November is here, which means finals, absurd amounts of coffee and the beloved winter break. In addition to all of these things, November also means there’s some high-profile upcoming album releases for the music world. Ranging from pop to rock, it will be interesting to see how these albums are received.
“Made in the A.M.”—One Direction: Nov. 13
Since the group’s first album “Up All Night” was released in 2012, British boy band One Direction has released an album every year since, and they aren’t going to disappoint their fans for 2015. “Made in the A.M.,” the group’s fifth studio album, is going to be the boys’ last for a foreseeable future—One Direction is set to go on hiatus beginning in spring of next year. This is also One Direction’s first album without previous fifth member Zayn Malik, who left in March of this year. “Made in the A.M.” seems like it’s going to have a large variety of songs, based off of single releases “Drag Me Down,” “Infinity” and “Perfect.” The album drops the same day as Justin Bieber’s new album as well—it’s going to be interesting to see the two battle it out on the charts.
“Paper Mâché Dream Balloon”—King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Nov. 13
Despite the band’s less than serious name, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard should not be taken lightly. The seven-piece psych garage band from Australia has received positive reviews from the likes of Pitchfork and The Guardian, so hopes are high for “Paper Mâché Dream Balloon,” the band’s seventh studio album. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is characterized by a laid-back beach sound and experimental writing, but that may be a bit different for the next album. Singer Stu Mackenzie has desribed it as “punky,” and while the band’s previous records have been self-described as concept albums, Mackenzie has also said this will change for “Paper Mâché Dream Balloon.” Get ready for a change, but still expect the charming talent that King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard has perfected.
After four years, Adele is back. Since her last album, 21, which was the fourth-best selling album of all-time in the UK, only after The Beatles (“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”), Abba (“Gold: Greatest Hits”) and Queen (“Greatest Hits”), Adele has been relatively quiet, but her album is going to be anything but. With the release of “Hello,” the first single off of “25,” Adele has already set up expectations for another hit record. The music video for “Hello” broke the Vevo record for the most views in 24 hours with 27.7 million views—this record was previously held by Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.” Overall, the single was an absolute hit and there’s no reason for anyone to think her album will be anything different. While Adele called “21” a “break-up record,” she said she would call this one a “make-up record.” “25” is sure to be a hit.
“Strangeulation Vol. II”— Tech N9ne: Nov. 20
Tech N9ne fans appear to be pretty lucky—the rapper, hailing from Kansas City, just released his fifteenth studio album “Special Effects” earlier this year, and he’s already back with a new album to drop on Nov. 20. “Strangeulation Vol. II,” sequel to Tech N9ne’s 2014 album “Strangeulation,” will include participation from every artist under Strange Music, Tech N9ne’s own independent record label for hip-hop artists. This album will continue Tech N9ne’s “Collabos” series, which is a string of albums that heavily feature guest artists. “Strangeulation Vol. II” includes single “We Just Wanna Party,” featuring Rittz and Darrein Safron. Tech N9ne has released many successful albums—“Strangeulation Vol. II” will likely follow this pattern.