Three big albums are on the way in the coming months
It's shaping up to be a big year for pop fans, as two major names in the pop world - Dua Lipa and Ariana Grande - have both announced new albums due for release this year.
Dua Lipa, having scored a hit in 2023 with her 'Barbie' soundtrack song 'Dance the Night', has revealed further details on her forthcoming third album.
It'll be produced by Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, and Lipa told Rolling Stone that the songwriting and production team behind her new single 'Houdini' worked on eight of the album's (which doesn't have a title yet) eleven tracks. Rather more interestingly, she cited bands like Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Blur and Oasis as influences and called it "a psychedelic-pop-infused tribute to UK rave culture".
Ariana Grande, who has been filming 'Wicked' in recent months, will also return to her music career with a new album in 2024. Having released a new single 'yes, and?' last week, her first album since 2020 - 'Eternal Sunshine' - will be released on March 8th.
Meanwhile, Dublin's Villagers have also announced details of their forthcoming sixth album.
It's called 'That Golden Time' and will be released on May 10th - and unlike its predecessor 'Fever Dreams', which was a whole-band affair, this new album was mostly written and played by Conor O'Brien. Other musicians on the album include Donal Lunny and Peter Broderick.
"For me, That Golden Time has an internalised voice, so much so that I almost found it impossible to let anyone else in,” said O'Brien. “It’s probably the most vulnerable album I’ve made. I played and recorded everything in my apartment, and finally, towards the end, invited people in."
Villagers also play their biggest headline show to date at Trinity College on June 29th.