Happy new year! 2023 has just begun, and already we have a fine slate of albums set for release this January. We have some long-awaited returns from beloved bands and indie artists, as well as efforts from up-and-coming acts looking to spread their wings in the industry. To put it simply: it's a good month to keep your eyes peeled and ears open for some good new music.
Below are ten albums we're excited to finally listen to this month. They cover a range of genres, and all of the records below are listed in order of release date. Without further ado, let's get to it!
1. Every Loser - Iggy Pop
The Godfather of Punk makes his grand return with this record as soon as the month begins. Every Loser is set for release today (Friday, January 6). Rave reviews for the LP have already started to pour in, with NME calling Iggy's new project a "raucous return to his roots."
Every Loser will be the Stooges frontman's 19th solo offering, and was produced with the help of Andrew Watt, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, bassist Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Blink 182’s Travis Barker, guitarist Stone Gossard, former Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, and Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro and Eric Avery. Even late Foo Fighter’s drummer Taylor Hawkins contributed to the witty and gritty project. There are a total of 11 tracks, and two singles have been released previously: one of them being the angry rager "Frenzy."
2. Black Butta - RuPaul
Call her mother! RuPaul, the iconic Drag Race star, is back with another album. Same as Iggy Pop's project, Black Butta is set for release today (January 6). It's RuPaul’s 15th studio effort and follows 2022’s Mamaru – which featured Drag Race favorites such as “Blame It on the Edit,” “Just What They Want,” “Catwalk,” “Smile,” and “Who Is She?”
The two lead singles of the album were released in November 2022: “Star Baby” and the holiday bop “Show Me That You Festive.” RuPaul also dropped the quippy and bouncy track "A.S.M.R. Lover" on December 23, and it features frequent collaborator Skeltal Ki. It's proved to be a major fan favorite in the time since its release.
3. Rush! - Måneskin
It feels like all eyes have been on rising Italian rock band Måneskin these days. They're about to get even more attention on January 20, when they drop their third studio album Rush! It's been teased with the singles "Mammamia," "Supermodel," "The Loneliest," and "La Fine." Everyone is most excited to hear their upcoming track, "Gossip," which will feature Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
Måneskin toured North America in support of Rush! and its predecessor Teatro d'ira: Vol. I (2021) on the Loud Kids Tour in late 2022, with a European tour scheduled for early 2023. As the title suggests, the release of this latest album is going to be a rush!
4. Five Easy Hot Dogs - Mac DeMarco
We've been so hungry for a new Mac DeMarco record since his 2019 project Here Comes the Cowboy. Finally, the indie artist is giving us another taste of his musical genius with the instrumental album Five Easy Hot Dogs. January 20 sees the release of several new LPs, and we're sure this one is going to stand out in the crowd.
Created while on a cross-country road trip, all the tracks on Five Easy Hot Dogs are named after cities DeMarco has explored. While no singles from the project have been released during the time of publication, the album cover and DeMarco's press releases about Five Easy Hot Dogs make us believe it's going to be delicious.
5. Make the Most of It - New Found Glory
American punk/emo band New Found Glory has their twelfth studio album in the works – and it's also getting released on January 20. According to the band's website, the acoustic album will be the band's most emotional and cathartic record to date, as it was partly inspired by guitarist Chad Gilbert's battle with cancer.
14 new songs will be included on the album, and the cover is a soft photo of pink flowers. The project was also mixed by the renowned Mark Trombino (blink-182, Jimmy Eat World) and their latest single "Get Me Home" has proved to be a heart-stirring toe-tapper for anyone longing to see friends and family again. It's taken New Found Glory 25 years to finally release an acoustic album, and we can't wait to hear their fresh acoustic direction.
6. 4 (The Pink Album) - Lukas Graham
Interested in a different kind of a pop album? Mark your calendar for the release of 4 (The Pink Album) by Danish pop-soul band Lukas Graham. They've earned international attention with singles like "Mama Said" and the radio staple "7 Years." (We're still crying over the latter song.) Surprisingly, they haven't released a new album since 2018. With continued support by Warner Music Group and more experience with movie soundtracks, touring, and award shows under their belts, we have a good feeling 4 (The Pink Album) is going to be a major comeback for Lukas Graham.
So far their new single "Wish You Were Here (feat. Khalid)" has made big waves in the music industry. The album was reportedly inspired by many defining moments in singer Lukas Forchhamer's life: from the death of his father to becoming a father himself to his two children. Lukas Graham's songs have made us teary-eyed before, but we're ready to grab a full box of tissues when we get to listen to 4 (The Pink Album).
7. Gloria - Sam Smith
With Smith's illustrious song "Unholy" doing so well in the music charts and their holiday single "Night Before Christmas" plucking our heartstrings, we're extremely excited to get our hands on the artist's upcoming album, Gloria. To be released on January 27, it promises a "coming of age" feel and 13 tracks that may serve as a "beacon" for listeners.
Some notable collaborators on the project include Kim Petras (featured in "Unholy"), Jessie Reyez, Max Martin, and the indomitable Ed Sheeran. We hope you're ready for dazzling record with song lyrics full of sex, lies, passion, self-expression, and imperfection.
8. A Reckoning - Kimbra
You may know her as the female voice on that 2011 Gotye one-hit-wonder "Somebody That I Used to Know." But New Zealand songstress Kimbra has been working hard away from the mainstream. She's now up to her fourth studio album, A Reckoning, which is set for release on January 27.
Her latest album has been long-awaited by die-hard fans, as she hasn't released any new LPs since her 2018 work Primal Heart. The two incredible singles she's released so far, the graceful "Save Me" and the edgy "replay!", have been oh-so moody, layered, and sophisticated. There will only be ten tracks on A Reckoning, but we know every one that hasn't been released yet is bound to be a bop.
9. Diamonds & Dancefloors - Ava Max
The "Sweet but Psycho" singer Ava Max will be back in the spotlight on January 27, when she drops her sophomore record Diamonds & Dancefloors. Between the pop artist dying her hair Little Mermaid red, the ever-so-sparkly and mesmerizing album cover, and Max promising Diamonds & Dancefloors will be her most personal album to date, we cannot wait for this new era.
The synthy lead single of the record, "Maybe You're the Problem," was released all the way back in March of last year and has been a mainstay on trendy radio stations. Diamonds & Dancefloors has already had two other singles released (and one leaked), and includes some smart sampling of songs such as "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by Dianne Warren and LeAnn Rimes, and Bernard Herrmann's Twisted Nerve score.
10. Atum: Act Two - The Smashing Pumpkins
Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts is the ambitious twelfth studio album by American rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. The epic album has been rolled out in three separate installments of 11 songs. Atum: Act One was released on November 15, 2022, while the next chapter – Atum: Act Two – is scheduled for January 31, 2023. The third part won't be released until April.
The guitar-driven series has given us some truly rockin' songs, including the distinctive new track "Beguiled." We can't wait to close January out in style with this piece of art.
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Article Image: Iggy Pop reaches forward while singing into a microphone during a 2018 performance. (benhoudijk via DepositPhotos.)
