Ta-Da! Out Of The Blue: A Brief History Of The Surprise Album
After the recent release of Solange’s ‘When I Get Home’, we chart some of the most notable sudden album releases of the past few years.
The release of Solange’s new album ‘When I Get Home’ earlier this month came with almost no warning. Melding together jazz, hip-hop, R&B and electronic beats with an impressive list of collaborators, including Pharrell, Dev Hynes, Sampha, Gucci Mane, Earl Sweatshirt and more, the album came just days after the singer staged a takeover of Black Planet, a social networking platform for African-Americans that was launched in 2001, and seemed to hint at new music via a surreal clip posted to social media that mixed arty studio shots with home-video footage and a clip of a new song. But at no point was the album actually, y’know, announced, leaving fans pleasantly surprised when they woke up on 1st March with nineteen brand new tracks.
There was a time when the surprise album was almost unthinkable and a lack of pre-album publicity and distribution planning would massively affect its success. But with the turn of the 21st century came mass internet and social media usage and, with it, a way for artists to speak to their fans directly, outside of traditional communication channels. As a result of this, the surprise album has become almost commonplace over the past decade and now - rather than breaking the internet - done badly can become the equivalent of a mass eye roll. Yet, done well, it gives artists breathing space to really make an impact and retain control over the way their music is released, pre-empting album leaks and taking their album out of the pre-album press cycle to let the music speak for itself.
Here, we run through some of the most memorable surprises of recent years.
Read More
Beyoncé announces new album ‘Renaissance Act II’, drops two new singles
The superstar revealed the news at last night's Super Bowl.
12th February 2024, 10:49am
Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour is a visually opulent fantasy plucked from the highest tier
The Alien Superstar opens her first night in London with a Tina Turner tribute and a ballroom bonanza.
31st May 2023, 10:55am
Björk unveils ‘Fossora’ video
It’s the title track of her 2022 album.
30th March 2023, 12:00am
Beyoncé announces 2023 world tour
It’s her first solo tour in over six years.
1st February 2023, 12:00am
Popular right now
Featuring Green Day, English Teacher, Everything Everything, Caity Baser and more!