With the summer – and the catchy tunes that accompany it – coming to an end, students are anticipating upcoming albums from their favorite artists as the release dates near.
Closely following their favorite band’s progress through the entire journey of recording an album, students are curious if the final product will meet the lofty expectations created by music critics – and sometimes even the artists themselves.
“I’m really excited for the upcoming Arctic Monkeys album,” said Daniela Garciacaro, junior international studies major. “I really like their music because it’s a strange collaboration where everything seems to come together perfectly.”
To anxious followers, albums and concert tickets become more than just a product, to the point where they become an integral part of their identities. Despite the extended gaps between the release of new material, fans remain eager for content.
“I don’t think the Arctic Monkeys’ new album will be very different,” Garciarcaro said. “But that’s a good thing, because they’ll have all the same qualities that keep them together.”
As the reactions to new albums from peers and critics start to take form, the publicity can capture the attention of potential followers, regardless of the artists’ size and influence within the music industry. These smaller independent bands can be more experimental in the scope of their music and appeal to very specific niches.
“I like MGMT because they try different things,” said Michael Mayfield, senior mathematics major. “I’d be happy if they tried something really weird and started attempting new types of music.”
Unexpected changes in lineups can become the main point to draw fans back to the music. As the musical taste of the general public changes from genre to genre, the uncertainty and potential of the new content can attract and keep attention.
“I prefer bands that don’t do the same thing every single time, because that gets really boring,” Mayfield said.
Within established groups of music, artists such as Avicii that have refrained from releasing albums can create a significant amount of hype to promote their entry.
“I’m really excited for the new Avicii album,” said Katie Gourley, senior political science major. “He’s only released singles up to this point, but I like his songs.”
New releases from artists can generate interest in similar performers or entire genres.
“That pretty much got me into the whole EDM [electronic dance music] scene,” Gourley said of Avicii’s music. “He was like my gateway drug to EDM.”
Graphic by William Guerra