In 2019, many great bands released new albums and performed at festivals around the world. Here we present to you the most anticipated albums of 2020.
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Release date: February 14
Five years have passed since the Australian psych rock band Tame Impala released their third studio album Currents. Last year, it was then finally confirmed that the band’s upcoming fourth record, The Slow Rush, will be released on Valentine’s Day 2020. The band also revealed two singles from the new album in 2019. You can hear one of the singles from the album in the video above. Moreover, Tame Impala have confirmed only one festival performance in Europe so far at All Point East. It will also be their only UK show in 2020.
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Release date: TBD
The English pop artist has already released two singles from her upcoming release Future Nostalgia. Her eponymous debut album came out in 2017. It was a huge success as it became the most streamed female album ever on Spotify. Although no exact release date of the record is currently known, it is expected to came out in the first months of 2020. Dua Lipa has currently no European festival performances planned at the moment. However she has already announced the European leg of the Future Nostalgia Tour in support of the album. The tour is scheduled to begin on 26 April 2020 in Madrid, Spain.
Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man
Release date: February 21
Ozzy Osbourne’s first album in ten years will be released on 21 February 2020. This ten-year gap is considered to be the longest between two albums from Osbourne to date. The first single of the album “Under the Graveyard” was released was on 8 November 2019. Since then, two more singles came out. His twelfth studio album will be the first since his last performance with Black Sabbath in 2017 and will feature Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Interestingly, Ozzy also collaborated also with Elton John for the title track of the album. While his final tour has been postponed a few times due to injuries, Ozzy will start the North American leg of his tour in May, 2020.
The Killers – Imploding the Mirage
Release date: TBD
On November 2019, The Killers confirmed the release of their sixth studio album Imploding the Mirage. This will be the first album in three years following the release of Wonderful Wonderful in 2017. An exact release date of the album is not known at the moment, according to the band though it is expected to come out in Spring 2020. Moreover, The Killers have already been confirmed for some European festivals this summer including INmusic, Mad Cool, Hurricane & Southside and Bilbao BBK Live.
Pearl Jam – Gigaton
Release date: March 27
After much anticipation, Pearl Jam have finally confirmed the release of their eleventh studio album Gigaton. Their new record will be their first one in over six years and since their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. The only music Pearl Jam released over the past few years was the stand alone single ”Can’t Deny Me” in 2018. In addition Pearl Jam will be returning to Europe this summer and perform at three European festivals in 2020 including Rock Werchter, Lollapalooza Paris and Lollapalooza Stockholm
Green Day – Father of All Motherfuckers
Release date: February 7
Last year, the American rock band Green Day confirmed that they’ll be returning with a new album and the follow-up to 2016’s Revolution Radio. Their upcoming release Father of All Motherfuckers and will be according to Billie Joe Armstrong the shortest record they have made since Dookie or Insomniac, having a total running time of 26 minutes. This summer the band, together with Weezer and Fall Out Boy, will be hitting the road across the UK, Europe and North America on The Hella Mega Tour.
King Diamond – The Institute
Release date: TBD
King Diamond’s upcoming release The Institute, will be the first release of the band in 12 years. Although no exact date has yet been confirmed, the album is scheduled to be released sometime during 2020. You can hear the debut single from the new album in the video above. Moreover, last summer it was confirmed that King Diamond will be also reuniting with Mercyful Fate to record new music and play a number of European dates and festival appearances this summer including shows at Wacken Open Air, Graspop and Copenhell.
The 1975 – Notes on a Conditional Form
Release date: April 24
The upcoming fourth studio album by English band The 1975 wil be released on April 24. Together with their previous release A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, which came out in 2018, they are of the ‘Music For Cars’ era of the band. The album was initially planned to be released on February 2020, however the record’s release was pushed back to April. Interestingly, the album wil also feature a monologue by the evironmental activist Greta Thunberg.
La Roux – Supervision
Release date: February 7
The English synth-pop artist La Roux has confirmed her return with a new studio album. The lead single “International Woman of Leisure” from the upcoming release was La Roux’s first musical output in over five years. Although no festival performances have been so far, the singer will head out on tour this February. She will play shows in the UK and Europe before heading to the United States and Canada.
Body Count – Carnivore
Release date: March 6
Body Count’s seventh studio album is expected to be released in March, 2020. It has also been recently confirmed that Carnivore will feature multiple collaborations. One of them is Evanescence’s Amy Lee appearing on a track called “When I’m Gone ” as well as Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta. The American rap metal band fronted by Ice-T will be also performing at European festivals this summer including Hellfest and Graspop.
Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 4
Release date: TBD
The American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of rapper/producer El-P and rapper Killer Mike, is returning with a new record 2020. Following the release of Run the Jewels 3 in 2016, which was praised by the critics it has been confirmed that the duo plan to release their fourth album in early this year. Despite the fact that no exact release date is currently known, El-P revealed that ”the album will be out before we play Coachella” in April.
Caribou – Suddenly
Release date: February 28
Another higly anticipated release is the fifth album by Dan Snaith most famously known under his Caribou alias. Although Snaith has released new music under different stage names, this will be his first release as Caribou since 2015’s Our Love. In December, he released the second single of the album and commented that ‘You and I’ was one of the first tracks on the album that I started and one of the last tracks I finished”. This summer Caribou will be performing to various European festivals including All Points East and NOS Alive.
Kvelertak – Splid
Release date: February 14
Kvelertak’s fourth full length album Splid will be released this February. For the Norwegian heavy metal band this will be the first album since the founding member and original singer Erlend Hjelvik left the band in 2018. The album will also feature Mastodon’s drummer Troy Sanders in one of the tracks. The band’s upcoming European tour will take place from late February til April, with only one festival performance of the band at Øyafestivalen in Norway announced so far.
Kendrick Lamar – TBA
Release date: TBD
Kendrick Lamar’s music comeback has been highly speculated since last year. Although nearly three years have passed since he released his Pulitzer Prize-winning fourth studio album DAMN in 2017, Billboard columnist and former editorial director, Bill Werde, recently revealed that Lamar’s latest project is ”pulling in more rock sounds”. Even if it is still unclear whether the Compton rapper will release new music soon, Kendrick Lamar will be touring across Europe this summer as he has been confirmed for a handful of festivals including Rock Werchter, Bilbao BBK Live, NOS Alive and Open’er festivals.
The Strokes – TBA
Release date: TBD
The American indie rockers have been teasing their return since last year. In May, 2019, The Strokes debuted debuted a brand new song entitled “The Adults Are Talking”. More recently during the band’s 2019 New Year’s Eve show in Brooklyn, Julian Casablancas announced that the band’s sixth studio album would be released sometime in 2020, while they performed another new song live. Their new release, which has been a subject of rumors for years now will be the first since 2013. The band is expected to return to European festivals this summer, however their only confirmed European festival performance of the band so far is at Primavera Sound in Barcelona.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – TBA
Release date: TBD
In December 2019, the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, surprised the fans around the world with the announcement of the return of John Frusciante to the band after ten years. Now, in a recent interview of Chad Smith with Rolling Stone, he mentioned that ”We’re concentrating on new songs and writing a new record,” and that ”We’re all real excited to make new music.” Red Hot Chili Peppers are already confirmed for several European festivals this summer , including Pinkpop, Felyn Stadium Festival, Firenze Rocks, and Ejekt Festival. However whether the band will be also performing some new songs live it still remains a mystery.
Mad Cool 2021
