Music had a great year in 2021, no matter what else happened. We sobbed over a divorce that wasn’t ours, someone got their driver’s license, and a 10-year-old red scarf broke the internet; we were happier than ever. What a year it was!
Two months into 2022, we’ve already received Dawn FM from The Weeknd, and only a few pop artists have announced that new albums will be released in 2022, with names and release dates already set. But then there are some who are so ‘casually cruel’ in teasing fans with their ideas for new music. And, obviously, we’re more thrilled about the yet-to-be-announced albums than we are about the already-announced releases.
Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone in the middle, we’re gathered here today to anticipate a little more about the albums that are still up in the air, but somehow we’re sure they’ll be released.
Rihanna – TBD
On January 31, Rihanna announced her pregnancy with boyfriend A$AP Rocky. But the comments on her social media post read “Where’s the album, sis?” as always.
While Rihanna totally knocked it out of the park with her pregnancy news, she didn’t forget to update us about the new album. “Yes, you’re still going to get music from me, my fans would kill me if they waited this long for a lullaby,” she shared about her plans for new music when speaking to Entertainment Tonight.
RiRi has been teasing us with her concept of new music for a while now. Her last album, Anti was released in 2016. Not only has she been enjoying this frenzy around her new album, R9, she once commented the same under a post that featured her doppelganger. Where’s the album, sis? #R9″ she wrote under the post on a celebrity gossip media outlet page on Instagram.
By the end of 2021, she also posted a funny dog video, captioned “me listening to R9 by myself and refusing to release it.” What is this behavior, RiRi?
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As far as the album’s title is concerned, it is R9 now since fans have always referred to it as R9, and she is struggling to find a better name. In an interview with the New York Times, she said: “So far it’s just been R9, thanks to the Navy. I’m about to call it that probably, ’cause they have haunted me with this ‘R9, R9, when is R9 coming out?’ How will I accept another name after that’s been burned into my skull?”
All we know is that R9 is coming and it’ll probably break the internet. According to what the singer said about the album, it’s experimental and it’s not your typical Rihanna.
“You’re not gonna expect what you hear. Just put that in your mind,” she told the Associated Press. “Whatever you know of Rihanna is not gonna be what you hear. I’m really experimenting, and music is like fashion; you should be able to play. I should be able to wear whatever I want, and I treat music the same way,” she added.
Taylor Swift – Taylor’s Version – TBD
After Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), what’s next for Ms. Taylor Swift? Swifties have been hunting for Easter eggs in every move she makes since the release of Red (Taylor’s Version). Most of her Easter eggs have pointed to the 1989 era and Speak Now. Still, the vote is more for 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
Here are the five most prominent Easter eggs that the eagle-eyed Swifties have hunted so far: Manifesting 1989(Taylor’s Version) for 2022!
- The release of Wildest Dreams(Taylor’s Version) in September 2021, which is the ninth track from 1989.
- Taylor used a 1989 Mercedes Benz in her All Too Well 10-minute music video and commented about her choice of car in the video, “Can’t stop won’t stop being cryptic and weird. That’s just the beginning, it’s gonna be a fun week.” (Can’t stop won’t stop is a play on her 1989 album song Shake it Off lyric)
- The countless 1989 references in the I Bet You Think About Me music video. Starting from the bottom layer of the cake, which is decorated with seagulls, to all the rose imagery,
- All the Alice in Wonderland references Towards the end of I Bet You Think About Me, Taylor draws a lot of parallels to Alice in Wonderland. Wonderland was a deluxe track in 1989, where Swift sings about a relationship tumbling down a “rabbit hole”. Furthermore, when Taylor appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote Red (Taylor’s Version), she referred to the same rabbit hole.
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Taylor showed a huge collage board full of 1989 easter eggs.
Harry Styles – TBD
HS3 is coming. Harry’s album is rumored to drop in 2022. It’s been two years since Fine Line came out. In February, Harry was spotted in London filming a music video, which stoked our curiosity in the upcoming album even more. Meanwhile, the singer has released the rescheduled tour dates for his previously postponed world tour, Love on Tour. He is also out there testing his acting skills in the Marvel Universe and in his girlfriend and filmmaker Olivia Wilde’s upcoming movie, Don’t Worry Darling.
Camila Cabello – Familia
Camila Cabello is the only person on this list who has been a nice girl and disclosed the name of her album and confirmed the release of new music. We totally appreciate it! In a post wishing her fans a Happy New Year, Camila, who announced her breakup with Shawn Mendes recently, wrote that she couldn’t wait to release her next album, Familia in 2022. An exact release window hasn’t yet been specified. It’s safe to say we’ll hear from Ms. Cabello very soon about her new album.
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