20 musical artists we’re desperately waiting on to drop a new album

It’s hard to believe that Rihanna has been in the industry for over two decades now. Although she’s released hit songs such as “Umbrella,” “Rude Boy,” and “Work,” her last album Anti was released back in 2016. Rihanna has done minimal features for other artists since then, and while she’s constantly asked about her anticipated album R9, Rihanna is hard at work running several businesses, so music is on the back burner. 

Although Billy Joel continues to sell out shows, it’s pretty evident that new music isn’t needed from him. He released his last studio album Fantasies and Delusions back in 2001, and while it’s been over two decades since then, Joel is riding the concert wave and honestly, we can’t blame him. 

Jay Z once famously said, “I'm not a businessman, I'm a business, man.” In addition to his music, Jay has ventured into different businesses such as owning Tidal, opening restaurants, and launching a sports agency. However, his last solo project was back in 2017 when he released 4:44, he then followed up a year later with a joint project alongside his wife Beyoncé with Everything Is Love. 

When Britney Spears came onto the scene in 1999 with her debut album …Baby One More Time, she quickly became pop’s princess. In recent years, she has mostly used her social media page to show off her dance skills, but it’s evident that her fans hope to hear new music soon. 

Frank Ocean has always been the type of artist who flies under the radar. He first came onto the scene in 2011 with his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra and then followed up with his debut album Channel Orange a year later. However, fans have been waiting on a new album from him since his 2016 sophomore album Blonde. Only time will tell when Ocean will gift fans with new music. 

Lauryn Hill has always been a different type of artist. Although she released a couple of albums alongside her group The Fugees, she only released one solo album, and that was back in 1998. The cool thing about Hill’s career is how she constantly sells out shows, even though she only has music from that one solo album. We might not know what new music from Hill sounds like, but it would be interesting to see how her artistic creativity works in today’s world.

Just a few months after heavy metal band System of a Down released their fifth album Hypnotize, they decided to go on hiatus for a few years as the bandmates focused on other projects. About six years later, they reunited for several festival performances, and fans are constantly asking when a new album is dropping. 

For most of Pharrell’s career, he’s been the kind of artist who plays behind the scenes as a producer and songwriter. However, he usually takes a lot of time to release his own music. In 2006, he dropped his solo debut In My Mind, and it was eight years later when he released his critically-acclaimed album GIRL. Also, his albums seem to differ from the previous release, so it would be interesting to hear what a new one would sound like. 

Fergie rose to popularity in 2003 when she became the newest member of the group the Black Eyed Peas. She then went on to release a couple of solo albums, however, her last one Double Duchess was released back in 2017. If pop music is missing anybody, it’s definitely Fergie Ferg. 

Rap duo Outkast hasn’t released an album since 2006’s Idlewild. Since then, Big Boi has released projects alongside other artists, while André 3000 lives a low-profile life who releases solo music and features on occasion. There’s no doubt about it that many rap artists today have been inspired by Outkast’s discography, perhaps they can give fans one last album. 

Boy band the Backstreet Boys took the pop world by storm when they released their self-titled album back in 1996. In today’s world, fans can usually catch the band on tour or headlining a Las Vegas residency. In 2022, they released the first holiday album, properly titled A Very Backstreet Christmas. 

Dr. Dre is mostly known as a producer for other artists than he is as a rapper. It took him nearly 16 years to release his third album, Compton, after his sophomore joint 2001. Compton came out back in 2015 and since then, Dre has been the mastermind of music for other artists, including Snoop Dogg and Marsha Ambrosius. 

Bruno Mars typically takes a good amount of time between albums before he releases something new. In 2016, his third album 24K Magic took the world by storm, and in 2021, he teamed up with Anderson .Paak to form the group Silk Sonic. One of the cool things about Mars is how his albums tend to have a different sound that varies from the previous one. 

Janet Jackson may not release music as frequently as she once did, but she continues to stay in the spotlight. In 2015, she released her eleventh album Unbreakable that featured the hit song “No Sleeep,” and in 2018, she teamed up with Daddy Yankee on her single “Made for Now.” If fans want to hear Jackson’s music, they can typically catch her headlining music festivals or her own residency in Las Vegas. 

Between her work with the group Fleetwood Mac and her own solo work, Stevie Nicks has long built a legendary career. In 2014, she released her eighth solo album 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault, which reached the top ten on the Billboard 200.

For the R&B and neo-soul lovers, fans have been anticipating a new D’Angelo album since his 2014 project Black Messiah. D’Angelo tends to keep a low profile with special show appearances. However, one of his collaborators, Raphael Saadiq, has since hinted that D’Angelo is working on new music. 

In 2010, English band Sade released its sixth album Soldier of Love to rave reviews. Although it was reported back in 2022 that the band has been working on new music, fans are still patiently waiting for what a Sade album will sound like in this decade. 

At this point in Missy Elliott’s career, she’s more of a legacy act. With a career spanning nearly three decades, who’s cranked out hits like “The Rain,” “Sock It 2 Me,” and “Gossip Folks,” fans are assured that Elliott still has more magic that she can release. Until then, fans can usually hear her featured on tracks by other artists, or performing at live shows. 

No Doubt released their sixth album Push and Shove back in 2012, and it was in 2024 when the band reunited to headline Coachella. Although the band members have worked on other projects, the Coachella performance got fans excited that new music could be on the way, either that or at least a tour. 

With a career spanning over three decades, Boyz II Men has the type of music that will last for generations. They’re the type of band that stays booked and busy, and they always make sure to play all their classic hits during live performances. They haven’t released new music since 2017, but some fans are curious how a new Boyz II Men album would sound.