Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos by Labels With venues, bars, and clubs reopening after a year-plus in various states of lockdown, don’t expect summer 2021 to just go back to normal — prepare, instead, for a level of intensity not seen since the first Roaring ’20s.
Migos, Culture III Delayed by the pandemic, Migos’ final entry in the Culture trilogy finally arrives, led by the singles “Give No Fxk,” “Need It,” and “Straightenin,” which features a statement of purpose from Quavo: “Turn a pandemic into a bandemic / You know that’s the shit that we on.” It’ll be interesting to see what the album holds, considering the Atlanta trio’s controversy-filled year, but given its timing, it’s guaranteed to be the marquee rap record of summer’s onset.
Modest Mouse, The Golden Casket It’s been six years since Isaac Brock & Co. put out Strangers to Ourselves and now they’re back with this LP, produced by Dave Sardy and Jacknife Lee. Over its dozen tracks, led by the propulsive single “We Are Between,” you’ll get the controlled madness you’d expect from Modest Mouse, from roaring rockers to lush psychedelia that’s destined to thrive in an outdoor-concert setting when the band eventually hits the road in the coming months.
Torres, Thirstier Yeah, we’ll say it: The synth-drenched “Don’t Go Puttin’ Wishes in My Head” is a top contender for indie-rock song of the summer.Polo G, Hall of Fame Rebecca Black, Rebecca Black Was Here Faye Webster, I Know I’m Funny haha Leon Bridges, Gold-Diggers Sound Potentially Coming Soon Drake, Certified Lover Boy We were led to believe that this album would drop in January, but one transformative winter and spring later, we’re still waiting.
Adele After dashing our hopes by hosting SNL without singing any new tunes, Adele said we’d have to wait until at least 2021 for a new album. We know she’s been working on new songs with producer Rick Nowels, but that’s about all the knowledge that’s out there about her follow-up to 2015’s 25.
Kacey Musgraves As of early 2021, the country-crossover star had 39 songs written for her next album. She’s reteamed with Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, who produced 2018’s Grammy-winning Golden Hour, and says the new material will take inspiration from Greek tragedies, the pandemic, and her divorce from fellow singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly. Oh, and also, ’shrooms.