As the 59th annual Grammy awards approach, music’s best from 2016 will be validated, celebrated and become legendary as their work from the past year will go down in the pantheon of greats. With the Grammys being the exclamation point of a historical year in music, the anticipation for what 2017 will bring has only heightened.
Practically all the major players in popular American music had a release of some sort in 2016, whether it was Lady Gaga making her return, Beyonce dropping her best album to critical and commercial acclaim, or Drake breaking streaming numbers as he solidified his position in urban music. It begs the question, who or what can listeners expect this year?
For one, an album by Taylor Swift. In the midst of last year’s Kim Kardashian and Kanye West vs Taylor Swift fiasco, Swift dealt with accusations of her character and integrity. While she usually takes around two years between releases, her next album may be her most anticipated yet. If not for the rumored response to the aforementioned situation, Swift is also coming off the heels of 2014’s “1989” and a Grammy for Album of the Year.
Speaking of West, expect his eighth solo album, “Turbo Grafx 16," the follow up to “The Life of Pablo," pushed back due to a stint at the hospital for mental health issues. With a country divided after the 2016 presidential election, West further cemented himself as a pop culture villain when he became among the biggest names to align with then President-elect Donald Trump.
In a year in which even more politically-charged music can be expected, expect West to reclaim his socially-conscious content of years past and address his relationship with Trump, mental issues and marriage on one of the most anticipated albums of the year.
Legendary acts may be making a return this year as we saw acts such as Radiohead return from hiatus and now deceased David Bowie released his final album. Sir Paul McCartney has been active recording music since his 2015 collaboration with West and could be gearing up for a solo release this year, along with elder rap statesmen Jay-Z and Nas, with the latter confirming his album being completed with a rollout underway.
Aside from the actual music to be expected, a gradual but steady shift away from CDs seems to be final as this may be the year streaming not only overtakes buying and downloading music, but finishes it off for good. Of course, many consumers absolutely prefer classic consumption methods like vinyl and CDs, but streaming has been corporatized and become a who’s who “arms race” of the biggest artists sponsoring different companies. As the culture shifts firmly into the digital era, streaming has found a groove the same way social media did before.
Music should be full of surprises this year, as many rumored collaborations and albums have been attached to some of the brightest names music has to offer. With an ever-evolving culture and more music listened to than ever before, according to pundits, expect the unexpected and expect it to be good.
