Lot's Wife Edition 1 2016

CULTURE
MOST ANTICIPATED
by Melissa Fernando
2016 is already shaping up to be an eventful year in music. With
Bowie’s departure to the stars, the music world has been left
with shoes that can never be filled. But perhaps what was most
telling was the immense sense of loss and heartache towards the
news of Bowie’s death, demonstrating that music lovers still value
experimentation, self-reinvention and originality. Several artists
are still honouring these musical values, and here’s my list of top
10 most anticipated albums of the year.
MIA - Mahtahdatah
M.I.A’s album Matahdatah was due last year however the anticipation has
crept into 2016, as fans eagerly await her fi fth instalment. With no set
release date, M.I.A has not divulged much information, but thankfully has
released one single, ‘Borders’. M.I.A spent her formative years in 1970’s
Sri Lanka when a bloody civil war between the country’s ethnic divisions
was tearing apart the nation. It’s no surprise then that MIA’s songs have
always been politically charged, and this album seems to be no different.
‘Borders’ speaks about the barriers between cultures and social groups,
which can often lead to injustice and suffering.
Radiohead - TBA
It’s always hard to know what to expect from a Radiohead album. It was
reported that the band began work on their 9th studio album in late 2014.
Now more than a year later, we speculate an album coming out early 2016.
The British rockers released a single ‘Spectre’, which was originally created
for the latest James Bond movie but later went unused. The music has a
dramatic orchestral fl ow, and the brooding overlay of instruments coupled
with Thom Yorke’s tortured falsetto provides fans with a glimpse into the sort
of music the new album would contain.
SIA - This is Acting
Australian singer-songwriter Sia is set to release her 7th studio album on
the 29th of January. This is Acting has an interesting premise as it contains
several songs that Sia wrote for other artists, such as Adele, but were
subsequently rejected. This is Acting could perhaps allude to the fact she
had written these songs from the point of view of the person for which she
was writing, in other words, she was putting on an act. Perhaps this album
is an attempt to take a stab at those who rejected her musicality and to
make these songs her own.
48 | Lot’s Wife
Illustrations by Angus Marion