What’s Next for Music in 2011?

So, 2010 has been and gone. Overall, it was a fairly unspectacular year for music, other than occasional glances of genius (Kanye West and Arcade Fire stand up please). Can 2011 do any better then?

Well, the New Year should see new releases from established artists such as Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, White Lies, R.E.M, Coldplay and Death Cab For Cutie. We will also see the return of Lady Gaga with her second album, Born This Way, which will no doubt see the eccentric pop star dominate the mainstream charts again. For Hip-Hop/Rap fans the joint album from Kanye West and Jay-Z, entitled Watch The Throne, and the third album from Lupe Fiasco, called Lasers, will both be making an appearance at some point during the year.
Lil Wayne will also return with more of his raspy, cough-syrup induced raps on Tha Carter IV. Not forgetting Dr. Dre’s much anticipated return to the genre with his third and final album, Detox.

Not enough? There will also be the eagerly anticipated fourth studio album from The Strokes, and U2’s attempt to recover their reputation with their new album, Songs Of Ascent. Don’t forget the new album from Oasis…sorry, I meant Beady Eye, with their debut album, Different Gear, Still Speeding. That should be a laugh. However, if Liam Gallagher is unable to provide the laughs with his usual exaggerated bravado (unlikely, I know), then the return of Blink-182 - with their lyrical toilet humor – should provide all the comedy needed for 2011. Speaking of witty lyricists, Alex Turner and Co. will also return in the form of the Arctic Monkeys, with the band currently in the studio working on the fourth album. Yet, most importantly of all, 2011 will hopefully see the return of Radiohead with their follow-up to the brilliant In Rainbows.

What about the brand new artists for 2011? Well, BBC’s Sound Of 2011 looks promising with some great up-and-coming artists, such as atmospheric indie-rock band Esben & The Witch, MGMT pretenders The Naked & Famous, and Warpaint, who recently released their excellent debut album, The Fool, in 2010. Also on the list are The Vaccines, a band that NME have hyped so much already – abundant comparisons with Arctic Monkeys banging around – that they have already found themselves in the prestigious opening slot on the NME Tour 2011.



However, of all the great new artists in 2011, my pick would be Mona – who also appear on the BBC’s Sound Of 2011 list - a highly promising Nashville-based four-piece band. Comparisons with U2 and Kings Of Leon suggest that they will be another big anthem band; however, their first single ‘Listen To Your Love’ certainly shows great potential. 2011 will also see the debut album of Chapel Club, a band that has provided Britain’s strongest resistance to the wave of alternative bands coming from America in 2010. Other new artists to look out for in 2011 include Daley, who you may remember as the vocalist on the recent Gorillaz song ‘Doncamatic’. In fact, Damon Alburn himself said that Daley has “one of those voices that don't come around very often”. And let’s not forget the up-and-coming talent, Jamie Woon, with what he describes as: “R&B, it's groove-based vocal-led music” and his stiff competition in the form of another BBC Sound of 2011 artist, James Blake.



There will also be a great deal of pressure on Katy B to follow-up on her success from debut single, ‘Katy On A Mission’, with her album expected to be released in the first part of 2011. Another newbie to watch in 2011 is Jessie J. The 22 year old released her single ‘Do It Like a Dude’ in the UK in 2010 to critical acclaim, and is a talented writer, having written for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera. So, 2011 should be a strong year for music, with notable returns from stalwarts such as Radiohead, Foo Fighter’s, R.E.M, Blink-182 and Arctic Monkeys, as well as a host of exciting new artists. Bring on 2011.