User blog:Porterfield/Summer Albums Guide 2012

The Music Wiki's most anticipated new albums for summer 2012 conveniently come in pairs! How precious.

Azealia Banks
1991

Release Date: June 12th

The 21-year-old hip-hop newcomer from Harlem has yet to release a full album, but her 4-track debut EP should satisfy the fans who enjoyed her first single, "212" featuring Lazy Jay. It's a good thing she returned to her birth name from her old moniker "Miss Bank$", or I might not have taken her seriously enough to give her a listen! I did though, and she is dope!

2 Chainz
Based on a T.R.U. Story

Release Date: August 14th

The other hip-hop newcomer has also chosen to abandon his former ridiculous stage name, Tity Boi, and for that we are grateful. 2 Chainz himself should be grateful for two other rappers: Drake, for appearing on the first single "No Lies", and Kanye West, for helping produce the album. Without them, nobody would know the Atlanta native's name except those in the ATL.

G.O.O.D. Music (Kanye West)
Cruel Summer

Release Date: TBA

The short film just debuted at Cannes. Expect the correlated album to feature many artists in Kanye's G.O.O.D./Def Jam orbit, including Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Big Sean, John Legend, Mr. Hudson, the aforementioned 2 Chainz, new signings Q-Tip and Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), and hopefully Jay-Z and Common. Any Kanye fan should enjoy the first two singles, "Mercy" and "Cold", but the rest of this enigmatic label-based album could have surprises in store for every hip-hop head.

Rick Ross
God Forgives, I Don't

Release Date: July 31st

Expectations for the big man's new album are extremely high after his recent release, Forever Rich, which many tout as the best mixtape of 2012 thus far. The first single off the album, "You the Boss" is getting a lot of radio plays thanks to an appearance by Nicki Minaj, but the rest of the album is anticipated because it should finally end the debate on whether Rick Ross deserves his place in rap's elite. It's essentially a make or break release.

Usher
Looking 4 Myself

Release Date: June 12th Of course the first single from the sexually-charged Usher is called Climax. The album has got some notable producers from opposite ends of the spectrum in Diplo and Swedish House Mafia and a another single, "Lemme See", featuring The Boss Rick Ross. Expect the usual club bangers and baby-making music from the newly bearded southern gentleman.

Justin Bieber
Believe

Release Date: June 19th

It's crazy, but I've witnessed previously self-proclaimed Bieber-haters enjoying the first single, "Boyfriend", of the young crooner's upcoming album. With collaborations that include Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and an album produced by the likes of Timbaland, The Neptunes, Mike Posner, and will.i.am, it's no surprise that people are starting to take this kid seriously. Bieber is all grown up folks!

Smashing Pumpkins
Oceania

Release Date: June 19th

This will be alt-rock legends' 9th studio album, which guitarist Jeff Schroeder has called less heavy, but spacier and dreamier than albums past. They've been performing the titular single live since last year, so die-hard Pumpkins fans are just itching to get ahold of Oceania, which is actually just one part of the band's 44-song concept album Teargarden by Kaleidyscope.

Linkin Park
Living Things

Release Date: June 26th

L.A.'s premiere rock/rap group is known to resist becoming redundant in the studio, so the new album has taken a step away from their last one, like each album before it. Fortunately, it's stepping in the right direction. Legendary producer Rick Rubin has co-produced their first single, Burn it Down, along with frontman Mike Shinoda, and it gives us a tantalizing taste of what's to come.

Fiona Apple
The Idler Wheel is Wiser Than...

Release Date: June 26th

Everybody I know is nostalgic for the 1990's these days, so new Fiona and Alanis albums just make sense. Upon hearing her first single, "Every Single Night", youthful hipsters might accuse Fiona of stealing the styles of Adele and/or Florence and the Machine. Of course, this would be a terrible misconception, as Fiona has been powerfully belting heavy lyrics on the scene for nearly 25 years now!

Alanis Morissette
Havoc and Bright Lights

Release Date: August 28th

Alanis hasn't had an album, or any songs for that matter, that have swept the nation quite like 1995's Jagged Little Pill, but her recently released first single is already generating some buzz for the Canadian's upcoming 8th studio album.

Hot Chip
In Our Heads

Release Date: June 12th

The English group doesn't exactly qualify as mainstream pop music, but they are contemporary masters of the electropop and synthpop genres. Everyone waiting for their 5th studio album is essentially waiting to hit up the dance floor. The first single, "Night & Day", with the strange cameo-infused Futuro-Brit music video, certainly gets my feet tappin'.

Nelly Furtado
Spirit Indescructible

Release Date: June 19th

If you loved Furtado's Timbaland-produced 2006 album, Loose, then her newest joints should be right up your alley, at least compare to her last album, which was latin-based and in Spanish. As you can hear in the first single "Big Hoops", the sound is a bit more experimental, but playful and fresh as hell. I think it's safe to say that this category has the best music videos!

Paul Simon
Graceland - 25th Anniversary Edition

Release Date: June 5th

A 2-CD, 2-DVD box set delivers a remastering of Simon's classic 1986 album Graceland, which was inspired by South African township music. The DVDs feature a documentary about Simon’s trip to South Africa, a 1987 concert shot in Zimbabwe as apartheid was beginning to fall apart, a couple of music videos, and an SNL performance.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Americana

Release Date: June 5th

The first Neil Young & Crazy Horse album in 9 years is a collection of American folk songs, protest songs, murder ballads, and campire music that would have been considered controversial it was released back in the day. Now, it's just classic Americana. A Bluray featuring 12 music videos and documentary footage of the album's choir will also be made available.