25 Things We’d Maintain to Survey Happen in 2021
Maluma joins The Weeknd onstage at the Considerable Bowl
Final year’s Considerable Bowl gave us a model of what Latin artists can enact on television’s biggest stage. Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Unsuitable Bunny and J Balvin’s deliver-stopping performances purchased the full country dancing along to hits similar to “Hips Win no longer Lie,” “Mi Gente” and “Let’s Win Loud” — and to aid Latin’s momentum going at the Considerable Bowl, we’re hoping The Weeknd, this year’s headliner, will deliver out Maluma for the length of his halftime deliver. The pair teamed up for a bilingual version of the Colombian’s world hit “Hawái” that dropped uninteresting final year and peaked at No. 12 on Billboard‘s Scorching 100. Whereas there haven’t been any clues but to counsel Maluma shall be a guest, or no longer it’s protected to notify that if he jumps on that stage, it would be an narrative first-time performance together for the well-known particular person duo. — GRISELDA FLORES
Rina Sawayama opens for Lady Gaga on the Chromatica Ball Tour
If U.Okay. pop breakout Rina Sawayama’s novel single “LUCID” sounds a puny acquainted, that’s potentially since the euphoric collaboration with producer BloodPop conjures up his contemporary work on Lady Gaga’s time-traveling dance-pop opus Chromatica. Fans get already mashed up the music with “Rain on Me,” but there’s no clarification for the crew-as much as be hypothetical, public health allowing: On the side of her maintain world tour slated (no longer no longer as much as for now) for fall 2021, Sawayama would be the good opening act for Gaga’s Chromatica Ball stadium reveals this summer season. It goes to be the first big big joyful dance celebration of 2021 — and an first rate Gaga “LUCID” remix wouldn’t damage, both! — NOLAN FEENEY
Ariana Grande returns the identify on to Doja Cat
Doja Cat hopped on Ariana Grande’s Positions reduce “Motive” in 2020, and tonight she’ll furthermore be performing on the remix to Grande’s “34+35” remix. It be time for Ari to attain the identify on on Doja’s upcoming Planet Her LP — and the rapper/singer has every at times already teased a collab main as much as the novel situation. This form of teamup would confidently be the beautiful pop/hip-hop bop we so desperately identify on, if no longer the one we deserve. “Motive” furthermore didn’t receive a song video, so that’s furthermore on the wishlist. Truly, to be undoubtedly explicit, we’d love to behold a video where Doja and Ari unite to drag off a heist. What a dream crew! — GAB GINSBERG
P!nk hosts a novel Circus of the Stars
The pandemic has led to all of us to recalibrate and win novel ways to enact the issues we archaic to love doing in public. Maintain P!nk, who has spent the upper share of the past decade flying excessive above our heads on a wire, performing amazing circus stunts that faucet into her pre-popularity abilities as a competitive gymnast. Unable to hit the facet street, now would be the good time for the singer to reboot the favored Circus of the Stars franchise and be the ringleader for a restricted, socially distanced sequence where she taps into the hidden abilities of her fellow artists. We imagine Lil Wayne busting out loopy kick-flips on a expansive ramp on his skateboard, J-Lo making exhaust of her Hustler acrobatics coaching to examine out her hand at the trapeze, Cody Johnson bringing his rodeo abilities to the big top, or newly buff rapper Busta Rhymes indulging in feats of energy. As a bonus, with arenas shuttered and so many crewmembers out of labor, the deliver would per chance per chance also give a bunch of favored facet street dogs a pleasant paycheck. — GIL KAUFMAN
Travis Scott drops his Utopia album — and takes the ragers there with a pop-up journey
If 2020 taught us anything else in regards to the Houston rapper, it’s that he lives for the fun of multi-sensory experiences beyond good being attentive to song. He took followers aid to his childhood along with his accepted McDonald’s meal, turned into better than life as a Fornite on-line game avatar-grew to change into-headlining performer and captured the smell of popularity along with his maintain excessive-discontinuance luxurious candle and cologne. He’s a franchise in and of himself — and Utopia is shaping as much as change into one, too. Scott would per chance per chance also soon invite his followers to blast off to a pop-up vacation popularity helmed by his Midas contact. Cacti, his novel agave-spiked seltzer, would per chance well be Utopia’s nectar of the rage gods. Flying autos in the obtain of an amusement park dash, a Travis Scott staple from his Astroworld period, would indicate Utopia is light years forward of the sphere we currently dwell in. And Utopia merch would per chance per chance also invent any person the absolute most sensible and the flyest particular person in the room, including one other collaboration with Nike featuring novel cloudfoam sneakers. — HERAN MAMO
Taylor Swift releases a “Final Considerable American Dynasty” movie
Back earlier than Evermore emerged, and Taylor Swift followers had been utilizing excessive on Folklore, one Twitter user steered making a movie in step with that album’s “The Final Considerable American Dynasty” — starring Blake Active as Rebekah Harkness, her staunch-life husband Ryan Reynolds as Bill, the doomed inheritor to the Standard Oil name, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson because the neighbor whose wretched attain upon with the tune’s main character ends in a key-lime green-dyed dog. Ferguson spoke back he modified into game, while Reynolds chimed in “but Bill’s heart?” (Spoiler alert: Bill dies.) Swift herself chimed in to notify she favored the premise — and so will we. Think in regards to the alluringly comely Active filling swimming swimming pools with champagne and playing cards with Salvador Dali? (We counsel Robert Pattinson reprise his portrayal here.) Couple the challenging field cloth — who doesn’t wish to behold Active blowing through the money on the boys and the ballet? — with a Baz-Luhrmann-Gatsby-inspired create, and that’s the reason a movie we haven’t viewed earlier than, but we’re particular we’d love the ending. — DENISE WARNER
Tom DeLonge leads “Aliens Exist” fest
Neglect First Stream, 2021 is all about First Contact. Fox Mulder-in-Ready Tom DeLonge will get to lead an (inter)stellar lineup of musicians to commemorate the impending day authorities intelligence companies are forced to fork over what they learn about UFOs as a consequence of a random rider linked to the COVID-19 aid and spending bill. The unclassified fable comes out 180 days after the uninteresting-December bill modified into handed. — JOE LYNCH
Big Sean and Jhené Aiko reunite for 2nd TWENTY88 album
The rapper/R&B singer duo and staunch-life couple spent a complete lot of time together in the studio final year, recording “None of Your Disclose” for her Grammy-nominated Chilombo album, as successfully as “Body Language” and “Time In” (the latter of which got a correct TWENTY88 credit score) on his Billboard 200-topping Detroit 2 album. After shedding the eponymous TWENTY88 LP in 2016, Sean published in a Reddit AMA that their sophomore album is “in the works.” Aiko would per chance per chance also lace their most smartly-liked tracks with the healing properties of her sound bowls, while Sean’s intricate lyricism would deliver the arousing story of how the two rekindled their flame. And their admire for Unlit cinematography, from the Blaxploitation motion images that inspired TWENTY88’s mini movie to the Unlit romcoms they paid homage to in the “Body Language” song video, would per chance per chance also very successfully be captured in an aged-college romance mini-movie to enhance the novel album. — H.M.
A Spanish-language tune hits No. 1 on the Scorching 100
In November, Unsuitable Bunny’s El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo turned into the first all-Spanish album in the historical past of the Billboard 200 to top the chart. That an all-Spanish tune would per chance per chance also soon top the Billboard Scorching 100 would seem like a forgone conclusion. Already, the seeds had been sowed: Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” for certain spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the chart aid in 2017, but it wanted serve from a Justin Bieber remix and a smattering of English to acquire main mainstream consideration. So did J Balvin and Willy William’s Beyoncé-assisted “Mi Gente,” which peaked at No. 3 on the chart. However final November, Unsuitable Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dákiti” made it to No. 1 on Billboard’s overall world chart. It most effective peaked at No. 5 domestically on the Scorching 100, but the wobble of enhance had quickened. An all-Spanish hit topping the chart is drawing near. — LEILA COBO
Drake, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole all fall novel albums
Are you able to name the final time the three Kings of the 2010s all released a challenge the an analogous year? Strive ten years ago — when Maintain Care, Portion.80 and Sideline Fable all dominated the rap stratosphere. Since their early campaigns, Drake, Okay. Dot, and Cole get change into perennial rap juggernauts and are at the joint apex of their careers. A triple-risk match for this year’s most effective rap honors is a blockbuster event that even Vince McMahon would no longer poke up. — CARL LAMARRE
Billie Eilish makes her movie debut
The teenager smartly-known particular person has already branched out into the movie world, from her appearance in Gucci’s rapid-movie sequence, Guccifest, to her upcoming Apple documentary — to, for certain, entering the esteemed Bond Theme canon with her cinematic title reduce to the upcoming No Time to Die. As Darkroom price boss Justin Lubliner told Billboard uninteresting final year: “2020 modified into continuously smitten by the movie facet of Billie, the documentary, which we ideated in the starting of her career, the main synch and usual tune — and what better opportunity than James Bond?” However now, in 2021, would per chance per chance also Eilish be aiming to well-known particular person on the silver conceal conceal in a feature other than as herself? Handiest time will deliver, but we completely assume she’d be extra than succesful. — LYNDSEY HAVENS
Unsuitable Bunny and Rosalía fall an narrative “La Noche de Anoche” song video
In the course of the vacation ruin, Unsuitable Bunny hopped on Instagram Dwell to share his 10 personal accepted songs from El Ultimo Tour del Mundo. “La Noche de Anoche,” in collaboration with rising well-known particular person Rosalía, modified into his No. 5 — but he assured it would per chance per chance per chance also with out peril be his top music. “Relatively a complete lot of oldsters had been anticipating this collaboration for a truly lengthy time, myself integrated. Thank you to Rosalía for doing this work of work with me,” he expressed. A correct fan-accepted, it’s most effective a matter of time we behold both artists deliver their in-studio chemistry to the conceal conceal in 2021. In correct Unsuitable Bunny and Rosalía vogue, we imagine the song video to be expansive, conceptual, nostalgic, and even dreamlike — narrative in its totality! — JESSICA ROIZ
Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani reboot Hee-Haw
With all of us peaceable mostly caught at home desperate for any novel snort after streaming every deliver and portray ever released for the past 10 months, what the sphere needs now is novelty. Particularly, cutie couple Blake and Gwen’s 2021 reboot of the lengthy-running corny country musical diversity deliver Hee-Haw. He’s plenty country, she’s a puny rock and roll, and together they get hundreds TV journey on The Scream, which makes them the good technique to deliver aid the deliver that ran on-and-off from 1969 to 1997 and starred such country staples as Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Roy Acuff and favored comic Minnie Pearl. Picture Shelton remodeling a barn on his postcard-absolute most sensible, sprawling Oklahoma ranch into a COVID-protected mini-studio, employing about a of his and Gwen’s unemployed touring crew and tantalizing chums and admirers to Zoom or flee in (after correct quarantining) for a weekly hour of family-pleasant jokes, timely skits, special collaborations and unswerving vibes, luminous a puny light for the length of the black iciness slog. — G.Okay.
Frank Ocean releases a novel album and concert movie
For any introverted artist tormented by press and/or stage fear, the continued pandemic has equipped surprising respite — and even per chance a likelihood to liberate song with out being required (or in a region) to enact grand else. Now seems as unswerving a time as any (and believe, we would per chance per chance also exhaust it) for a novel challenge from Frank Ocean after a lengthy spell of relative peaceable, and can he identify on to liberate it within a livestream — as he has completed earlier than, with 2016’s visual album Never-ending — successfully, then the total better. Brooding about that his 2017 Panorama audiovisual headlining situation leaned heavily on the visual facet (Spike Jonze modified into directing, despite all the pieces), it would per chance per chance per chance also fair no longer be a a long way convey from attempting one thing an analogous but on a virtual stage — and, per chance most effective of enthusiastic with the a puny bit reclusive Ocean, in isolation. — L.H.
Karol G and Rihanna be part of forces
If Karol G’s Rihanna tattoo on her arm is any indication, she’s a chief fan. “I feel love she’s love me,” Karol beforehand told Billboard. “She gifts herself as an right lady, she doesn’t care in regards to the negative feedback. I admire her lyrics as a consequence of she sings about admire, heartbreak, lady empowerment… I feel that we get got an analogous personalities.” RiRi, who has already collaborated on a bilingual music with Shakira, would match completely on the beat of a “Bichota” remix, or even on a novel single. — J.R.
Bleachers in the end liberate their third album
Jack Antonoff has been teasing a Third Bleachers album for some time, and beforehand shared that it would be arriving in 2020. Whereas COVID-19 came as a replacement, Antonoff gave us hope for the unhappy year in August, when he started continuously tweeting, “Maintain the disappointment out of Saturday evening.” Now that we know those are lyrics from the Bruce Springsteen-assisted “Chinatown” — which the band released in November along with “45,” — a novel Bleachers period, along with the novel year, seems to in the end be upon us. We don’t know when in 2021 the album is coming, but we’re hoping this might per chance deliver the an analogous euphoric choruses and reflections on life that Uncommon Desire and Gone Now get had us convey-singing along to for years. — RANIA ANIFTOS
Machine Gun Kelly and Avril Lavigne rock out together
In the closing days of 2020, Avril Lavigne teased novel song on Instagram, showcasing photos of her in the studio alongside Machine Gun Kelly and MOD SUN. The latter released the Lavigne-assisted single “Flames” on Jan. 8, even though MGK is neither a featured artist nor listed on the tune’s credit score. However given the pictures from the publish — one amongst which entails MGK wearing a situation of headphones and in entrance of a microphone — there appears extra unreleased song in the tank. And after his alt rock pivot led to indispensable acclaim and his first Billboard 200 no. 1 final fall, why alternate direction? The final time he teamed up with a pop-punk well-known particular person for a rollicking music labored out somewhat damn successfully. More of that, please. — JOSH GLICKSMAN
Madvillainy II in the end sees liberate
In 2004, underground rap big-villain MF Doom and beat savant Madlib joined forces under the moniker Madvillain to form the corpulent-dimension crew-up Madvillainy, one amongst the most artistic albums in hip-hop historical past. In the years since, a convention-up turned into a offer of story for rap nerds: Tracks had been created and referenced in interviews but below no circumstances shared, and rumors a pair of reunion swirled earlier than inevitably collapsing. The tragic contemporary news of Doom’s passing at the age of 49 uninteresting final year has had novel followers discovering the wonders of Madvillainy, longtime supporters wistfully returning to it, and both groups questioning aloud if the placement’s sequel would in the end materialize. In a contemporary interview on the Juan Ep is Uninteresting podcast, Peanut Butter Wolf — head of DOOM’s Stones Throw file price, acknowledged that Madvillainy II modified into “85 percent completed” earlier than the rapper’s demise. Let’s hope one amongst the most longed-for initiatives in hip-hop historical past will in the end behold daylight hours, in some obtain or vogue, in 2021. — JASON LIPSHUTZ
Selena Gomez and Niall Horan in the end collab
In June 2020, Niall Horan tweeted that he is “ready when Sel is” to collaborate, and Twitter with out prolong exploded in excitement (“I’M SCREAMING I’M SCREAMING I’M SCREAMING” modified into a frequent response from the collective fandoms). Gomez and the One Direction alum had been chums for ages, and or no longer it’s not completely out of the examine for the two to hop on Zoom for a quarantined session or two. Correct imagine them unveiling a wonderfully emotional acoustic ballad in the vein of “If the World Was Ending” — and particular, why no longer let Finneas invent? Make it happen, universe! — G.G.
Beyoncé and Adele crew up
The anonymous gossip Instagram story DeuxMoi made waves for the length of 2020 unveiling its trove of user-submitted rumors, sightings, and stories of encounters with celebrities. DeuxMoi even because it would per chance per chance per chance be predicted the Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber collaboration “Monster” earlier than its announcement. But another collab rumor from Deux? None rather then pop superheroes Beyonce and Adele. Optimistic, it would per chance per chance per chance be a lengthy shot — even though aid in 2019, Ryan Tedder acknowledged that a tune featuring the two and Chris Martin modified into in the works, and needed to aid a long way from his feedback. In any event, the powerhouse singers admire every other, and duet between them is a salve we all would per chance per chance also exhaust. — D.W.
Reggaetón and Latin lure obtain their maintain vogue category at the Grammys
Why, why, why hasn’t this came about of living but? Reggaetón and Latin lure get single-handedly expanded the attain, visibility and recognition of Latin song at a world and domestic scale. And but, when the Grammy Awards determined to divvy up the very problematic Latin rock, metropolis or replacement album category, they left “metropolis” lumped along with pop and gave the stand by myself category to Latin rock or replacement, the least commercially viable subgenre of the three. Media, artists and the trade in customary complained. Loudly. We hope the Academy has listened, and that subsequent time changes and solutions are launched, a stand-by myself metropolis category will invent the listing to accommodate the explosion of releases from the likes of Anuel AA, Ozuna, J Balvin, Unsuitable Bunny and Daddy Yankee. — L.C.
Discopalooza 2021
The disco revival of 2020 modified into a intellectual popularity in an otherwise black year, as a consequence of novel releases from the likes of Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, Jessie Ware and Róisín Murphy. And the divas themselves seem like pleased by the firm they’re in: Lipa invited Minogue to her Studio 2054 concert special, then returned the identify on by hopping on a remix of Minogue’s “Staunch Groove.” In the period in-between, Minogue has sworn to hit the studio with Ware, who has a mutual admiration society going on with Murphy over Twitter. So, let’s purchase these friendships to their natural conclusion in 2021: a one-off Discopalooza festival or mini-residency featuring (no longer no longer as much as!) all four club-song queens. They’ll embark on particular particular person tours correct after — following months of being cooped up inside, it’s going to purchase a pair of evening of dancing to acquire our disco ya-yas out. — N.F.
Vinyl turns into an trade focal level
Vinyl trade continues to grow year over year, but examine outstrips factories’ capacity to deliver product — and final year’s fire at a lacquer producer did not serve issues. It be time for firms to originate seriously investing in the comeback of the absolute most sensible format for experiencing song (that doesn’t involve the artist standing correct in entrance of you). — J. Lynch
Nipsey Hussle’s first posthumous album is released
Final year, we watched Mac Miller, Juice WRLD, and Pop Smoke bustle the desk with their respective posthumous releases. With the spirit of Nipsey Hussle peaceable dominating barbershop banter, rap facets, and observation sections, a novel album would per chance per chance also and will get to be on the formula from the uninteresting story. A shut friend and collaborator of Hussle, J. Stone, told The Bootleg Kev Podcast final month that there modified into “positively going to be one other Nip album.” With posthumous verses given to DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, The Sport, and Big Sean, a corpulent LP of raps from Neighborhood Nip would be unswerving for the soul. — C.L.
A Latin act performs at the presidential inauguration
An unheard of quantity of Latin artists — similar to Ricky Martin, Luis Fonsi and Shakira — rallied in the aid of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the hopes of sending the Democratic tag to the White Home. After Prince Royce performed at the Democratic National Convention in August, Biden even kicked off a corpulent-fledged targeted song advertising and marketing campaign to rally the Latino vote — with geo-targeted bilingual spots soundtracked by Marc Anthony, Unsuitable Bunny, Alejandro Fernández and Gaby Moreno, among others. Given Latin artists’ indispensable feature in Biden’s efforts to courtroom the Latin community, it would invent sense to behold some a Latin artist build at Biden’s inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20. Getting to behold Ricky Martin build his prideful and elated “Cántalo” would be significantly absolute most sensible. — G.F.