Albums Being Released in 2023, Best Year in Music Coming?
Don Toliver: LoveSick, Album Coming Feb. 24
Don Toliver has been on fire with the few singles in between his last album, Life of a DON, which was released in 2021. Tracks like, “Do It Right”, “Leave The Club” feat. Lil Durk & GloRilla, and “4 Me” feat. Kali Uchis have made a clear example of why quality over quantity is so important. With less content between the two albums, fans have become hungrier for more music.
Simply working with just three songs to space out that gap, Toliver has somehow shown both amazing versatility and creative production. For instance, the transition on “Leave The Club” was met with a showing of the artist true skill by seamlessly meshing the two different beats and artist with ease. A performance like this, and vocally outdoing himself, has made the wait exciting.
Due to the plethora of content that will be meeting fans later in the week, LoveSick has the potential to solidify Don as a top-tier artist.
Logic: College Park, Album Coming Feb. 24
Logic has since retired from Def Jam Recordings following his last studio album Vinyl Days releasing last year. The 30-track album demonstrated the artist still has plenty of content he wants to release to the world.
However, now that he no longer is part of a record label, the question remains whether this new freedom is going to allow him to enter a new era. Will he bring content similar to Under Pressure, his debut studio album, and arguably his best album, or is he going to present an album that is disappointing once again?
I believe this album has the most pressure out of any of his albums because this can be a new start or a sad end. The question will be answered later this week on Friday.
Yeat: Afterlyfe, Album Coming Feb. 24
The internet sensation that took 2022 by storm, with the albums 2 Alive and Lyfe along with the single “Rich Minion,” is not taking his foot off the gas in 2023. After almost seamlessly having TikTok in his chokehold, he is now releasing a sequel to Lyfe with AfterLyfe.
Within this album, Yeat is said to have features from artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Ken Carson and Destroy Lonely, who could easily elevate the album. With those artists and BYNX, a close collaborator to the artist, saying that this album is “album of the year material” it’s almost impossible to not be excited about the release. However, with this year’s lineup, I doubt that the tall task is within reach for Yeat.
Lil Uzi Vert: Pink Tape, Album Coming in February
Lil Uzi Vert might be entering a second prime after the release of “Just Wanna Rock” and “Watch This – ARIZONATEARS remix” have cluttered all of TikTok for months on end. These two might be a prequel of something greater coming from the artist.
If this pace is maintained throughout Pink Tape, he might very well release one of the best rap albums of 2023.
6LACK: S.I.H.L, Album Coming In March
6LACK is ending his five-year hiatus with the release of what fans are naming SIHL as ‘Since I Have A Lover.’ The album was announced to come out in March on the website after the timer ran out on Monday, Feb. 20. However, there has yet to be an announcement on the album cover, track list, etc.
With one of his biggest hits “Pretty Little Fears” feat. J. Cole, stemming from his album East Atlanta Love Letter, it would be amazing if there is another appearance of the rapper who is also speculated to release an album this year. Having content from both of these amazing artists is fueling the excitement for 2023.
Daniel Caesar: Never Enough, Album Coming April 7
After four years of waiting, Daniel Caesar is finally back and better than ever. Singles like “Please Do Not Lean,” “Do You Like Me?” and “Let Me Go” have made it virtually impossible to wait for the release of Never Enough. It seems as if he’s never left with his vocals being just as perfect as before. Especially due to this hot streak of amazing content, fans are praying for April 7 to come sooner.
J. Cole: It’s a Boy, Album Speculated to Come in 2023
J. Cole, in typical J. Cole fashion, has wiped his Instagram once again, leaving many fans speculating the release of It’s a Boy is coming soon. He has done this for his surprise drop of KOD and the single MIDDLE CHILD.
This also falls into the timeline that was set by the rapper himself who posted a picture of a list of projects like Features, ROTD3, The Off-Season, It’s A Boy and The Fall Off. However, what it did not mention is the release of D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape in 2022, so the list could very well not be the end all be all.
With that all being said, if J. Cole were to drop an album this year, it would easily have the expectation to be the rap album of the year.
Metro Boomin & Future: N/A, Album Coming In 2023
These two have collaborated on a plethora of hits in their careers and have finally decided to release a joint album. With the impressive Heroes & Villains, which was released towards the end of last year, fans can’t even imagine the music coming with this collaboration. It included a song of the two, “Superhero,” where Future absolutely glides on a magnificently produced beat.
The potential of this album is truly limitless with the resume Metro Boomin and Future have accumulated together. For reference, they have worked together on the nine-time platinum, “Mask Off,” and other songs such as “Honest,” “Wicked,” “Where Ya At” and “Jumpman” with Drake.
Rihanna: N/A, Album Coming in 2023
After the amazing performance at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, Rihanna took to social media to say she is also releasing an album this year. This was announced along with the news that she is now pregnant with her second child with A$AP Rocky.
The rapper has also announced an album for this year. These parents are now ridiculously busy having two children and two albums in the same year.
However, Rihanna has always been consistently putting out amazing tracks and projects, so there is no doubt that this will also be at that standard, if not higher.
Juice WRLD: The Party Never Ends, N/A
There is not a specific timetable for this release, however, there is one important detail that is controversial among fans. This is said to be Juice WRLD’s last album ever. No more posthumous releases from the rapper are expected after this. The rapper’s record label has not confirmed this, but Lil Bibby took to Instagram with the caption below.
“The Last Juice WRLD Album is in the works… We want this album to feel like a Celebration/Party! Let’s celebrate the life of Juice. No more mourning, I want everyone that Juice loved while he was here to help celebrate, especially his fans who he loved! You guys have been the best fans an artist can have (Minus the death threats to Bibby). I’m not gonna complain but i’ll jus say this is not easy. We miss you, We love you 999 til the world ends,”
Lil Bibby/Instagram
A celebration of Juice WRLD is a perfect way to end his posthumous music.
Lil Wayne: The Carter VI, N/A
The Carter series has been one of the best rap album series in all of rap music history. Especially when discussing his last three carter albums Tha Carter III, Tha Carter IV, and Tha Carter V which have all been impressive upon release.
The most recent carter album was released back in 2018, so a five-year span between these albums means that this album has the potential to be the best or worst out of the series. However, I believe with the consistency he has upheld in the recent carter albums, this album will turn out to be one of the best releases of the year.
A$AP Rocky: Don’t Be Dumb, Coming in 2023
A$AP Rocky announced the release of his album in 2023 on a Thursday Night Football commercial.
“Thursday night football. Amazon. First time back on stage. Album finished. Don’t Be Dumb. Let’s go.”
– A$AP Rocky
After his last album in 2018, Testing, which was a mesh of all kinds of styles it is intriguing as to what the rapper has in store for us next. He certainly has a great track record with singles like “Praise The Lord,” “Everyday” and “Sundress” but can he top them in this next album?
Travis Scott: Utopia
Utopia has been on the album-to-release list for years now. After dropping one of the most influential albums in recent generations, Astroworld, in 2018 the next album has been craved by fans for five years now.
Even though the rapper has not released the album, he has not completely deprived fans of his. Here recently he has had multiple features on projects like Heroes & Villains, Her Loss, and SOS.
Travis Scott is still a highly regarded rapper and an album dropping this year would certainly hold rap album of the year status off of the first week, based on reputation alone.
Nicki Minaj: N/A
The queen of rap is returning to the game since her last album release, Queen in 2018, after having one of the biggest singles of 2022, “Super Freaky Girl.” After the release of that track, it showed the world that Nicki has still got it and will not disappear easily with the impact she has left on the industry.
In an interview with JT of the City Girls on i-D, she was asked what she has planned for the future and responded with:
“The fifth album. I’m not gonna say when it’s gonna come out, but the album will be out soon,” Minaj said.
I don’t know why but everyone is returning from 2018, which isn’t a bad thing considering the music that year was some of the best of that decade.
Playboi Carti: Music, Speculated To Come In 2023
Fans have been anticipating this album for what feels like decades, however, they may no longer need to wait as there is potential that the album, Music, is coming in 2023.
Playboi Carti is one of the main headliners of Rolling Loud. As history would prove, whenever an artist is taking the road they are usually gearing up for an album release.
Cardi B: N/A, Coming In 2023
In an interview with “The Breakfast Club” the rapper won’t let another year pass without releasing her long-awaited sophomore album. She stated, “I have no choice. I have to put it out.”
During the interview, she admitted that it was her own indecisiveness that has led to the album being postponed. Although Cardi B already has songs that are definitely on the album, there is no telling how much longer the process will take.
Pusha T & DJ Drama: N/A, Coming In 2023
DJ Drama says the collaborative Gangsta Grillz mixtape is coming this year and is Grammy-worthy. The Gangsta Grillz series is an impressive one with projects like Call Me If You Get Lost and Dreamville’s D-Day.
Having a collaborative artist at the level of Pusha T could very well mean a Grammy nomination and a win is in the near future for both of these artists. Especially after the rapper failed to receive a Grammy award for best rap album with Daytona nor It’s Almost Dry. Bearing that in mind, it is safe to say Pusha T will be motivated more than ever to create a masterpiece.
Trippie Redd: ALLTY 5, Coming In 2023
ALLTY 5 has not been 100 percent confirmed, however, Trippie Redd said on Instagram in December of last year that two albums were going to be released in 2023. The first obviously being the recently released Mansion Musik and the second being the final project in the series, ALLTY 5.
Due to the four-year gap between the previous in the series, ALLTY 4, fans are raving about the content coming in the fifth installment, especially for one reason. Not only is it the fifth in the series, but it will also be the last. Because of this, Trippie Redd has devoted himself to putting nothing but hits on this album.
Comeback Album, Chance The Rapper: Star Line Gallery, Coming In 2023
Chance The Rapper had one of the best album trilogies in rap history with 10 Day, Acid Rap, and Coloring Book. However, once he released his last album The Big Day, it was regarded as not only his worst album but one of the worst albums ever released.
It didn’t feel like Chance. The last album felt like he was trying to push too much into the mainstream hip-hop scene. Fans, including myself, want Chance, in his purest form.
I believe that after his trip to Ghana, he has found the music that feels like him especially after hearing all of the singles he released last year. Tracks like “Wraith,” “The Highs & The Lows” and “Yah Know” show a lot of promise for the upcoming album Star Line Gallery.
Ski Mask The Slump God: N/A, Speculated To Come In 2023
In a tweet made in October of last year, Ski Mask The Slump God stated that he would be releasing a single that month along with an album the next. Come October 25th there was a release of the single “OOGA BOOGA!”
However, an album had not materialized in the following month. Instead, DJ Scheme posted a picture of a scribbled-out track list of the album. Because of this, fans are hopeful that the rapper’s sophomore album comes out this year.
Rae Sremmurd: SremmLife 4, Speculated To Come In 2023
SremmLife 4 could very well be on the way in 2023. This album has been teased as early as 2020, just two years after SR3MM was released. However, nothing has come to fruition, until just recently in May of 2022 when both Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi stated on Twitter, that the fourth album is on the way. Having said that, it has been nearly ten months since that was said, so it is uncertain what has become of the album.
Denzel Curry: Designed By Angels, Unconfirmed
Denzel Curry, in my opinion, released the third-best album last year, trailing just The Forever Story, by JID, and Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, by Kendrick Lamar. Because of this, I am personally excited that rumor has it another album is coming so soon after 2022 Melt My Eyez See Your Future.
In this album, Denzel says he is aiming for a more RnB approach and will lean into more melodic performances. This could be a switch made like Lil Yachty did earlier this year when he released Let’s Start Here.
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