2019 will see new music from pop giants

From Childish Gambino, Tame Impala and Ariana Grande (all of whom are Coachella headliners this year) to celebrity icons Madonna, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, many ears will be blessed in 2019.

Pop music is coming back big time. One of the most anticipated pop releases of 2019 is Ariana Grande’s fifth studio album, “thank u, next.” Her pop omnipresence is likely to endure past last year’s triumphs in “God is a woman” and “thank u, next.” With teases like the titular song and “imagine,” “thank u, next” is looking to be the most authentically Ariana album yet.

Grande isn’t the only international pop star expected to release new music this year, however, with singers like Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga and Cardi B more rumored to be working on music. As avid Swift fans have discovered, we might see the singer shed her snake skin with new music as soon as April.

In the post-“A Star Is Born” era, Lady Gaga is expected to release new music that will return to the more experimental and beat-heavy anthems of her earlier albums. And, because one album simply isn’t enough for Gaga, she is expected to release a “Cheek to Cheek” follow-up with Tony Bennett.

Sia is another artist taking on a double album year. The “Chandelier” singer has tweeted about “releasing an album and a feature length musical [she] wrote and directed.” Aside from a new solo album, Sia also has plans to release an album with Diplo and Labrinth as part of their group, LSD.

Rihanna’s long awaited return to music could become a reality in 2019. Going back to her Caribbean roots, Rihanna is expected to incorporate dancehall sounds in her new album. According to Rolling Stone, “Jamaican producers and songwriters have submitted 500 records for a new album that’s been more than a year in the making,” with aims to get the final tracklist down to ten records.

Also following the Sia and Gaga two-album path, Rihanna has hinted at both a dancehall album and a separate pop-oriented album.

As if all these popular names weren’t enough. Madonna has been working with Mike Dean and Mirwais, who helped produce “Music,” and is now in the final mixing stages of the album. And Bruce Springsteen told the U.K.’s Sunday Times he has a new “singer-songwriter album — more of a solo record,” on the way.

It’s hard to believe that, even after all these names, there are plenty of other major musicians outside of the pop genre set to release new music this year. But, it’s true. From breakthroughs acts Billie Eilish and Lizzo to established musicians Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson, 2019 will not disappoint for music fans of any genre.