Written by Carmen Mueller
If you have been keeping up with the onslaught of music news, you might notice how incredibly crowded the scene is. Not only are there new albums, singles, and videos, but also a new band has emerged. There’s a lot here, so let’s break it down.
5 Seconds of Summer have been teasing that they are working on their fourth album within a year of the release of their third album Youngblood. It seems their retro-esque vibe is continuing into a neon evolution which is a stark contrast to their early days.
Not even a year after the release of her album Sweetener, Ariana Grande has released the track list and cover art for her fifth album Thank U, Next. Some of the tracks that have garnered a lot of attention are “Needy”, “NASA”, and “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored”. It has been highly anticipated and the hype surrounding it is intense, so I am excited to see how it turns out. It’s set to release February 8th.
Vampire Weekend has released two new singles, "Harmony Hall" and "2021" off their album Father of the Bride. Their album will be released in the Spring. Their first album after a six year hiatus.
Another comeback includes the band Hot Chelle Rae, who are probably best known for their hit “Tonight Tonight”. They have resurrected their Instagram and Twitter and confirmed that they are working on new music. Their last song “Don’t Say Goodnight” came out back in 2014, so their revival is really exciting!
Dua Lipa has released the track “Swan Song” in promotion for the film Alita: Battle Angel. The music video for the song is also now available! Her debut album dropped back in 2017, so hopefully more music is on the way.
Troye Sivan and Lauv have collabed on a new track titled “i’m so tired…” and the official audio video is available on both their YouTube channels.
Weezer has also released The Teal Album; a collection of the band’s covers. Some of the songs featured include “Africa”, “No Scrubs”, and “Billie Jean”!
The boy band that played such a memorable part of most people’s childhoods, Backstreet Boys, are back with a new album. DNA has just released and includes their single “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, and many more.
Also Julia Michaels has just released her EP Inner Monologue Part 1 which features Selena Gomez and Niall Horan within the 6 track project. She has also worked on the single “Lie to Me” with 5 Seconds of Summer which was revamped with Michaels on the track.
And finally, the last album to drop is Bring Me The Horizon’s sixth studio album Amo.
A brand new band Simple Creatures has hit the scene, which is made up of All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth and Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus. Their first single “Drug” is available and their EP is expected to come out in March.
Gerard Way has released a cover of the song “Hazy Shade of Winter” which features Ray Toro and Jarrod Alexander. The song is in support of The Umbrella Academy trailer.
Point North just dropped their single “Gasoline” which will be featured on their upcoming Retrograde EP which is set to release on February 1st. The band is also touring with As It Is and are currently on the North American leg of their tour.
If you have been missing Hayley Williams’ presence don’t worry, she has been featured on American Football’s newest track “Uncomfortably Numb”. Their third album is set to release March 22nd and American Football is also going on tour in North America starting March 23rd in Boise, Idaho.
A few music videos have also released. Hands Like Houses premiered their video for “Sick”, Story So Far dropped a “Proper Dose” .music video, and Mayday Parade’s “Sunnyland” video is now available. Twenty One Pilots have been teasing clips from their “Chlorine” video over the past few days. The duo dropped the video a little earlier than expected, so that is also out now!
Finally, there are a few tours that have just been announced. First off is Twenty One Pilots who have become a headliner act for Lollapalooza’s Paris run which takes place July 20th and 21st.
Jukebox The Ghost and The Mowgli’s are going on tour starting February 26th in North Carolina. Some special guests include Arrested Youth for the early leg of the tour and Twin XL will be on the later half.
The Maine will be going on their tour starting April 2nd in Germany. The tour will include parts of Europe, the UK, North America, and Brazil.
Find more information here
Knocked Loose will be going on a spring tour starting April 4th in Missouri. They will be joined by The Acacia Strain, Harms Way, Sanction, and Higher Power.
Frank Iero will touring in South America in April. The dates include Lima on April 24th, Santiago on April 26th, and São Paulo on April 28th.
Foxing are going on tour with Now, Now starting February 7th in Virginia. They will be visiting parts of the US and Canada and Australia.
The last bit of news is Blink-182 will be headlining at the Back to the Beach Fest on April 27th and 28th. Some other performers include The Used, Goldfinger, and many more!
