Azealia Banks
Working title: Broke With Expensive Taste
Release date: Feb. 12
The leak: The brash New York rappers first proper release after the expletive-laced underground hit 212 made her a star to fashion-magazine editors. She hopes to translate mix-tape hype into a tangible career without falling to the backlash that swallowed her West Coast counterpart Kreayshawn whole.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Working title: Push the Sky Away
Release date: Feb. 19
The leak: The bands first album since 2008s Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! was recorded at a 19th-century mansion in the South of France and includes the ominous first single, We No Who U R.
Atoms for Peace
Working title: Amok
Release date: Feb. 26
The leak: Radioheads Thom Yorke turns the backing band from his solo tour, featuring Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass, into a proper side project. The first single is called Default and sounds unsurprisingly a lot like Radiohead.
50 Cent
Working title: Street King Immortal
Release date: Feb. 26
The leak: The rapper hopes to reclaim his platinum status with his fifth studio release. Hes got the right team for the job: Eminem and Maroon 5s Adam Levine lend a hand on the first single, My Life, while Dr. Dre will be in the producers seat for at least a handful of tracks.
Dido
Working title: Girl Who Got Away
Release date: March 5
The leak: The English singer who provided Eminem with the sizable sample for his hit Stan finally returns with the follow-up to 2008s Safe Trip Home. Los Angeles R&B singer Kendrick Lamar appears on the single Let Us Move On.
Cher
Working title: Not available
Release date: March
The leak: With Lady Gaga enlisted as a collaborator, Cher will take a break from Twitter and return to the dance floor for her 26th album – her first since 2001s Living Proof. The techno-leaning single Womans World is out now.
The Wanted
Working title: Third Strike
Release date: March
The leak: Not to be outdone by archrivals One Direction, who managed to squeeze out two albums last year, the scruffy British boy band has fast-tracked the release of its third studio album, which includes the singles Chasing the Sun and I Found You.
Mariah Carey
Working title: Not available
Release date: March
The leak: Her latest single, Triumphant (Get Em), fizzled, but the American Idol judge hopes she can still reignite her music career with her 14th studio album.
Paramore
Working title: Paramore
Release date: April
The leak: The Tennessee mall-rock band grows up, working with Beck collaborator Justin-Meldal Johnsen on its fourth full-length album. Its not only the groups first release since 2009s Brand New Eyes, but also the first as a trio following the departure of its co-founding drummer and guitarist.
Black Sabbath
Working title: Not available
Release date: April
The leak: Rick Rubin, the man who gave Johnny Cash a late-career save, is hoping to do the same for the comeback album from these heavy-metal titans, with Ozzy Osbourne resuming vocal duties.
Lady Gaga
Working title: Artpop
Release date: Spring
The leak: Rumors are swirling that it will be a double album and come paired with its own app. Theres also a movie in the works with Terry Richardson, famous for his full-flash photographs of naked people. So thats good.
Natalie Maines
Working title: Mother
Release date: May 7
The leak: The Dixie Chicks singer leaves country in the dust on her first solo album, with rootsy Southern California singer-songwriter Ben Harper reportedly producing. The title track will most likely be the Pink Floyd cover Maines performed live several times with Harper last year.
Beyoncé
Working title: Not available
Release date: TBD
The leak: Set to perform at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show Feb. 3, in New Orleans, Beyoncé has already hit the studio with super-producers The-Dream, Kanye West and Ryan Tedder. It will most likely go down better than Madonnas MDNA launch.