Most anticipated albums and their video singles
The music world, like you and me, is waiting for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming year. And that means new discs from their favorite or popular soloists and groups. Many of them, with the exception of Adele, Ed Sheeran, Billy Eilish, Paul McCartney, Sting, Konstantin Kinchev, Oksimiron, ABBA, Elton John, Robert Plant, “B-2” and some other stars, saved the premiere “until better times” all 2021 year.
After all, how is it customary for artists? Immediately after the release of the album – to go on a world tour or on tour in their native country. But when in other countries there is quarantine, borders are sometimes closed, and even at stadiums, in concert halls – restrictions and the need to maintain social distance – there is no time for tours.
Who violated, alas, paid the price. Despite the advice, Kiss still went on tour in the US. But first, lead guitarist Paul Stanley was diagnosed with COVID-19, and lead bassist Gene Simmons fell ill in December. The tour had to be cancelled.
But many artists believe that in 2022 the pandemic will end and world tours will resume. And they are already preparing to release new albums. Let’s name the most anticipated.
Korn. “Requiem”
The video for the song Start The Healing, which became the pilot single for the album, has already collected almost 2 million 800 thousand views on YouTube.
Yes, it’s still the same good old Korn – impetuous and desperate vocals, sometimes turning into growling, then into gentle, almost insinuating intonations, overloaded guitars, a frantic chariot of drums … And sudden voltage drops, where a whirlwind of emotions is sometimes replaced by almost pastoral piano picks keys. And also – action-packed lyrics, complex poetic images, metaphor, allegories and plenty of mysticism, empathy and heroic dedication.
The only song published so far is Start The Healing – for example, a surreal story about death and rebirth surrounded by supernatural beings, nightmares, but at the same time – in the presence of both humanoids and the musicians themselves.
As conceived by the director of the video, Tim Sassenty, it also symbolizes the beginning of a new era for Korn.
According to the band: “Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting inability to perform live, Requiem was created in completely different circumstances compared to our other albums. Inspired by the lack of timelines, Korn did things with tracks that weren’t enough time for the last two decades: experimenting a lot and diligently recording on analog tape processes that opened up new sounds and textures in their music…”
“B2”
This video was filmed at the June concert of Bi-2 in the empty Luzhniki due to the pandemic. The single “We Don’t Need a Hero” will be included in the band’s 11th studio album, which she has been recording all year. Other new releases that should also make it to the LP, as yet untitled, are Inferno, Ashes and Depression.
In a recent interview, “B-2” said that they owe fans 14 concerts rescheduled from 2021. One of them – in the Czech Republic, the other in Germany, the rest – in Russia. Obviously, by the resumption of the tour, the disc will be released. It’s hard to guess right now though.
The musicians believe that the pandemic will recede in the spring, the tour will resume, and they are already preparing new programs
Scorpions. “Rock Believer”
Yes, they are back again! They released the single Peacemaker, which has collected almost one and a half million views on YouTube. The song will be included in the Scorpions’ 19th studio album, which has already been named Rock Believer.
And this is really very strong rock and at the same time a little old-fashioned – in the spirit of the traditions of the tenth years.
This is the sound the Scorpions loved on 2010’s Sting in the Tail before disbanding. Now they are back with something similar – overdriven guitars, offensive bass lines and a drum sound reminiscent of “cardboard” in the fashion of the years. At the same time, very accurate episodic “tinted” solos of the second lead guitar, no keyboards and high, clear, volatile vocals of Klaus Meine, not overshadowed by any worldly troubles and years!
We owe a lot to this album to the pandemic: it is because of it that the “scorpions” living in different cities (Meine, when the group broke up, settled in New York and told the RG columnist that he would not mind trying himself as a tennis coach ) at the time of quarantine remained in Hannover. Their guitarist Rudolf Schenker lives here from time immemorial. He also has a studio there. The musicians recorded in it, this time not in a hurry to go on any tour.
placebo. Never Let Me Go
The legendary British band has decided to release their first album in almost a decade in 2022. At first, I prefaced it with this single, the name of which translates as “Beautiful James”. And in November she released another one – Surrounded by Spies (“Surrounded by spies”). It was inspired, by the way, by the fact that Molko felt that his neighbors were spying on him.
Musically and ideologically, Placebo hasn’t changed much: again the disturbed nerve of the melody, the hooky chorus, the internal tension and the hysterical vocals of the singer and guitarist Brian Molko. And also – the spirit of non-conformism and challenge, ruffiness, desperate drumming, accurately dosed electronic loops, computer additional programming … In a word, everything for which fans love the cult English band since the 90s.
Again, everything revolves in a swift whirlwind: tenderness, provocativeness, despair, loneliness, paranoia, courage. But after all, the trio still includes those who have always ruled this psychedelic alternative ball: Brian Molko himself and Swedish drummer Stefan Olsdal.
Ozzy Osbourne
The famous vocalist, despite Parkinson’s disease (the consequences of an injury received while riding a snowmobile), completes the recording of an album that does not yet have a title. He said that 15 new songs are already ready.
Ozzy is so busy that he hasn’t even made any new videos yet. And that’s why it’s just right to watch a concert video of one of his most successful songs, Mr. Crowley with over 57 million views on YouTube is a gigantic number!
Osbourne’s new disc was produced by Andrew Watt, who also worked on his previous disc, Ordinary Man. Moreover, according to the vocalist, the new album will be similar in tone and spirit to this particular release of 2020.
Only now the composition of the “guest musicians” is already different. If in the “Ordinary Man” rappers occasionally collaborated with Ozzy, now only rockers from the major leagues: guitarists Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi and Zakk Wylde.