendrick Lamar (TBD)

The last album released by Kendrick Lamar was DAMN., in 2017. However, in August 2021, we all received a glimmer of hope. Lamar revealed through a website that he was working on his “final album for TDE” after 17 years. He also ended the enigmatic post with this: “see you soon enough.” While only Lamar knows when that next album will drop, we do know it will be worth the wait. In the meantime, we’ll just have to continue replaying his other timeless albums along with his most recent collaboration with Baby Keem on “family ties.”

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Kanye West, Donda 2 (TBA)

Right off the heels of the certified gold and Grammy-nominated album DONDA, Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is already working on the follow-up. “Ye has started working on his new masterpiece DONDA 2,” Steven Victor exclusively told Complex. Victor is currently the SVP of A&R at Universal Music Group and the former COO of G.O.O.D. Music, the record label established by Ye in 2004. Even though the confirmation from Victor is reassuring, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Ye’s notoriety when it comes to his history of unreleased music. So, our advice: Expect the unexpected.

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Rosalía, Motomami (TBA)

Rosalía’s El Mar Querer, released in 2018, received four Latin Grammy awards, including “Album of the Year.” The album also received a U.S. Grammy for “Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.” Now, after a four-year hiatus, the Spanish flamenco megastar is slated to release her third studio album Motomami sometime this year. Last November, she posted a teaser video to her Twitter and Instagram accounts, noting the album would be released in 2022. She released a sultry, bachata lead single with The Weeknd that same month. If this track is any sign of what’s in store for us to experience on the album, then we’re in for a thrilling new chapter from one of Spain’s hottest artists.