Hey, Maybe Music Will Be Good in 2019

The end of year stretch is a long and arduous one. By the time December hits, it's a bit of a struggle trying to remember all of the albums you've consumed in 365 days. The holidays are finally behind us, and like clockwork, the "new year, new me" energy is back just in time for the first business day of the year. For the first time in a week I hopped online with a purpose, and—Kanye aside—everyone seems to be about their business announcing new albums all at once. Maybe music will be good this year? Who knows.

In a June interview for Vogue , Rihanna revealed her plans to make a reggae album. But when Rolling Stone assembled the producers who contributed to Rihanna's next album in July, two producers alleged that she was actually working on two albums. Last year, Rihanna was busy focusing her energy on Fenty Beauty, and the makeup lovers thank her for it, but there's still not a sign of music in the immediate future. On Christmas Eve, Rihanna's gift to the Navy was confirming new music would arrive in 2019. But will it really? Five days later, the ANTI singer had a little too much fun trolling her fans. "Where the album coming? Me: Sorry my connection poor," she posted on Instagram.

In true Cardi B fashion, the Bronx rapper made the announcement on Instagram Live where she was answering questions from fans. "Of course there's going to be an album in 2019," she said flashing a toothy smile. According to her, she's aiming for a spring release similar to Invasion of Privacy's release last April. In late December, Cardi released an iconic visual (she breastfed in the video, this isn't up for debate) for "Money," which was evidence that as her career progresses she's not afraid to bring every part of her private life to the forefront. She's got a lot to talk about on a new album: a five-month old baby girl, a recent split from her husband Offset, and five Grammy nominations.

Last October, Kehlani surprised the world with a pregnancy announcement and in 2019 she'll be debuting more than her baby girl. A month after touring for 2017's SexySweetSavage, the singer completed her forthcoming mixtape. "I’m entering the next year more focused than ever, with so much to GIVE! Music and much more," she wrote in an Instagram caption. It's been almost two years since her debut album released, and this mixtape is expected to be as introspective and transparent as her journey on social media has been.

This one might be cheating because Lana del Rey announced Norman Fucking Rockwell last September, but since her first album since Lust for Life is finally complete that should count for something. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Beats 1 after the announcement, she revealed the title track is a collaboration with Jack Antonoff and is planning to release her first single January 8 titled, "hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have- but i have it." The single's title is unusually long, but maybe that has something to do with the poetry book she's been working on for over a year.

DRAM's announcement was a lot less… concrete. There's no actual time frame or anything other than a tweet that says "2019 I swear." Here's to hoping his dog, Idnit, will make another cameo on the album cover.

Of course, those are just the folks out there making promises; there's also people who play their cards a little closer to the chest. SZA deleted all the posts on her Instagram and now, apparently, that means there'll be a follow up to Ctrl? Fingers crossed.

Kristin Corry is a staff writer for Noisey. Follow her on Twitter.