They say every cloud has a silver lining.
With the pandemic finally in the rearview, electronic dance music festivals are back—and so are many of the scene's beloved artists who have largely remained in the shadows. The scourge of COVID-19 vicious, but it seems these artists have now emerged with a renewed sense of vision and verve.
And after two years of creative strangulation, they are hungrier than ever.
If 2022's albums are any indication, we're on the precipice of the best years for dance music in history—just like David Guetta boldy predicted. Here are 22 of the most anticipated albums expected to release this year.
Flume
Palaces, Flume's third studio album and first since 2016's critically acclaimed Skin, is slated to release on May 20th. He recently dropped the record's lead single "Say Nothing," a haunting cut featuring vocals from Australian compatriot MAY-A, who joins a list of collaborators that includes Damon Albarn of Gorillaz.
Grabbitz
Time Isn't Real, the first album in five years from the virtuosic Grabbitz, has the feel of a genuine tour de force. If its singles are any indication, the 12-track LP, which is slated for an April 1st release, will be replete with the fiery indietronica sound that fans have become enamored with since 2015's scintillating debut, Better With Time.
Kaskade
Fabled Fire & Ice producer Kaskade has been busy reimagining his fan-favorite album from 2011, but it seems that's just the tip of the iceberg—no pun intended. "It’s cool to flip old jams and all but 2022 is calling for a new album and I am ready," he tweeted in late 2021. "It’s been a minute but my head is in the right space now."
Toro y Moi
One of the most versatile figures in electronic music, Toro y Moi is set to release his seventh studio album, MAHAL, on April 29th. Featuring recent singles "The Loop," "Postman" and "Magazine," the LP has been touted as the Grammy-nominated artist's "boldest and most fascinating" album yet.
Kavinsky
Pioneering French electronic music producer Kavinsky is releasing his first album in eight years, Reborn, on March 25th. He reemerged in November 2021 with his comeback single "Renegade" before unveiling "Zenith," a sultry synthwave cut and the follow-up to 2010's seminal "Nightcall."
SOFI TUKKER
One of the year's most anticipated LPs comes from barnstorming dance music duo SOFI TUKKER, who are releasing their long-awaited sophomore album, WET TENNIS, on April 29th. An early Grammy frontrunner, the record is an acronym of the mantra, "When Everyone Tries to Evolve, Nothing Negative Is Safe," they explained in a candid Twitter thread.
Alison Wonderland
The wait for Alison Wonderland's long-awaited third album is almost over. Loner, her first full-length record since 2018's fan-favorite Awake, will hit streaming platforms on May 6th. She has released four singles from the album, the most recent of which—a hypnotic, distorted trap tune called "New Day"—came with a Wild West-themed music video.
The Chainsmokers
Back in January, The Chainsmokers took to social media to share five simple words that lit a fuse electronic dance music community: "SORRY, THE CHAINSMOKERS ARE BACK." The chart-topping tandem have been busy after their two-year hiatus, releasing two singles, "High" and "iPad," after announcing the impending release of their fourth album. Tentatively titled TCS4, the record is expected to release this year.
The Knocks
The Knocks' upcoming HISTORY LP is a darkhorse for the year's best dance album. Set to release on April 29th, it flaunts a dream roster of collaborators, such as Cold War Kids, Foster The People and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. The duo recently released one of the album's singles, "Slow Song," a bubbly disco collab with Dragonette.
Swedish House Mafia
It's hard to believe Swedish House Mafia are on the cusp of their debut album. Paradise Again, which will drop on April 15th via Republic Records, has been a long time coming for the legendary supergroup, whose fractured dynamic led to their shocking dissolution over a decade ago. Now experimenting with a darker, more techno-inspired sound, they recently teamed up with fabled Police frontman Sting for "Redlight," which followed "Moth To A Flame," the trio's pie-in-the-sky collaboration with The Weeknd.
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Ookay
Spanning 14 tracks, Ookay's sophomore album, Very Special, is set to release on March 25th. The record's de facto listening party will go down at one of the world's biggest electronic dance music festivals, Ultra, where he'll debut it in full. "I can’t wait to show the world what I've been crafting," he told us in February.
Lights
Esteemed rocker and electropop artist Lights has long been championed for her work in the dance music space, where she operates as one of its most coveted collaborators. First and foremost, however, she's a solo artist—and a formidable one at that. She's now primed for the release of her fifth album, PEP, which is slated to release on April 1st.
Kill The Noise
Electronic music polymath Kill The Noise is currently rolling out his sophomore album, EMBRACƎ. Expected to release in 2022, the record already has the feel of the year's best from the world of bass music. Long revered for his virtuosic sound design capabilities, the veteran producer has released a triad of singles from EMBRACƎ, including a scintillating collaboration with Seven Lions and Julia Ross called "Without You."
Hayden James
Scheduled to release on April 8th, Hayden James' sophomore album LIFTED has the look of his biggest to date. It's his first full-length project since 2019's Between Us, which spawned his global hit "NUMB," and it'll arrive ahead of back-to-back performances at Coachella. James recently released one of the record's singles, "On Your Own," a high-profile collaboration with Grammy-nominated artists Cassian and Elderbrook.
Deorro
Electro house veteran Deorro is on the verge of releasing ORRO, his hotly anticipated Latin-dance crossover album. He has released a slew of singles from the project, which will bridge the gap between the two genres while incorporating elements of cumbia and banda. Deorro is yet to announce a concrete release date, but has confirmed the record will arrive this year.
Whethan
At this juncture in his blossoming career, it seems Whethan is hellbent on growth. He recently released his first single of 2022, "Mental," a kinetic blend of hyperpop and hip-hop and a departure from his bubbly future pop sound. The track may appear on his next album, which he said back in January is "almost ready" and will showcase "a totally different side of me you haven’t heard before."
Mindchatter
Mindchatter is gearing up for his sophomore album, DREAM SOUP, which will drop via Mind of a Genius on April 8th. With his spellbinding indietronica sound, the prodigious singer-songwriter and beatsmith is one of the most promising young artists in all of contemporary music, let alone the electronic scene.
Tiësto
Tiësto recently revealed that a brand new album—the seventh of his illustrious career—is on tap for summer 2022. "I think the new album should be finished by February and then come out in the summer," said the Dutch dance music legend, who has not yet officially confirmed a release date.
Calvin Harris
It took only six words for Calvin Harris to galvanize his fans ahead of the long-awaited successor to 2017's Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 album: "Vol. 2 is gonna be mad." The chart-topping "Slide" producer has not yet announced a release date, but the album is expected in 2022.
The Crystal Method
Pioneering electronic music outfit The Crystal Method are on the verge of releasing their seventh studio album, The Trip Out, set for release on April 15th via Ultra Records. The Crystal Method's Scott Kirkland recently joined forces with U.K. breakbeat producer Hyper for "Post Punk," a menacing midtempo jam featuring legendary Stooges frontman Iggy Pop.
TSHA
London-based dance music prodigy TSHA, who was named one of EDM.com's "Best Music Producers of 2021," alluded to a new album in January. She has not yet confirmed a release date or title, but after signing a three-album deal with the iconic Ninja Tune, the first is expected to drop this year.
ODESZA
ODESZA kicked off the year by releasing their first new music since 2018, the stunning "The Last Goodbye," before quickly following with another single, "Better Now." It's important to note that the duo have not yet confirmed an album on the horizon, but if history were to repeat itself, it's likely that these two singles mark the beginning of the cycle for first LP since 2017's A Moment Apart.