Jazz Cartier, Kaytranada, Mish Way of White Lung, Harrison, Alice Glass, and Majid Al Maskati of Majid Jordan.
With Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Drake, Carly Rae Jepsen, Alessia Cara, and Grimes all dropping stellar projects in 2015, one might think it’ll be tough to top Canadian music’s ridiculous run in 2016. Think again. With projects by Majid Jordan and Junior Boys already locked in, and long-awaited drops imminent from Drake and Tegan & Sara, it’s already shaping up to be another big year for Canadian artists.
Here are 16 records we can’t wait to hear in 2016.
Jazz Cartier
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
Jazz Cartier stays dropping heat on Soundcloud. If you peep the credits, you’ll notice that all three of his recent tracks (“Stick & Move,” “I Know,” and “Tales”) will be included on a “TBA 2016” album. Toronto’s golden child says it himself on “Stick & Move”: “2015 was just a warm-up.”
Majid Jordan
Title: Majid Jordan
Release: February 5th, 2016
Majid Jordan’s self-titled debut is just around the corner, and the first two glimpses of it we’ve had are transcendentally lit. Producer Jordan Ullman continues to push their sound to otherworldly territory, and Majid Al Maskati’s voice is easily the strongest on the OVO Sound roster. Their debut could help them outshine their co-sign, not unlike another local artist who came up in Aubrey’s shadow.
Crystal Castles
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
It’s been over a year since Crystal Castles’ Ethan Kath and Alice Glass parted ways, leaving a slew of bad blood and allegations in their wake. Kath has soldiered on under the moniker, adding vocalist Edith Frances to the lineup. With an album on the horizon for 2016, it’ll be interesting to see how Frances leaves her mark on the group.
Alice Glass
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
Alice Glass claps back. Her former bandmate alleged that she had little to no input in Crystal Castles, and if “Stillbirth” is any indication, she’s fired up creatively. Here’s hoping for more glitchy doom-pop on her eventual debut.
Harrison
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
Colors was one of our favourite EPs of 2015, and lucky for us, it serves as just a teaser for Toronto producer Harrison’s forthcoming full-length debut. Expect an expansion on the bright synth melodies and funky rhythms that characterize the 20-year-old’s vibrant Soundcloud crate.
Matthew Progress
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
Toronto rapper Matthew Progress made waves in December with his video for “Oxygen,” an ominous slapper complete with black lights and bicycles. With plans for a full-length release in 2016, we’re hoping Progress stays on his experimental flow.
Nelly Furtado
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
It’s been a minute since Nelly Furtado has dropped an album, but a surprise appearance at one of the “Blood Orange and Friends” shows at the Apollo in Harlem back in December has us holding out hope for a Dev Hynes-produced full-length. For now, their collaborative cassette-only release Hadron Collider will have to do.
Junior Boys
Title: Big Black Coat
Release: February 5th
Hamilton, Ontario’s Junior Boys are ready to return in 2016 with their first release since 2011’s It’s All True. The electro-pop duo have already unveiled their new album’s title track, “Big Black Coat,” a seven-minute pulsating ode to outerwear.
BadBadNotGood
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
We have no official assurances that there will be a full-length BadBadNotGood project this year, but we do know that they’ve been hitting the studio a lot lately. Whether it’s a collaborative project with one or more vocalists, or an album full of instrumental heaters, we’re willing either one into existence with some kind of prayer hands/jazz hands hybrid.
Tegan & Sara
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
Can you believe it’s been almost three years since Tegan & Sara released Heartthrob? Though “Closer” is eternal, we’re overdue for another twinspirational earworm. Their new album is officially finished, and since they’ve already conquered our hearts and the charts, we’re eager to see which direction they’re going in next. Probably folk-trap, right? We're here for it.
Sean Leon
Despite dropping some of the hardest cuts of 2015, Toronto rapper Sean Leon looks to have recently wiped his Soundcloud clean and deleted his Twitter account. We’re hoping this doesn’t mean the wait for Black Sheep Nirvana is ultimately fruitless. Let's see.
White Lung
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
If you’re experiencing seasonal riff deficiency, never fear—Vancouver punk outfit White Lung are readying the follow-up to 2014’s Deep Fantasy. In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, guitarist Kenneth William revealed that the band’s albums follow a pattern, in the sense that the final song on each album is the jumping off point for the next. As the Sun points out, their next record could be their poppiest to date, given that the album closer from Deep Fantasy, "In Your Home," has an uncharacteristically straight-ahead feel.
Kaytranada
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
The wait for Montreal producer Kaytranada’s debut album is verging on Jay Electronica Act II levels. Initially announced as an EP in May of 2014, then amended to an LP in December 2014, there’s still no sign of it dropping any time soon. He’s definitely playing with us, but at this point, even a Detox delay couldn’t kill the hype. Patience is a virtue, after all.
Lunice
Title: TBA
Release: TBA
Speaking of Montreal, and speaking of delayed debut albums, let’s talk Lunice. The TNGHT producer’s album has been in the works for a couple years, and it looks like he’s finally happy with it. After releasing his 180 EP, Lunice told Complex “the album's almost done and that the 180 project is a way...to bridge [his] ideas for what's coming next.”
Owen Pallett & Tanya Tagaq
Two of Canada’s most celebrated musicians, Owen Pallett and Tanya Tagaq, joined forces joined forces at a concert back in December, where they announced that they’re hoping to take their collaboration into the studio. Have you always wanted to hear throat singing on top of 700 looping violins? Your dream may soon be a reality, you prescient weirdo.
Drake
Title: Views From The 6
Release: TBA
The 6God is watching, and so are we.