There’s no better time than the present to start a new era in the music industry, and 2023 has started off hot. Some of the biggest names in music are set to release albums this year, as well as world tours being announced and selling out within mere hours (ahem… Taylor Swift)
Artists like Miley Cyrus, Paramore, U2, Logic, Morgan Wallen, Metallica, and Niall Horan have all confirmed that new full-length albums from them will be released this year. Morgan Wallen could have split his songs into two full-length albums, confirming a whopping 36-song track list for his upcoming release One Thing at a Time. After releasing the first single ‘Flowers’ last week off her newest album, Miley Cyrus’ new breakup/girl-boss anthem was quick to rise to the top of the charts all across the globe. Niall Horan’s newest project is already receiving praise after he teased a verse on Tiktok. Indie artist Beabadobee also is getting love on TikTok, and announced that she is finally releasing the long-awaited “Glue Song” this Valentine’s Day after fans pleaded with her in her videos’ comment sections.
Speculation is what really makes the new music of 2023 so interesting. Although unconfirmed, Cardi B, Frank Ocean, Beyonce, A$AP Rocky, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift are all rumored to be releasing new music this year as well. Frank Ocean is set to headline the Coachella music festival, and since he hasn’t dropped an album since 2016’s Blonde, fans are sure that Ocean will have some new songs for the festival. Beyonce made waves in the industry after releasing Renaissance with the subtitle “Act I” and two more acts promised. The Beyhive (the nickname for Beyonce’s loyal fanbase) is speculating that “Act II” could follow this year as a whole new album. As for Cardi B, it has been five years since she premiered her first album, and fans are hungry for more from the rapper. She even teased a new snippet of music on Twitter.
Now, straying away from the artists that have reached A-List celebrity status, there are some highly anticipated projects from many smaller indie artists and bands. As of January 18th, 2023, the band boygenius has returned to the music scene to release their debut album “The Record” later this year. The supergroup made up of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus released their debut project “boygenius” back in 2018. The EP was received extremely well and garnered critical acclaim from all across the music industry. All three of the women have had successful careers of their own, with Bridgers even being nominated for four Grammy Awards in 2020. The group is even included in the Coachella lineup this summer. “The Record” is bound to make a wave in the indie scene. Gracie Abrams is also set to release a new album “Good Riddance” this year following the lead single “Where do we go now?” being released in mid-January.
As mentioned, there are some tours that are bound to shake up the music industry this year. SZA is embarking on her “S.O.S.” tour following the release of the namesake album name late last year. The R&B singer is bringing along upcoming artist Omar Apollo as her tour opener. After his track “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)” went viral last year, fans are sure to love his presence on the tour. Getting back into some classics, music legends Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks are co-headlining a tour this year as well as Journey’s “Freedom Tour” running this spring. Up-and-coming singer-songwriter Lizzy McAlpine is also set to undertake her sophomore headlining tour “The End of The Movie” this summer.
And finally, to address the elephant in the room: Taylor Swift. After her tenth album “Midnights,” the superstar announced “The Era’s Tour.” The demand for tickets was so high, fans were left waiting for days trying to secure their spot to see Swift perform live. 2.4 million tickets were told on the first day of the pre-sale, breaking the record for most tickets sold by an artist in a single day. On the epic 52-date tour, Swift is bringing a team of artists along as her opening acts. Paramore, Gayle, MUNA, Haim, Gracie Abrams, Owenn, Girl in Red, Beabadoobe, and Phoebe Bridgers are all accompanying Swift for “The Era’s Tour”. Billboard described the tour’s announcement as “the most chaos-inducing tour announcement of the decade.” Swift already holds the third spot for the highest-grossing female concert tours of all time, receiving an impressive $345,700,000 for her “Reputation Stadium Tour” in 2018, but “The Era’s Tour is on track to becoming Swift’s highest-grossing tour ever, and maybe even clinching the title of highest-grossing female tour of all time.
All in all, 2023 is bound to be one busy year for the music industry. Personally, I can’t wait to see what happens next. I mean, who knows? Maybe Olivia Rodrigo will drop her second album tomorrow. Probably not, but a girl can dream right?