My Most Anticipated Album Releases in 2012

1. Lana Del Rey – Born to Die (January 30)

Lana del Rey is probably one of the most hyped artists out there, but the four already released songs (Video Games, Blue Jeans, Born to Die, Off to the Races) from her upcoming album “Born to Die” definitely live up to all the expectations!

2. Enter Shikari – A Flash Flood of Colour (January 16)

Enter Shikari are my best discovery of 2011! I’ve heard of them before, of course, but never really listened to their music until I’ve heard their first single “Sssnakepit” of the upcoming third studio album “A Flash Flood of Colours”. I can’t wait for the album to drop in about three weeks!

3. Linkin Park – TBA (Rumored Release Date Summer 2012)

Every Linkin Park fan knows that they always spend several years on the creation of their albums, so it was quite a surprise when Chester Bennington talked about an early 2012 release of their fifth album, which is again produced by Rick Rubin. Also, their upcoming performance as headliners at the “Rock am Ring” festival in Germany was advertised with the new album being released in summer 2012. Unfortunately there was still no official announcement concerning the release date.

“We’re always writing. It’s hard to explain to people in simple terms what it means to us; the way we do it is a little weird and unique,” LP’s Mike Shinoda said. “We kind of write it and record it at the same time; we can do it on the road at all times. I mean, I was in my hotel room throwing something together at, like, 2 a.m. But what it takes to go from one of those demos to a finished song, I mean, we really obsess over it. It takes a while.”

And to that end, Linkin Park said there’s still no firm release date for the new album (which will once again be produced by Rick Rubin), but they do know that it will see the light of day sooner rather than later, which, for them, would be yet another departure.

“We do have a really great head start. We’ve got some great music, some good ideas. The creativity has continued to flow for us for the last few years, consistently,” Chester Bennington said. “So, we do plan on having this record out much quicker than what we’ve turned out in the past — that was one of our goals — and I feel like we’re in a really good place now.”

Of course, the next logical question would be: What does the new album sound like? And while LP weren’t about to give up all the details (“Right now, it sounds like blips and bleeps and pieces,” Bennington laughed), they’re adamant that it will most certainly sound different from any of their previous efforts … mostly because that’s been the goal with every record they make.

mtv.com

In fact, the band is so far along that Bennington says he’d be “shocked” if it doesn’t come out next year – even though until now, the band had released three studio albums in 10 years. But they’ve been shifting their focus to writing new songs, even while on the road. “Mike [Shinoda] and I are out there with our studios – technology, thank God, has gotten to the point when what used to be three refrigerator-sized racks of equipment and a full board the size of a king bed can now fit in my backpack – and we’re working on new music as we’re driving in the car to a venue or in our hotel room, and when we come home, everybody works in their homes,” he says.

rollingstone.com

4. Paramore – TBA

Paramore are slated to release their first album as a threesome, after the department of Josh and Zac Farro last year, in 2012. We already got a little taste with their contribution to the Transformers 3 soundtrack “Monster” and the release of the “Singles Club” containing “In the Mourning”, “Hello Cold World” and “Renegade”.

5. Marina & The Diamonds – Electra Heart (February 2012)

Asked to describe just what Electra Heart is and stands for, Marina told Popjustice: “Electra Heart is the antithesis of everything that I stand for. And the point of introducing her and building a whole concept around her is that she stands for the corrupt side of American ideology, and basically that’s the corruption of yourself. My worst fear – that’s anyone’s worst fear – is losing myself and becoming a vacuous person. And that happens a lot when you’re very ambitious.”

Popdash.com

6. Christina Aguilera – TBA (Spring/Summer 2012)
7. Tyler, The Creator – Wolf (May 2012)
8. Julien-K – We’re Here With You (January 23)
9. Muse – TBA (September 2012)
10. Jason Mraz – TBA (early 2012)
11. Mumford & Sons – TBA
12. Azealia Banks – TBA (Spring 2012)
13. Nelly Furtado – T.S.I. [Part One] (Summer 2012)