21 things to get excited about in 2014

2013 was a stellar year for music and the charts, but we’re all about 2014 – we’ve moved on, y’know?

We look ahead to what we reckon is going to be a monster year for pop with 21 potential music moments to get your eyes and ears tingling, including the return of Adele, a proper Lily Allen comeback and rising star Sam Smith.

1. The BRITs 2014

It seems like for ever since we were celebrating the very best of British music and beyond, but fear not: it’s almost that time of year again. The 2014 BRIT Awards are set to be the biggest and best ever. With nominations including Bastille and Disclosure (both acts up for four awards each), Ellie Goulding (in the running for three BRITs) and legendary superstar David Bowie, it’s going to be quite a show. Bruno Mars, Katy Perry and Arctic Monkeys are confirmed to be performing live on the night – it’s the must-see of 2014.

2. The Voice is back!

No sooner have we recovered from 2013’s The X Factor and Sam Bailey’s victory than it’s time to get our vocal judging hats again – The Voice is back! And this year, it’s looking pretty exciting. Joining Tom Jones and will.i.am on the panel are Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson and pop princess Kylie Minogue, and so far we’re loving the chemistry between the not-so-fearsome foursome. Watch the judges perform a mash-up of I Predict A Riot and Can’t Get You Out Of My Head:

3. New Kylie album

And while we’re on the subject of the Minogue-meister (Are you sure about this? – Nicknames Ed), Kylie is working on her new album, set for release in 2014. It’s her first long-player since signing with Jay Z’s Roc Nation, and is said to feature the magic music twizzlings of Pharrell and Kylie’s fellow Voice coach will.i.am.

4. Abba-cadabra?

The rumour mill is in overdrive that Swedish pop legends Abba may be planning something to mark the 40th anniversary of their victory in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with the unforgettable Waterloo. We’re not daring to get too excited, but could we actually see Agnetha, Frida, Benny and Bjorn perform together once more?

5. Adele is back!

She has one of the biggest selling albums of all time with 21, and she’s on her way back. So far OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and legendary songwriter Diane Warren have let slip that they’re working on Adele’s third studio album, but beyond that we don’t have any more details. But it is coming this year…

6. Sam Smith

Fresh from flexing his vocal muscles on one of the biggest hits of 2013, Naughty Boy’s La La La, Sam Smith is reasy to strike out on his own. His year couldn’t really have started out any better: he’s already been named as winner of 2014’s BRIT Critics’ Choice Award and BBC’s Sound of 2014 award. His debut album In The Lonely Hour is set to ‘drop’ in May and all eyes (and ears) are on next single Money On My Mind.

7. One Direction’s Where We Are Tour

It’s set to be 1D’s year all over again as they take their hit album Midnight Memories – the best-selling album of 2013, in fact – on the road.

8. Sia’s solo album

She’s had success as a singer, but she’s spent the last couple of years lending her considerable songwriting talents to other stars. Beyoncé, Britney, Katy Perry, Lea Michele, J-Lo and Rihanna are just some of the popstars who’ve called on Sia’s services recently. Now, however, Sia is set to take centrestage with a new album of her very own – her first in almost four years. If her past track record for hit potential is anything to go by, expect it to be packed with veritable bangers.

9. Calvin Harris’ follow-up to 18 Months

18 Months? It felt like 18 years since we’d had any new Calvin amazingness. After two years of hit after hit from his last album, Calvin is apparently preparing a follow-up. Will his recent Number 1 with Alesso and Hurts, Under Control, feature on it, or will it be all-new? We can’t wait to find out.

10. More Gaga

She may have had one of the highest profile album launches of 2013 with ARTPOP, but Lady Gaga isn’t one for hanging about. She’s heavily hinted there’s a second part of the ARTPOP project to come, and we should also see that jazz album with Tony Bennett before the end of the year.

11. Beyoncé’s Mrs Carter Tour continues

2013 was quite a year for Bey. She was everywhere, but nowhere: on tour and promoting, but not releasing any singles or albums. And then BANG: O HAI new album! Beyoncé shocked us all by releasing her fifth self-titled album without warning. Now that tour she announced for 2014 kinda makes sense. It’s the first time we’ll see the new album’s bass-heavy cuts performed live and we cannot wait.

12. Pharrell

He pretty much owned 2013, and he’s definitely giving 2014 the eye too. With his second solo album due to drop, and a Number 1 single already under his belt, we reckon Mr Williams is looking at a second consecutive year of chart domination.

13. ‘Ello Ella Eyre

She may have already tasted Number 1 success on Rudimental’s Waiting All Night, but now rising star Ella Eyre wants a piece of the solo action. She came runner-up on BBC’s Sound of 2014 poll and was nominated for the 2014 BRITs Critics’ Choice Award. We see big things in Ella’s future.

14. Katy’s Prismatic tour

Katy Perry came back fighting in 2013 with huge Number 1 single Roar and chart-topping album Prism, and now she’s taking her impressive hits on the road. The Prismatic tour kicks off in Belfast on 7 May. You’re gonna her her rooooooar (well, sing, really, but you get the general idea).

15. Arctic Monkeys concert in Finsbury Park

The Monkeys are set to play their biggest ever London shows on Spring Bank Holiday weekend in May, joined by special guests Tame Impala, Miles Kane and Royal Blood. See you at the front!

16. McBusted

We’ve shed many a tear since Busted split in 2005, but they quickly turned into tears of joy when we heard Matt and James had teamed up with McFly to form McBusted for a new tour.

17. Lily Allen

We had a brilliant taster of what it was like to have Lily Allen back in our lives at the end of 2013, when she hit Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart with her cover of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know and had a top 10 at the same time with Hard Out Here. But 2014 is where the comeback really gets going. From the sound of new single Air Balloon, which premiered on BBC Radio 1 this week, we’re in for a real treat.

18. Mariah Carey

We all need a bit of Mariah in our lives. Fresh from bagging her first ever million-selling single with All I Want For Christmas Is You, Mimi is set to unleash her new album Art Of Letting Go in 2014.

19. Rihanna returns

Did anyone notice anything a bit weird about 2013? Like, something missing? Hang on – there was no Rihanna album! But there’s always a Rihanna album! RiRi is rumoured to be all set to right that wrong and release a new album in 2014.

20. Glastonbury 2014

Arcade Fire and Lily Allen have already confirmed they’ll be storming the Glasto stage this year. There’s not a lot of other information yet, but speculating about the line-up an annual tradition and kind of makes it more exciting.

21. The Big Reunion 2014

Speaking of reunions, as indeed we just were, get ready for some appointment-to-view telly as ITV2’s The Big Reunion returns for a second series. Eternal! A1! Damage! Eternal! (Yes, you said that one – Repetitions Ed) And Dane Bowers and Gareth Gates in a manband with Kavana and Kenzie and the old Nick Tilsley from Corrie! Our eyes will be glued to our screens. Eternal!

What music moment are you most excited about for 2014?