2014 was a good year in the world of music—a spectacular year actually. Last year saw the rise of Sam Smith with his soaring, smooth falsetto; and it played witness to Taylor Swift dominating the charts with a hit-filled album. 2014 will be hard to beat, but these are the albums you should keep an eye out for when they drop.
Local Spotlight: The Case Study is a local, soulful rock band. They’ve been on the Nashville scene for a little over two year now. This funky, fun band is finally taking the next step with their music and releasing an album later this year. The album is promised to be full of saxophone solos and funky guitar riffs. The release date is still up in the air, but keep an eye out for this up-and-coming band.
Rumored Spotlight: The Shadowboxers are a funky pop band from Atlanta, GA who recently just relocated to Nashville. It’s been two years since their Red Room album released, and they’ve written plenty of material to span two albums in these past two years. They are gearing up to go into the studio to start their new album. Hopefully, by the end of this year we’ll hear some new music from the talented bunch of guys.
Soul Spotlight: Allen Stone, a self-proclaimed “hippie with soul” from Chewelah, Washington, has been making waves in the music industry with his perfect pitch and deliciously soulful voice. A mix of Stevie Wonder meets Marvin Gaye, his albums always promise strong grooves, a resounding horn section, and songs that just make you want to dance. His album “Radius,” originally set to release in late 2014, will now be making its debut in early 2015. The date is still unreleased.
The Wildcard Spotlight: Mark Ronson is a name that is on the tip of everyone’s tongue after the recent release of his single “Uptown Funk” with Bruno Mars. With the major success of “Uptown Funk,” Ronson released Uptown Special on Jan. 12. It’s an album inspired by the hip-hop and funk music from his days as a club DJ.
Pop Spotlight: Rihanna is finally ready for a new album, and she plans to release it before March 2015. After releasing albums every year from 2009 to 2012, she has kept this new album from the public’s eye. While the release date is still uncertain, everyone is waiting with baited breath for the arrival of the album.