There may be no live music this summer - but we have these albums on the horizon, at least

Alright, so the album release schedule for 2020 has been thrown into disarray and it looks like it's going to be a longgggg summer without any gigs or festivals on the horizon.

Still, we've got to stay positive, right? And while not every artist has decided to push back their albums “because it doesn't feel right” (forgive us while we roll our eyes, and also, props to Dua Lipa for going ahead with her album release), there are some big releases still on the cards for 2020. At some stage. We hope.

With that in mind, here are five big albums that we still have to look forward to this year...

LADY GAGA – 'Chromatica'

Gaga's sixth album was supposed to be released this month, but has been pushed back to later in the year. It's all the more disappointing, given the tantalising morsel that was 'Stupid Love' – a song that suggested that Gaga was returning to her early 'Born This Way' material – fizzy, frothy pop songs to dance to. She may have a battle on her hands to better the aforementioned Dua Lipa's 'Future Nostalgia' as pop album of the year, but we're gagging (sorry) to hear it, all the same.

*

ADELE – Title TBC

If we're to take Adele's recent comments on Instagram literally, we won't be hearing the follow-up to '25' this year - despite her telling a group of friends that it would be released in September. However, until we hear it from the horse's mouth, we're choosing to believe that there's more epic, heartache-filled pop balladry fuelled by her divorce coming our way sooner, rather than later. C'mon, Adele. If ever we needed a cathartic cry-along soundtrack, it's now.

*

SAM SMITH – Title TBC

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Ke35FAONT/

The gender-neutral pop singer has both pushed back the release of their third album, and changed its title. Smith's follow-up to 2017's 'The Thrill of It All' was supposed to be released in May and was originally titled 'To Die For'; that title has now been scuppered for something a little friendlier in the midst of a global pandemic. Now a bona fide star on both sides of the Atlantic, they've released three singles from it to date – including a duet with Demi Lovato. The remit this time around is “fewer ballads and plenty of poppier tracks” according to Smith – so we'll have to wait a little longer to see if that holds true.

*

RIHANNA – Title TBC

Hahahahahahahahaha. Hahahahahahaa. Haha. Okay, okay. We're nothing if not optimistic – but still, there's always a chance that we'll hear Rihanna's long (lonnnng)-awaited ninth album in 2020. She's teased us enough over the past couple of years – telling fans that it's done, that it's reggae-inspired, signing a new publishing deal, registering some new song titles and dropping a few subtle hints that it might come out unexpectedly. That said, she did only recently tell fans on Instagram Live: “If one of y’all motherf**kers asks me about the album one more time when I’m trying to save the world, unlike y’all president...” BUT YOU CAN SAVE THE WORLD WITH MUSIC, RIRI. ENOUGH WITH THE MAKE-UP.

*

HAIM – 'Women In Music Pt. III'

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-7rl7kFCmD/

Another album that was due for release in April, Haim's third record now won't see the light of day until later in the year. The Californian trio have once again worked with producers/songwriters Ariel Rechstaid and Rostam Batmanglij (formerly of Vampire Weekend), so fingers crossed for another collection of summery, uplifting, harmony-laden pop songs as their last album 'Something to Tell You'.