We are a quarter way through 2020 and contrary to popular opinion, albums from today’s most iconic artists still hold weight. The very mention of Beyonce or Kanye dropping a new project leaves millions of musicheads gasping for air. Many of us can recall what we were doing the exact moment Lil Wayne released The Carter 3 or when Jay-Z delivered The Blueprint. The magnitude of a great album may forever coincide with specific moments in our lives and can help us through some of our most trying times.

That, my friend, is the power of a musical masterpiece, so how dare you say “albums don’t matter?”

From the hustler tales of Pusha-T to the heart filled lyrics of Alicia Keys, I am a sucker for storytelling. In a time where artists and record labels tend to push quantity over quality for more plays on streaming platforms, a great album can truly feed your soul. There is something beautiful about an artist who spends years crafting a body of work that is timeless and worthy of multiple listens. A couple of hit singles on a mediocre album is similar to a microwave dinner. It may fill you up for the time being but you are still left wanting something more.

As we continue to move through 2020 we are impatiently waiting for quite a few icons to deliver something memorable before the year comes to an end. Will these artists give us projects that touch the depths of our souls or leave us disappointed and frustrated like a bad one night stand? I’m not sure, but either way, I’m excited.

Without further adieu, here are our 6 most anticipated albums of 2020. Let’s hope they live up to the hype.

2020’s Most Anticipated Albums

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar is arguably the best rapper alive. Die-hard fans of the TDE top dawg (get it, top dawg) are impatiently waiting for the followup to his 4th studio album, DAMN, and it honestly can’t come soon enough. It feels like with every Kendrick Lamar release, Hip-hop’s paradigm shifts. To tide us over while we wait for Compton’s finest to deliver his next album, Mr. Lamar curated the soundtrack to the Marvel Studios Black Panther. The west coast wordsmith has also guest featured on SiR’s Chasing Summer and J.Cole’s collaborative project Revenge of the Dreamers 3 just in the past few months. When it comes to Kendrick Lamar and with rumors circulating of a new project dropping before the end for the summer, one thing is for sure: Expect the unexpected.

Rihanna

Badgalriri aka Rihanna has kept the navy (her cult fan base) in the dark about her upcoming ninth studio album, reportedly a reggae-influenced project she has been working on since the release of 2016’s ANTI. Within the 4 years since its release, we have been blessed with her trademark vocals on singles from Kendrick Lamar and Calvin Harris. However, for the most part, the pop icon from Barbados has been particularly quiet on the music front and has opted to take over the world with her Beauty/Fashion brand Fenty. Maybe 2020 will be the year RiRi commands the navy with new music while we all salute her long-awaited return to the industry.

Frank Ocean

August 20, 2016, is the last time we received a full-length project from the mysterious Mr. Frank Ocean. Since then, Ocean has released a handful of loose tracks via SoundCloud and his infamous Tumblr page in addition to playing host and DJ at clubs in NYC and Las Vegas, while contributing his vocals to albums by Calvin Harris and Travis $cott. These efforts are barely enough to hold us over until his fourth studio album, which is slated to drop sometime this year. Hopefully Frank will give us a taste of what he has been cooking up in the studio by the time he headlines Coachella this October. And Frank’ly (you see what I did there) we can’t wait.

Drake

Drake is everywhere, whether he is working on new material with his favorite collaborator Future or making guest appearances on songs by Rick Ross, Bad Bunny, or Chris Brown. It’s already been 2 years since Drizzy released his last effort, Scorpion, to mixed reviews. The lengthy double album with 25 songs still came up short when compared to previous Drake albums, Nothing Was The Same and Take Care. Still, when it comes to Champagne Papi the bar is set ridiculously high. However, in true Drake fashion, he rarely lets us down. As Drake readies his new album, fans anxiously await another set filled with tales of luxury, love, and loss.

SZA

The first lady of the mighty T.D.E. (Top Dawg Entertainment), SZA, has been virtually M.I.A. since her debut album CTRL dropped in 2017. Besides SZA lending her vocals to singles from Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled and Maroon 5, the sultry singer has been relatively quiet the last couple years. The anticipation for her follow up album is at a feverish high. Will SZA be able to captivate her fans once again with poetic songs of love, pain, and liberation? Or will this R&B siren fall victim to the sophomore jinx? Only 2020 will tell.

J. Cole

Months after the release of J.Cole’s Dreamville imprint, the collaborative project Revenge of the Dreamers 3, the North Carolinian emcee hinted at something big coming by the end of 2020. During his “hiatus” after his last album, 2018s KOD, ColeWorld has lent his talent to tracks with fellow rappers Young Thug and Jay Rock, R&B crooner Ty Dolla $ign to name a few. In addition, Cole’s collaboration with 21 Savage on the track “A Lot” delivered his first Grammy win, earning an award for Best Rap Song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. With Cole confirming The Off-Season and The Fall Off projects in the works, virtually everyone in the hip-hop community is holding their breath in anticipation. 2020 is truly Cole’s World and we are all just living in it.

There you have it, our picks for most anticipated albums of 2020. Did your favorite artists make the cut? Drop a comment below and let us know.