THINGS ARE SHAPING UP NICELY FOR 12 MONTHS OF MAJOR NEW ALBUMS AND TOURS FROM OUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS
MARK LINDORES
t’s that time again when we cast our eye, and our ears, back over the past 12 months and wonder how those fabled new albums that we predict every year – yes, we’re talking to you Janet Jackson, The Cure, Sade, Kate Bush – have STILL not materialised. And who’d have predicted we’d get new Beatles material, though, before Rihanna...
Still, it’s better to focus on what we have rather than what we don’t, and 2023 has given us plenty of fantastic new music from Depeche Mode, Kylie, OMD and Take That among others and we look forward to experiencing them in a live setting in the new year. Other big live draws in 2024 include the reunited Girls Aloud (see our news story on pages 10-11), Liam Gallagher, who is performing Oasis’ Definitely Maybe in full, Bruce Springsteen, thankfully fully recovered from his health scare, and The Pretenders.
For those unable to get to gigs for whatever reason, the concert film is a pretty decent substitute. Although nothing can replicate the magic of live music, this is something we expect to see a lot more of, with trailblazers Taylor Swift and Beyoncé embracing the format and having their tours in cinemas, alongside a reissue of Talking Heads’ seminal 1984 film, Stop Making Sense. Speaking of which, the fact that film managed to get David Byrne and his bandmates back together after decades of acrimony is proof that we never really know what to expect.
DUA LIPA
With her latest single Houdini proving that Future Nostalgia was no fluke, anticipation is high for the release of Dua’s third studio album. Although she has been vague as to how the record will sound, offering up titbits such as being influenced by psychedelia, she has shared glimpses behind the scenes on her social media accounts confirming the involvement of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and working once more with producer Koz (as well as writer Sarah Hudson, the team behind hits such as Levitating and Physical). Lipa will also be hitting the road again in support of the album, with a Glastonbury headlining performance looking highly likely.
Pet Shop Boys
With pop’s dynamic duo already confirmed for a headline slot at the Isle Of Wight Festival, we’re almost certain to have the new Pet Shop Boys album early in the new year.
Having completed their trilogy with Stuart Price, the pair have been working on the LP
