February Music Preview: Paramore, Shania Twain, Gorillaz, and Rebecca Black hit the comeback trail

This month feels like a comeback moment for several artists, most of whom have not released an album since well before the pandemic. That includes country pop star Shania Twain, whose last record came in the form of 2017’s Now. There’s also modern soul vanguard Kelela, who’s making a return following her 2017 breakthrough. Another group who hasn’t shared a project since 2017 Pop-punk frontrunners Paramore, led by Hayley Williams.

And you can consider Rebecca Black’s debut record, Let Her Burn, a reintroduction. Although she’s pressed into the digital pages of the internet for her viral hit “Friday,” Black has spent the last few years carving out her own space in the pop world. February also brings records from Tennis, Andy Shauf, Gorillaz, Lil Uzi Vert, Caroline Polachek, and Yo La Tengo, among others.

Shania Twain, Queen Of Me (February 3)

Shania Twain is feeling herself—as she should be. Queen Of Me, the country-pop icon’s first album since 2017 and her first for Republic Records, is described as her “most triumphant-feeling body of work; an album about standing in your own power and worshipping yourself.” Lead single “Waking Up Dreaming” was co-written and produced with BTS collaborator David Stewart, and Twain will tour through North America and Europe in support of the LP starting in April. [Peter Helman]

Raye, My 21st Century Blues (February 3)

Singer-songwriter Raye to major record label Polydor back in 2014, but she’s only now able to release her debut album. Treated as “rent-a-vocal” artist for club tracks for years, Raye is finally stepping into her own spotlight after departing with Polydor in 2021. The British singer offers neo-soul and R&B-influenced pop bops, reminiscent of her peers Amy Winehouse or even early career Adele, but backed with heavyweight club beats. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

Rebecca Black, Let Her Burn (February 9)

Boldly moving on from the viral hit of her youth—YouTube record-setter “Friday”—Rebecca Black is now crafting some of today’s most inspired pop music. With the singles “Crumbs,” “Look At You,” and “Sick To My Stomach,” Black kicks off an era that’s unapologetically queer, and teeming with electropop bliss. With her debut album, Let Her Burn, Black proves she’s no longer an internet punchline, but a bonafide singer out for blood. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

Andy Shauf, Norm (February 10)

One of the most consistently great singer-songwriters of the last few years, Andy Shauf returns with another album that, we’re hoping, unfolds like a damn good novel. His last three LPs, Wilds, The Neon Skyline, and the essential The Party certainly did, revealing not only the Torontonian’s knack for deceptively breezy-sounding songwriting but also his dry-witted, emotionally resonant storytelling. Shauf plays every instrument on the new record, and the warm single “Wasted On You” (above) certainly hints that we’re in for another treat. [Tim Lowery]

Civic, Taken By Force (February 10)

Civic, a high-energy quintet from Down Under, revels in high-octane, old-school punk vibes and some dystopian imagery. They’ve even caught the attention of icon Henry Rollins. But what also makes Civic stand out are songs like the title track on “Taken By Force,” which invokes edgy Aussie insurgents Midnight Oil, albeit with a heavier guitar solo. “Trick Of The Light,” meanwhile, is a moody, churning rocker balancing melody and dissonance. And album closer “Dusk” offers gentle noise ambient. Is that possible It seems so. They’re not afraid to use acoustic guitars, either. Solid. [Bryan Reesman]

Kelela, Raven (February 10)

For a fleeting communal moment last month, the certified coolest place on the internet was a countdown on Kelela’s YouTube page, leading to the video for her comeback single “Washed Away.” It’s been over five years since she released her sophomore album Take Me Apart, an immersive and moody chronicle of love lost and found—next month, she’s back in full form with Raven. Of four pre-release singles, “On The Run” most effectively captures her rhythmic flexibility and otherworldly sex appeal. When she reminds her lover “I won’t wait all night” over a synth that sounds projected through a canyon, Kelela proves time has only refined the R&B innovator. [Hattie Lindert]

Paramore, This Is Why (February 10)

One of this year’s most anticipated releases is Paramore’s This Is Why. The pop-punk group turned straight-up pop band has accrued a dedicated following over the last 15 years, and their first full-length release in five years could not come soon enough. Judging by the singles “This Is Why,” “The News,” and “C’est Comme Ça,” the Hayley Williams-fronted band has sharpened their acute abilities to pair elements of rock with pop hooks, which easily outshine their bland contemporaries. For the last few years, Paramore has been credited with influencing a whole new set of pop stars, but now they’ve come back to show everyone how it’s done. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

Tennis, Pollen (February 10)

Indie pop darlings Tennis are back with their sixth studio album, Pollen. The duo, comprised of husband-and-wife Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, specializes in tender, glossy, disco-inspired tracks. The single, “Let’s Make A Mistake Tonight,” is about “all hubris, attitude, and wish fulfillment. I’m turning water into wine.” While the offerings shared from Pollen thus far don’t experiment with the sound the band has perfected, there’s nothing wrong with a slate of catchy, bright pop songs. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

Yo La Tengo, This Stupid World (February 10)

Long-running indie-rock institution Yo La Tengo returns with This Stupid World, which the trio recorded and produced entirely on their own and are billing as “the most live-sounding Yo La Tengo album in years.” Lead single “Fallout” bears that out, presenting a perfect synthesis of fuzzy noise and melodic lightness that hits right in that classic YLT sweet spot. It’s easily some of the most immediate material they’ve put out in a long time. [Peter Helman]

Caroline Polachek, Desire, I Want To Turn Into You (February 14)

Avant-garde pop specialist Caroline Polachek’s never been working within the traditional framework of the genre, instead taking the merits of pop and infusing them with her own off-kilter sensibilities. This paid off big time with her star-making debut album Pang, and now with Desire, I Want To Turn Into You, she’s pushing pop further out of its comfort zone. Polachek has described the work as “very maximalist,” toying with sounds from worldly genres such as dembow and instruments such as Spanish guitar and bagpipes. While much of Pang’s strength was in its cohesion and sparse production, it’s exciting to see what happens with Polachek goes all in. [Gabrielle Sanchez]

Korn, Requiem Mass (February 14)

Nu-metal pioneers Korn have served up plenty of bombast and crunch over the last three decades, but they like to toss unexpected curveballs our way, too. They’ve recorded offbeat covers, mixed in dubstep, integrated bagpipes, and now they’ve performed live with a choir, organist, and brass section. This intimate church session, which was took place to promote Korn’s previous album, Requiem, features five plugged-in tunes with some standout moments, like the cavalcade of cackling voices during “Lost In The Grandeur” and the choral accompaniment and brass fanfare of “Let The Dark Do The Rest.” And for an extra dimension to this unusual gig, be sure to hit YouTube to check out the three acoustic tunes from the performance that weren’t included on this disc. [Bryan Reesman]

Pile, All Fiction (February 17)

Bad news for Stephen Miller: Boston rock outfit Pile returns next month with their first album since 2021, and last week they shared a new single, “Nude With A Suitcase.” After opening with escalating horns and a rumbling snare, the 6-minute-plus track luxuriates in instrumentals, ultimately closing with an atonal choir of whirring, grating synths. The track lends to the group’s near mythic live shows, long the subject of a cult following—Pile doesn’t need to say much to leave a listener with more than enough to think about. [Hattie Lindert]

Screaming Females, Desire Pathway (February 17)

Although we’ve gotten a Marissa Paternoster solo album and a singles collection fairly recently, we haven’t actually been blessed with a new studio album from Screaming Females since 2018’s All At Once. Fortunately, that’s about to change. The New Jersey rockers’ new record, Desire Pathway—once again co-produced by Matt Bayles and named after the same phenomenon that inspired a very good Deerhunter song—will be out in just a few weeks. If the rest of the album is as badass as lead single “Brass Bell,” we’re in for a real treat. [Peter Helman]

The Church, The Hypnogogue (February 24)

Known in America for 1988’s album Starfish and the single “Under The Milky Way,” the Church’s career is far more expansive. The Hypnogogue is the this Australian band’s 26th album in 43 years, and while frontman Steve Kilbey is the lone remaining original member, their clarity of vision remains consistent. There’s a warm intimacy to this trippy, low-key affair that invites you to trance out into contemplative bliss. Elements of the goth, new wave, and space rock worlds that intermingled when they out started still coalesce here (“Antarctica” is a standout). Given the throwback vibes of so many modern tunes, The Hypnogogue works equally well as retro and timeless music. [Bryan Reesman]

U.S. Girls, Bless This Mess (February 24)

Three years after releasing the critically acclaimed Heavy Light, Meg Remy’s project U.S. Girls returns with a new album, Bless This Mess. With an uncanny knack for blending infectious instrumentals and existentially wandering lyrics (“I’m you/ You’re me/The candle won’t go out so let us be”), the first three singles off Remy’s next project find her luxuriating in electric guitar solos and breathy, syncopated vocals. In her hands, life’s unanswerable questions feel stadium sized. [Hattie Lindert]

Gorillaz, Cracker Island (February 24)

A new Gorillaz album is always a good time. Cracker Island, Damon Albarn and company’s follow-up to 2020’s Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, will welcome a slew of collaborators, including Thundercat, Tame Impala, Stevie Nicks, Bad Bunny, Beck, the Pharcyde’s Bootie Brown, and Adeleye Omotayo to the virtual party. They’ve already shared the title track alongside singles “New Gold,” “Baby Queen,” and “Skinny Ape,” and they debuted several more live during the Gorillaz World Tour last year. [Peter Helman]

Philip Selway, Strange Dance (February 24)

Philip Selway is best known as the drummer for a little band called Radiohead, but he doesn’t actually drum on his new solo album Strange Dance. Instead, he leaves that to percussionist Valentina Magaletti, who joins a list of collaborators that also includes Hannah Peel, Adrian Utley, Quinta, Marta Salogni, and Laura Moody. Selway’s elevator pitch for the record was that he wanted it to sound like Carole King making music with the pioneering electronic composer Daphne Oram, and the songs we’ve heard have been just as lovely and sonically rich as that suggests. [Peter Helman]

Daine, shapeless (February 24)

“Old soul” isn’t the exact term for Charli XCX protegé Daine. Although her precocious ability to realize her very online, very emo-influenced aesthetic has shone through since her debut single “picking flowers,” her music is gleefully and unapologetically youthful. Singles like “boythots” capture the sonic serotonin of Charli’s own “Vroom Vroom” while tapping into unabashedly pubescent themes: Crushes, hookups, personal style, and aimlessly driving fast “because I can now.” But teendom is full of warts Daine won’t gloss over, and her playful electro-pop’s bubblegum snap never lacks vulnerability. Her first full mixtape—paired with an inaugural U.S. tour—stands to be supercharged with the best kind of nostalgia. [Hattie Lindert]

Algiers, Shook (February 24)

Algiers make confrontational music that steadfastly resists classification—industrial rap gospel punk, maybe For their new album Shook, they returned to their native Atlanta and got deep into underground rap, emerging with 17 kaleidoscopic tracks featuring kindred spirits like Zack de la Rocha, billy woods, Samuel T. Herring, and Backxwash. “It was a whole new positive experience—having a renewed relationship with the city we’re from and having a pride in that,” says band member Franklin James Fisher. “I like the idea that this record has taken you on a voyage but it begins and ends in Atlanta.” [Peter Helman]

Lil Uzi Vert, Pink Tape (February)

An inherent part of being a Lil Uzi fan in 2023 is possessing a capacity for wishful thinking: realistically, Pink Tape has been “just weeks away” for many years now. But a bevy of new tracks and snippets find Uzi leaping headfirst into a nostalgic club-pop sound that somehow still feels forward—hopefully, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Following up an opus as extensive as Eternal Atake can’t be rushed, but Uzi seems more poised to leap than ever. [Hattie Lindert]