I know I’m a little late to the game, but after a year in music like 2020—also known as the year of Taylor Swift—I’m really looking forward to the music of this new year. Pop music has always been a not-so-guilty pleasure of mine, so here are 5 artists I hope to see more of in 2021.
- Lorde
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Personally, I’ve been waiting for Lorde’s third album for years. Both Pure Heroine and Melodrama are works of art—listening to “Writer in the Dark” brings me back to my freshman year of college, when it was all I listened to during finals season and I was really moody. Lorde has hinted that she’ll be releasing new music for a while now, so here’s hoping that she graces us with an album sooner rather than later.
- Harry Styles
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Harry’s most recent album Fine Line was released in 2019, which doesn’t seem possible since the “Treat People with Kindness” music video was released so recently. While he’s been focusing on acting as well as his music, perhaps quarantine provided some inspiration for a new album.
- Lauv
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~how i’m feeling~ was the soundtrack of my quarantine (my Spotify Wrapped proved it!). The song “Modern Loneliness” was the most cathartic, including the line “love my friends to death, but I never call and I never text.” It really encapsulated how I started feeling midway through shelter-in-place orders. On a lighter note, “El Tejano” and “Tattoos Together” are so much fun—hopefully Lauv releases a new album soon (although this album was an early 2020 release, so maybe expecting a few singles is more realistic).
- Olivia Rodrigo
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You had to expect this one! “Drivers License” has broken records already—and for good reason! I haven’t watched any of her shows, but this song is just so emotional and builds in a spectacular way. I’m looking forward to whatever she does next!
- AJR
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AJR’s lyricism and clever rhythms always make me want more, and it’s been over a year since Neotheater—“Bang!” and “Bummerland” were both amazing 2020 singles, and I’m excited to see where the brothers take their band in the future.
I *almost* put Taylor Swift on this list, but honestly, I think she kind of deserves a break after dropping two surprise albums during a global pandemic. Hopefully some of that productivity rubs off on these artists (and me!) in 2021!