This year in music has been SO darn good to us music junkies. Many artists have made 2018 their comeback year after a lengthy hiatus and/or setbacks and we are here for the ride when their new music drops.
1. Arctic Monkeys- "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino"
Release date: May 11, 2018
Remember our angsty, indie Tumblr teenager-self era? We can most likely thank Arctic Monkey's "AM" album for that era in our lives when it broke the U.S mainstream charts back in 2013. If you listen to their entire discography, you can see an evolution in their sound. The UK based rock band's sound went from a garage grunge rock sound in their early albums to soft indie rock sound in "AM" and now a soulful, glam rock sound in their newest album, "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino". Between "AM" and "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino", the band took a FIVE-year hiatus and finally when a new album and tour were both announced earlier this year, our teenage-selves were LIVING for it.
2. BROCKHAMPTON- "Iridescence"
Release date: September 2018
BROCKHAMPTON has recently made it big in the mainstream rap scene as they have a plethora of unique aspects that make them the "hardest working boy band in show business". They are not your typical rap group as they have 15 members and each member has their own important part to redefine the typical American boy band. Earlier this summer, one of the vocalist, Ameer Vann was kicked out of the band due to sexual misconduct allegations, in which the group decided to put their music and tour on a brief hold. Less than a month later, the boys came out of their hiatus and made their first TV performance on Jimmy Fallon without Ameer and with a brand new song. Since then, the boys released three new songs and on August 26th, the band announced that their next album will be released in September 2018. This is highly anticipated since the "Saturation" trilogy (on which each of the three albums has Ameer on the cover SMH) and it is a new beginning for them after the Ameer scandal.
3. Twenty One Pilots- "Trench"
Release date: October 5, 2018
These two boys from Columbus, Ohio are musical geniuses. If you listen to their music, you would assume that there are more than two members in the band but yes, it's only drummer Josh Dun and vocalist/guitarist/ukulele-player/pianist Tyler Joseph. After the roaring success of "Blurryface", these two went on to sell out their shows on their U.S and world tour. Seeing them live is a such a wonderful experience that I have seen them FOUR times already and I cannot get enough of their amazing talent and energy. After touring all over the world and finalizing the "Blurryface" era in their hometown in Ohio (Tour De Columbus), the boys took a year hiatus from all social media leaving cryptic images that left the clique (their fan base) wanting more.
Early in July, they finally came back from the year-long hiatus and announced two brand new songs, the name of the album and release date, and a brand new tour. It has been about three years since Twenty One Pilots has made new music and I can already tell that the "Trench" era is going to be AH-MAZING!
4. Ariana Grande- "Sweetener"
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Release date: August 17, 2018
During the European leg of Ariana Grande's "Dangerous Woman Tour" on May 22, 2017, her concert in Manchester, England was attacked by a suicide bomber. 22 people were killed and hundreds were injured and hospitalized which led Ariana to cancel shows following the attack. She then organized a benefit concert, One Love Manchester, two weeks later and used the all proceeds to aid the victims and their families affected by the attack. Although this attack halted her tour and new music, she bravely finished the "Dangerous Woman Tour" in September 2017 and finally in April 2018, she released a new song and announced that she was releasing a new album. "Sweetener" was recently released and it has mostly received well deserved positive reviews.
