Pictured George Michael While 2005 was a great year for music, 2006 has us drunk with the delight over possibilities and speculations. Unfortunately, street dates get pushed back, tours are cancelled unexpectedly and highly hyped projects only show up on blogs or milk cartons. Here are some forthcoming anticipations.
A new album seems like a long time coming from the Pet Shop Boys. Since 2002's Release, the duo delivered a double-disc hits package, a Back to Mine compilation and a score to a silent film. At last, the new album Fundamental is due overseas in April on Parlaphone, featuring the new single 'Minimal.' The boys are reuniting with producer extraordinaire Trevor Horn ( Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Lisa Stansfield ) and even sing a ballad written by Diane Warren ( Toni Braxton, Taylor Dayne, Laura Branigan ) . A full review of Fundamental already popped up on popjustice.co.uk. Keep an eye out for the Pet Shop Boys' remix of Madonna's next single 'Sorry,' due in February.
Twenty years after its release, Janet Jackson is going to 'runaway' back to the Control era with her signature blend of dance, funk and pop on her next album, due this spring. Returning as producers on this Virgin set are Janet's longtime musical partners Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. During an interview with Chicago's radio station WGCI, Janet's boyfriend, Jermaine DuPri, spoke enthusiastically about the new album, in particular about a song that samples Jones Girls' 'You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else.' According to foxnews.com, Janet has picked up playing the guitar, not only for her upcoming album, but also for her part in the movie Tennessee. Even with her Super Bowl fiasco, Janet's last album, Damita Jo, debuted high and fizzled away without producing a Top 40 hit.
In 2003 Kelis served a tasty breakthrough with the jam 'Milkshake.' Now the Harlem native is set to deliver The Puppeteer, her next album scheduled to be out this spring. Despite her history of diverse vocal partners, including Moby, Foxy Brown, Timo Maas, Ol‚ Dirty Bastard and Richard X, only rapper Too Short and Kelis' husband Nas will guest on The Puppeteer. The set's feature single 'Bossy,' is what Kelis describes to mtv.com as 'just another strong kind of girl record,' comparing it to the sweet recipe behind 'Milkshake.'
New York rock outfit The Yeah Yeah Yeahs will have its next album, Coco Beware, ready this March. Unlike any other release coming out this year, this one will be a concept album about a cat. Scatological humor aside, this is actually about lead singer Karen O's Chilean adopted feline Coco. While DJ Squeak E. Clean is producing this set, NME.com reported that he is also working with Karen O. again for her solo album. Last year they teamed together on the song 'Hello Tomorrow' for Spike Jonze's award-winning Addias dream sequence commercial.
Now signed with Michael Lippman as his manager, rumor has it that George Michael will have a new greatest-hits collection and tour in 2006. George has not embarked in a series of live shows since 1991. Also in the pipeline, Michael revealed to Rolling Stone that he is marrying partner Kenny Goss. The new year will bring a wider release of the 'Amazing' singer's documentary A Different Story. To top it all off, The Daily Record notes that George has been asked to record the theme for the next James Bond installment, Casino Royale.
Ultra Nate's latest album ( after she got married and had a baby ) is Grime, Silk & Thunder, is finally slated for a 2006 release. Best known for singing the pride anthem 'Free,' Nate has been teasing fans with postponements and multiple pairings since 2002. Grime might include Ultra's electro-funk cover of the Pretenders hit 'Brass in Pocket' and will boast many collaborations, including material with Jody Watley and N'dea Davenport.
Last year, Lucia Holm seemed ready to release her solo debut 'For the First Time' after a handful of promotional EPs surfaced featuring her take on the Psychedelic Furs' '80s tune 'Heaven.' With a Web page still under construction, fans are left scratching their heads with curiosity as to what's next from the vocalist from Sunscreem, the dance outfit behind '90s club favorites like 'Love U More,' 'Looking at You' and 'Catch.'
After last year's tour in conjunction with the release of Nightbird and Andy Bell's solo CD Electric Blue, Erasure shows no sign of slowing down. Ready for an April release, the synthesizer pioneering duo's next album is going to be called Union Street. Union Street is a drastic turn for the pair, containing stripped and even honky-tonk takes on classic Erasure cuts. During a Q&A session with fans, Vince Clarke elaborates, 'we hope to tour the acoustic album in April 2006 with a bunch of musicians from the States ( guitar, pedal steel, banjo, etc. ) .' Oh, the flashbacks to the western-inspired video 'Who Needs Love Like That.'
