P.S. We’re almost at the end of 2025, and the time has come to look back at the bingo I made last year and see how many predictions I got right.
Out of the 10 musicians I thought might release an album in 2025, seven actually did. Huge congratulations to Blood Orange for Essex Honey, Curtis Harding for Departures & Arrivals: Adventures of Captain Curt, Dave for The Boy Who Played the Harp, Jehnny Beth for You Heartbreaker, You, Joy Crookes for Juniper, Parcels for LOVED, and Wolf Alice for The Clearing.
Six of these seven have already made it into my Top 50 Albums of 2025, which feels pretty special.
Fingers still crossed for Frank Ocean, Lianne La Havas, and Zebra Katz, maybe next year 🙂
Even though we’ve continued to cross paths with them in recent years through collaborations, different mediums, or side projects, musicians who have put their own discographies on pause have always been one of the most exciting talking points for me when looking ahead to the musical calendar of the coming year. Claims like “Rihanna is definitely coming back to music this year” or “This is finally the year The Cure release a new album” have long been familiar—and thrilling—speculations. They keep both our agendas and our radars alert, promising another reunion with names we know and love. And every now and then, the time and place finally align—The Cure returning after 16 years with A Fragile Thing being a perfect example.
I’ve put together this list driven by that exact sense of anticipation, hoping for the return of ten musicians we’ve been missing for at least four years. This piece can stay right here; we’ll come back next year and see how many of these hopes came true.
Blood Orange
With albums like Coastal Grooves (2011), Cupid Deluxe (2013), and Negro Swan (2018) under his belt—and with “Time Will Tell” permanently lodged in our collective memory—Dev Hynes, better known as Blood Orange, holds the second longest hiatus on this list. Having released his last album Angel’s Pulse in 2019, and with nearly six years passing without news of a new record, my curiosity and anticipation for his next project continue to grow.
Genre: Alternative R&B, Sophisti-Pop, Neo-Soul
Where to start: Time Will Tell, Charcoal Baby
Curtis Harding
American soul powerhouse Curtis Harding—whose three-album run consists of Soul Power (2015), Face Your Fear (2017), and If Words Were Flowers (2021)—has also been taking his time. After listening to his standout tracks like “Next Time,” “Where We Are,” and “I Won’t Let You Down,” it feels only right to say: it’s time. As he turns 46 in 2025, a new record (and surely some incredible songs) feels long overdue.
Genre: Neo-Soul, Psychedelic Soul
Where to start: Next Time, Where We Are
Frank Ocean
No New Year’s bingo card would be complete without Frank Ocean. As the calendar resets for the ninth time since Blonde (2016), it’s impossible not to hope—once again—for his long-awaited third album. Even the mere possibility of adding new songs to a catalogue that already includes “Pink + White,” “White Ferrari,” “Thinkin Bout You,” and “Nights” is enough to get excited. The Cure have had their turn—now it’s Frank Ocean’s.
Genre: Alternative R&B, Neo-Soul
Where to start: Pink + White, Thinkin Bout You
Dave
Winning the Mercury Prize with PSYCHODRAMA (2019), and somehow not even being nominated for We’re All Alone in This Together (2021)—a decision I still don’t understand—Dave is another artist I believe could return next year. Blending his personal journey with the history of his community, the British rapper was last heard on Split Decision (2023), a four-track EP with Central Cee. Just hearing that he’s back in the studio would already be enough to raise the bar for the music year of 2025.
Genre: Conscious Hip Hop
Where to start: We’re All Alone, Location (feat. Burna Boy)
Jehnny Beth
We’re almost as used to watching her in films as we are to listening to her music. While French musician and actor Jehnny Beth has appeared in projects like Paris, 13th District (2021) and the Palme d’Or-winning Anatomy of a Fall (2023), her musical output this decade has been relatively quiet. Since Utopian Ashes—her 2021 collaboration with Bobby Gillespie—we haven’t heard a new recording from Beth. Nearly five years have also passed since her previous solo album TO LOVE IS TO LIVE. It feels like the right moment for a new one.
Genre: Art Rock, Art Pop, Chamber Pop
Where to start: Chase It Down, I’m The Man
Joy Crookes
South London-born and just 26 years old, Joy Crookes made a striking debut with Skin (2021), landing high on many year-end lists and earning recognition from prestigious awards like the BRITs and the Mercury Prize. The album not only showcased her musical range within psychedelic soul but also highlighted her undeniable songwriting talent. While we’re still waiting for an official announcement, her Instagram hints confirm that her second album is ready—and that we’ll hear it at some point in 2025.
Genre: Neo-Soul, Psychedelic Soul, Singer-Songwriter
Where to start: When You Were Mine, Feet Don’t Fail Me Now
Lianne La Havas
With nearly five years having passed since her last album, Lianne La Havas—who began her career in 2011 and released three widely acclaimed records (Is Your Love Big Enough? (2012), Blood (2015), and Lianne La Havas (2020))—is among the artists who’ve stretched the gap the longest. While she’s appeared on friends’ records, history tells us something: there was also a five-year gap between her previous two albums. Why shouldn’t history repeat itself?
Genre: Neo-Soul, Singer-Songwriter, Pop Soul
Where to start: Bittersweet, Green & Gold
Parcels
Whether you discovered them through the breakout hit “Overnight” or their self-titled debut album in 2018, Parcels are one of the finest bands making that universally loved sound. As their latest album Day/Night (2021) enters its fourth year, it feels more than right to start getting excited about a possible third album.
Genre: Indietronica, Soft Rock, Nu-Disco
Where to start: Overnight, Tieduprightnow
Wolf Alice
Since their debut My Love Is Cool in 2015, Wolf Alice have consistently proven themselves as one of the most promising bands of their generation. Winning the Mercury Prize with Visions of a Life (2017) and delivering one of 2021’s standout albums with Blue Weekend, the London quartet has been quiet for a while now. Considering how they disappeared before suddenly launching the Blue Weekend era, it wouldn’t be surprising if a similar silence precedes their next chapter—possibly arriving in 2025.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Dream Pop
Where to start: Don’t Delete the Kisses, Delicious Things
Zebra Katz
Although collaborations had already shaped his path, Zebra Katz truly broke through with his debut album LESS IS MOOR (2020). The Jamaica- and US-born, Berlin-based rapper gained even wider attention when his track “LOUSY” was featured in HBO’s I May Destroy You. Born in 1987 and quiet for a while now, Katz is very much one of the artists most likely to make a return with new material in 2025.
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, Hip House
Where to start: LOUSY, LICK IT N SPLIT
Cemoir 
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