Last year gave us some great pop albums from the likes of Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Tove Lo, Carly Rae Jepsen and more, but looking ahead to 2023 and there is already so much to be excited about!
Here are 10 pop albums that we are looking forward to for the year ahead, in release date order:
Shania Twain – Queen of Me
The queen of country-pop is back with her first new studio album in since 2017’s ‘Now’ and it’s already shaping up to be another classic. It’s Shania’s sixth studio album and she teased it last year with the 80s tinged ‘Waking Up Dreaming’ which gives me ‘Footloose’ meets ‘As it Was’ vibes. Then she gave us the more mellow ‘Last Day of Summer’ co-written by Jack Savoretti, and has started 2023 with the foot-stomping ‘Giddy Up!’. Shania has also dropped a documentary on Netflix ‘Not Just a Girl’ which sees her opening up about being a woman in a male dominated industry and her journey to becoming the mega-selling artist she is today.
Release date: 3rd February
P!nk – Trustfall
Singer/Songwriter/Part-time acrobat P!nk returns with her 9th studio album ‘Trustfall’ in February. Her last studio album was 2019’s ‘Hurts 2B Human’ and it seems the theme for this album is perhaps more uplifting as heralded by the infectious current single ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’. The video for which sees P!nk showcasing her rollerskating skills as she does the weekly food shop – is there nothing this woman can’t do? After enduring some tough things in recent times (illness in the family and her father passing) she told Good Morning America ‘This album is the best I’ve ever made.’ That’s a high bar she’s set for herself!
Release date: 17th February
Adam Lambert – High Drama
Glambert has decided to pay homage to some of his favourite tracks with his new album ‘High Drama’ being his unique interpretations of songs from other artists; some familiar and some more obscure. Last year he gave the first taster with his take on Cole Porter’s classic ‘Mad About The Boy’ and now he has released his cover of Bonnie Tyler’s 80s classic’Holding Out For A Hero’. Other acts who will be getting the Adam makeover include Sia, Culture Club and Billie Eilish. Watch his video for his cover of Duran Duran’s ‘Ordinary World’ below:
Release date: 24th February
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
New Year, New Miley, New Single! Miley has treated us to a taster of her upcoming 8th studio album ‘Endless Summer Vacation’ with the single ‘Flowers’. The laidback, mid-tempo bop is very much a statement of self-empowerment. Fans have been speculating on whether the song is a dig at ex-husband Liam Hemsworth. The album follows 2020’s rock-pop ‘Plastic Hearts’ which featured the hits ‘Midnight Sky’ and ‘Prisoner’. Miley is somewhat of a musical chameleon so I’m very excited to see what genres she mashes for the new album.
Release date: 10th March
Ellie Goulding – Higher Than Heaven
Originally scheduled for release in early Feb, Ellie’s 5th studio album ‘Higher Than Heaven’ will now be released at the end of March. The reason for the delay is cryptically described by Ellie on her Instagram page as “we’ve had some exciting opportunities appear behind the scenes which I cannot wait to share with you in due course.” Could it have anything to do with being back in the studio with Calvin Harris? She’s already given a couple of tasters for the album with last summer’s ‘Easy Lover’ and the brilliant ‘Let It Die’ and has teased a new single ‘Like A Saviour’ for which a video has already been shot. The deluxe version of the album also features her recent collab with Alok and Sigala on ‘All By Myself’.
Release date: 7th April
Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
Back in July last year Jessie teased on her socials ‘It’s time for new music. A whole load of new music.’ She then went on to release the empowering banger ‘Free Yourself’ and has been busy supporting Harry Styles on some of his US tour dates as well as her own headline US dates. This album follows the nu-disco of ‘What’s Your Pleasure’ in 2020 and Jessie told Radio 1 last summer that she is feeling the most creatively free, so we are looking forward to hearing what’s to come this year. Here she is performing ‘Free Yourself’ at The Fashion Awards in December.
Release date: 28th April
Louise – Greatest Hits
Fans lapped up Louise’s return to music with 2020’s ‘Heavy Love’ album. Now Louise is celebrating her music career to date with a new Greatest Hits compilation that boasts 12 Top 20 hits alongside singles like ‘Stretch’ and ‘Lead Me On’ from the aforementioned album. Louise has also recorded a cover of Janet Jackson’s ‘Together Again’ and reimagined some of her earlier hits and a few Eternal classics for the collection. There are a number of brand new recordings too including the funky current track ‘Super Magic’.
Release date: 2nd June
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – HANA
Last year saw Sophie, spread the joy of her lockdown project Kitchen Disco, by taking it on tour. In December, she announced that over the last couple of years she has been working once again with Ed Harcourt on her forthcoming seventh studio album; her first since 2016’s ‘Familia’. She took to social media to announce the project and stated ‘…there’s pop sensibilities woven throughout it and there’s definitely a lot of synthesisers.’ The project is expected to land in summer and if last year’s brilliant ‘Hypnotized’ with Wuh-Oh, is a hint at the direction, count me excited! Sophie will be touring the new album in November and December in the UK.
Release date: 2nd June
Kylie Minogue – TBC
Following the success of ‘Disco’, Kylie has made no secret of the fact that in 2022 she’s been beavering away on her 16th studio album. We know that she’s been working with Kamille (Little Mix) and just this month a photo was shared on social media of Kylie in the studio with regular co-writer Karen Poole (Wow/Chocolate/Timebomb) as well as Jon Shave of The Invisible Men (Sigala/Cheryl) Purple Disco Machine (who recently remixed ‘Magic’) and Lewis Thompson(Becky Hill/Joel Corry). Between them, they have had a hand in writing some big hits of recent years including ‘Crazy What Love Can Do’ and Joel Corry’s ‘Head & Heart’ – Kylie doing some dance bangers? Yes please!
BMG label boss Alistair Norbury has already stated the album campaign will be starting in 2023 and with Kylie headlining World Pride at the end of February, hopefully we’ll have an album announcement very soon.
Release date: TBC
Janet Jackson – TBC/Black Diamond
Ok so this one isn’t 100% confirmed, but after announcing that her new album ‘Black Diamond’ would be released in 2020, only for covid to see it shelved, at the end of last year Janet told the today show new music was coming. Her recent documentary gave the public a look behind the curtain of an incredibly private person, and gave a taster of a new track. Janet also excited North American fans announcing her ‘Together Again’ tour in kicking off in April and running through until the end of June. The rest of the world are eagerly awaiting dates being announced in their countries. The time is definitely ripe for a new album…come on Miss Janet!
Release date: TBC
Which album are you most looking forward to in 2023? Tell us @entfocus
