Artists That Need To Release a New Album
Although it is important for artists to take their time making albums, sometimes artists take too long to the point where thousands of fans are getting impatient. Who needs to put out new music? Well, members from our Arts & Entertainment department made a list of some artists that need to release new music soon.
Rihanna
An artist who needs to release an album, this may seem obvious to some, but Rhianna.
Rhianna just released a song for the new Marvel movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Rhianna hasn’t released an album since ANTI in 2016 with the hit song “Work.”
Most fans are expecting her to release an album also considering that she’s performing at the Super Bowl halftime show. Rhianna should announce an album release when she performs at the Super Bowl, as many fans would appreciate a new album from her.
Many artists tend to go into hibernation with their music, but with Rhianna it's like that meme from the Titanic - “it's been 84 years” - CheRanda Hammond
Other Lives
When it comes to unique and influential contemporary artists, Other Lives is one of the first that comes to mind.
The band native to Oklahoma debuted on the emerging indie scene in 2009 with their self-titled album “Other Lives” — one characterized by its cinematographic and experimental sounds.
However, the album that secured them a golden spot in the music scene amongst other critically-acclaimed acts like Midlake and Fleet Foxes was their sophomore album “Tamer Animals,” one that has been used as a source of inspiration for countless contemporary acts.
Other Lives is one of those bands that focuses on quality rather than quantity. With a total of four original albums in over a decade accompanied by a few deluxe versions of their existing albums, the band has managed to appeal to multiple age ranges.
Despite their short yet concise discography, Other Lives is characterized by their approach to art-making, by taking time and isolating somewhere to record their body of work.
Other Lives album is what the indie music scene needs right now.
With their latest album: “For Their Love,” being released in 2020, they've continuously displayed authenticity and innovation, yet still remaining loyal to the mysterious and magical sound present throughout their career.
It is about time for this band to release another project, one painted with melancholy and hopefulness — feelings Other Lives transmit in every single song they write. - Fernanda Lopez
Normani
After her years in Fifth Harmony, the singer has worked on many collabs with many artists including Khalid, Sam Smith and Cardi B. Most recently the “Motivation'' singer dropped “New To You,'' with Tinashe, Calvin Harris and Offset.
Seeing that she had been on her solo career for a couple years now, it’s about time for her to drop her debut studio album.
Since she started her solo career, both big artists and fans have stood behind her, going as far to call her the next Beyoncé.
The singer holds so much promise from her vocals to how she absolutely kills it onstage.
A very iconic moment for Normanu was her 2019 MTV performance. There were several technical malfunctions during her performance, but she remained unfazed and left the audience excited for what is next to come from her.
Fans can only hope that there is an album in the making and that Normani will rightfully claim her throne as a music industry queen, but for that to happen an album is so necessary, sooner rather than later. - Abby Chachoute
Sheck Wes
What happened to Sheck Wes? He found success almost instantly once he began his career by dropping “Mo Bamba,” a track that is already considered to be a classic. The track on Spotify alone has over 850 million plays and will certainly hit one billion sometime soon.
Sheck Wes is not a one-hit-wonder either, his debut and only album, “MUDBOY” is filled with more catchy songs like “Live Sheck Wes,” and “WESPN.” The album received mostly positive reviews, plus he got placements on YSL, and his label, Cactus Jack records. So yes, he’s still maintaining relevance, just not at the level that it could be.
This year, he has featured on one single and dropped one of his own. The track, “LFG!,” as of now, has no connection to a new record. It is hard to say how much he has been to the studio recently, but even stranger when looking at the label as a whole. Travis Scott has been relatively quiet with no new record since 2018, and Don Toliver with only one single this year.
Needless to say, Sheck Wes’s talent might be going to waste if he is not utilized soon. He is someone who feeds off of the energy of others, cranking up the hype on verses or choruses he delivers. His live shows have been dearly missed as well with him having some of the best crowd participation in the entire rap game.
Let Sheck cook! - Caelan Chevrier
Fernanda Lopez is a second year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email lfl5339@psu.edu
Abigail Chachoute is a second-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, email axc6070@psu.edu.
Caelan Chevrier is a third-year majoring in marketing. To contact him, email cjc6789@psu.edu.
CheRanda Hammond is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email clh5932@psu.edu.
About the Contributors
Caelan Chevrier
Third Year / Marketing & Journalism
Caelan Chevrier is a third-year student in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University studying marketing and broadcast journalism with the goal of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in four years. His career goal is to spread informative, meaningful, and entertaining content across various platforms and to be a positive impact on the community. He has also spent time working at WWE in the communications department and writing for The Westport Local Press in his hometown of Westport, CT. If you’d like to contact him, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Luciana Fernanda Lopez
Freshman / Telecommunications and Media Industries
Luciana (Fernanda) Lopez is a Telecommunications major and Portuguese minor from Lima, Peru. She’s been writing music reviews in Spanish for years. Her interests are music, films, comedy and everything Leonard Cohen.
CheRanda Hammond
Third Year / Broadcast Journalism
CheRanda Hammond is a third-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and marketing. She is a first-year member of CommRadio and After The Whistle and a second-year member in Penn State Sports Night. I am involved in Penn State’s THON with the organization FOTO. She is also a member of Minorities in Sports: Next and Association for Women in Sports Media national and Penn State Chapter.
