It has been a while since anyone fully knew or could predict the release date for an album. Ever since Beyoncé surprise-released her self-titled album, stars seemed to do the same and follow suit (with some even completely missing deadlines and postponing their album multiple times). It’s completely possible that Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, and Rihanna release their long-awaited projects in 2022, but it is also possible we won’t hear from them for another half-decade. At any rate, here are some of the albums that are set for release this year, for now:

sza

Looking at all she has achieved, it’s hard to believe that SZA still only has one album. The R&B powerhouse dropped Ctrl back in 2017, and since then, fans have been begging for another full-length album. While she still hasn’t confirmed when it might come (and it’s completely possible she doesn’t yet for sure know), the 14-time Grammy nominee has released huge hits. She released her hit song “Good Days” in 2020 and her recent release “Hate U” debuted inside the top 10 on the Hot 100, not to mention her hit collaboration with Doja Cat, “Kiss Me More,” which broke nearly all female-collaboration records. Now SZA just has to finish what she’s working on so her fans can finally be satisfied.

Kendrick Lamar

The 34-year-old rapper hasn't released a solo studio album since 2017's "Damn," which topped the Billboard 200 chart and earned him a Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize. Lamar is famously private about his personal life, only increasing the speculation about his next project and its potential release date. As he has recently been sighted multiple times as well as following his well-received Superbowl Halftime performance, speculation that his album is coming soon has risen. While nothing’s confirmed until there’s an official announcement, it certainly seems Kendrick Lamar‘s final TDE album will be arriving soon.

Lizzo

Lizzo released several albums, mixtapes, and EPs before she released her highly acclaimed album Cuz I Love You, which allowed her to gain commercial success. Towards the end of summer 2021, she returned with her comeback single “Rumors,” which benefited from a feature by Cardi B. The track serves as the lead single from her new album. The 33-year-old hitmaker confirmed to Variety in a recent interview that her new album is due out sometime before the end of this year.

BLACKPINK

While two members of BLACKPINK have had successful solo debuts in 2021, BLACKPINK fans have been anxiously waiting for news on a group album. Finally, it seems that their agency YG Entertainment got the hang of it and the new album by Lisa, Jennie, Rosé, and Jisoo is set for a 2022 release date. According to multiple reports, their album should be released “after this summer.”

Harry Styles

The former One Direction star’s “Fine Line” album was released in December 2019 which included hits such as “Watermelon Sugar,”
“Adore You,” and “Falling.” Harry was confirmed as one of the headliners for Coachella 2022, sparking rumors that new music might be released sometime this year. However, in February, Harry was spotted in London filming a music video in an oversized bed that was being pulled around the streets outside Buckingham Palace. This got his fans in a frenzy as it seems new music is closer than we think. Harry is yet to confirm a new album, of course, but we’re keeping our eyes open for all the clues!

Nicki Minaj

The Queen of Rap, Nicki Minaj, will finally be making her long-awaited return to music with a new album that’s expected to arrive in 2022. It’s been four years since her last album Queen dropped, and fans have been waiting for Nicki to grace the mic again. She has not been quiet though, as she released a mixtape as well as successful collaborations and singles since the release of her album. However, during a recent interview on Power 98.3’s The Dana Cortez Show, Nicki confirmed she’ll be back in full force this year. “Before the summer,” she promised.

Taylor Swift

After announcing she was planning on re-recording and re-releasing her first six albums after the rights to all of them were sold without her knowledge, Taylor Swift began delivering on her promise in early 2021. By the time the year ended, she’d dropped her own Taylor’s Version of both “Fearless” and “Red” and both of them going right to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The singer will likely release more re-recorded projects in 2022, though which ones are yet to be seen. Chances are it will either be “Speak Now” or “1989” or hopefully both.

Chlöe Bailey

Via In The Know/Shaniqwa Jarvishaniqwa Jarvis

Sister duo Chloe x Halle quickly became one of the most exciting acts in R&B, but they are currently on a bit of a break. As Halle Bailey focuses on her acting career filming the highly anticipated live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, her sister wasn’t just going to sit around and wait for her to be done. Instead, in 2021 she dropped her debut solo single “Have Mercy,” which instantly became a hit and a TikTok sensation. The tune appears to be the first taste of a upcoming album, and even if it doesn’t drop in 2022, chances are more music will.

Most Anticipated Albums in 2022

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