Last year was filled with landmark albums from artists respected by critics and students alike, from Drake’s Scorpion to Travis Scott’s Astroworld. Now, with the turning of a new year, students wonder whether their favorite artists will drop a new album or stay quiet through the year.

    In January of 2019, artists such as Backstreet Boys and Future can be expected to release an album, as well as some rumored albums from artists like Kanye West.

    Backstreet Boys are releasing their new album, titled DNA on January 25. Backstreet Boys are a high-grossing boyband, popular from the late 90’s to early 2000’s. Backstreet Boys have had massive singles such as “I Want it that Way”, “Backstreet’s Back”, and “Quit Playing Games”, songs that radio stations have been playing on repeat since their inception. Fans of Backstreet Boys can expect this album to “go back to the basics”, according to USA Today.

    Future releases his new album WZRD on January 18. Future is a rap artist who often collaborates with other artists, such as Drake or Lil Wayne. Future has been a part of the creation of many far-reaching singles such as “Mask Off” and “Monster”, as well as a recent collaboration album with Juice Wrld titled Wrld on Drugs.

    Other artists have stated they plan to release an album soon, while some other releases are purely fans’ speculation. Kanye West’s Yandhi was planned to release on September 28, 2018, which then was pushed to November 23, 2018, until finally being delayed until further notice. Fans wonder whether or not Kanye will release his album this year, and some are dead-set on the album’s release. Tyler, the Creator fans, such as freshman Shannon Gaffney, claim that, based off the artists’ past album schedule, an album this year is bound to happen. “Since Flower Boy came out in 2017, and all of his albums are two years apart, I think he’ll drop an album,” said Gaffney.

    Whether students are fans of rap or pop, there may be a release this year that suits everyone’s taste, like freshman Odeh Issa, who is excited for a forthcoming compilation album, with no release date yet, starring artists like J.Cole. “I’m excited for Revenge of the Dreamers III by Dreamville because it’s an album with all my favorite artists’ coming together,” said Issa.