Summer Music Review

With school winding down for the summer the music scene is starting to heat up. Who is releasing new albums to listen to this summer? Keep reading to find out.

May 1:
B.O.B. - Strange Clouds
B.O.B. is back after his 2010 breakout hit “B.O.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray”. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart selling 84,000 copies in its first week. “Strange Clouds” features collaborations with artists such as Lil Wayne, Taylor Swift, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and Nicki Minaj, among others. Released single “So Good” has hung around the top ten on the charts and looks primed to be a hit this summer. “Strange Clouds” is in stores now.

May 22:
John Mayer - Born and Raised
After a three-year hiatus, John Mayer returns with his fifth studio album. Lead single Shadow Day’s comes in at number 38 on the top rock songs chart. To check it out for yourself before buying, the whole album will be streaming on iTunes starting May 15.

May 29:
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Here
This twelve member folk-rock band broke onto the scene when their popular single “Home” appeared in a number of television shows and commercials. The bands debut album “Up From Below” got all the way up to number 76 on the Billboard top 200. “Here” should be one on all folk rock fans’ radar.

June 12:
Jimmy Fallon- Blow Your Pants Off
The Late Night host and former Saturday Night Live star returns for his sophomore album. The comedy album will feature such artists as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Justin Timberlake and Dave Matthews.

Usher - Looking for Myself
The R&B/Pop artist is back with his seventh album. Lead single “Climax” has spent ten weeks on the Billboard top 100 peaking at number 18. The song also sits at 38 on the iTunes top song list. With the slower song, it would appear Usher is changing it up after the more upbeat dance feel of his 2010 album “Raymond V. Raymond”.

June 19:
Nelly Furtado - The Spirit Indestructible
Six years since her last release “Loose” brought the world hit songs such as “Promiscuous” and “Maneater”, Nelly Furtado returns with her fourth studio album. During an interview talking about the new album, Furtado said, “I want them to jump, dance, scream, laugh, cry, love, and vibe to it and to turn it up very loud everywhere.” If that description fits you, then this is one to watch out for.

June 26:
Maroon 5 - Overexposed
With last year’s “Moves Like Jagger” still fresh in people’s heads, Maroon 5 is back with their fourth album “Overexposed”. An album that lead singer Adam Levine calls the bands “most diverse and poppiest yet”, is sure to excite fans of the band. Lead single “Payphone” features rapper Wiz Khalifa and is already finding success on the charts. Opening on the Billboard top 100 at number 3, “Payphone” is also the second top song on iTunes. With a catchy melody, it is sure to break out this summer.

Other albums releasing this summer
May 8: Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
May 12: Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix
May 15: Adam Lambert - Trespassing
May 29: Regina Spektor - What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
June 12: Rush - Clockwork Angels
June 19: Justin Bieber - Believe
June 19: Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
June 26: Linkin Park - Living Things
July 3: Chris Brown - Fortune
July 10: Zac Brown Band - Uncaged