Sneak Peak: 2008 Album Preview

Janet Jackson - "Discipline" (Island, Feb. 26)

After a nearly 10-year stint at Virgin, Janet Jackson is starting fresh with boyfriend/Island Urban Music president Jermaine Dupri by her side.  [...]

Erykah Badu - "Nu AmErykah" (Universal Motown, Feb. 26)

Breaking a five-year hiatus, Badu is set to return with "Nu AmErykah," which she says was inspired by her two children and the direction of contemporary American culture. "The first half of the album speaks to my creative interpretation of Francis Ford Coppola's 'Koyaanisqatsi,' and the second half is more traditional," she says. [...]

Lil Wayne - "Tha Carter III" (Cash Money, February)

Widespread leaks forced the rapper to move this project from last fall to February. Wayne has collaborated with everyone from Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado to Kanye West and the Game, but it's unclear what exactly will wind up on the finished project.  [...]

Nas - "Ni**er" (The Jones Experience/Def Jam, February)

Never one to back down from a challenge, Nas is moving forward with the controversial title of this album, originally expected in December. [...]

Estelle - "Shine" (Homeschool/Atlantic, March)
The first artist inked to John Legend's label offers a fresh helping of R&B and soul on "Shine," augmented by guest turns from Kanye West, will.i.am, Cee-Lo, Wyclef Jean and Legend himself. [...]

Flight Of The Conchords -"Flight of the Conchords" (Sub Pop, April 22)
They play marginally talented singer/songwriters on their runaway hit HBO series, but Flight of the Conchords members Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie put in extensive time in the studio to perfect their Sub Pop debut. [...]

Death Cab For Cutie -TBA (Atlantic, May)
To follow its 2005 mainstream breakthrough, "Plans," Death Cab for Cutie opted to record live to analog tape with as few overdubs as possible. The outcome: "a sampling of the most uptempo, upbeat Death Cab songs as well as some of our saddest," bassist Nick Harmer says. [...]

Snoop Dogg -"Ego Trippin'" (Geffen, May)
Snoop has been tight-lipped about his latest disc, but if it's anything like first single "Sensual Seduction" and its hilarious video, he'll be in great shape for a spring hit. [...]

Mariah Carey -TBA (Island, Spring/Second Quarter)
After one of the biggest comebacks in recent R&B history with 2005's multiplatinum "The Emancipation of Mimi," the stakes are quite high for Carey's next album. [...]

Gnarls Barkley -TBA (Downtown/Atlantic, Spring/Second Quarter)
Last July, Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse played for Billboard one new song intended for the group's sophomore album. But he refused to discuss the track or even provide its name. Nearly six months later, there's not much else to report about the follow-up to 2006's acclaimed "St. Elsewhere" [...]

Usher -TBA (Jive, Spring/Second Quarter)
First expected in fourth-quarter 2007, the R&B superstar's new album is now looking like a second-quarter 2008 release, according to sources. [...]

Franz Ferdinand - TBD (Epic, summer)
"The idea of making a dirty pop record—this is what has been on our minds," Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos says of ongoing sessions in Glasgow. "It's the opposite of punk/pop, which took something that was wonderful and removed all the dirt."[...]

The Fray - TBA (Epic, summer)
The Denver group's 2005 debut, "How to Save a Life," built slowly, but after its title track scored a key placement in "Grey's Anatomy," it was off to the races. The album has now shifted more than 2.24 million copies in the United States, meaning the pressure is surely on for its follow-up. [...]

U2 - TBA (Interscope, fall)
After extensive writing sessions with longtime collaborators Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois in France and Morocco, U2 now has enough material for two new albums, according to Bono. Word is some of the songs have "trance influences" and "very hardcore guitar" playing from the Edge. [....]


Coldplay - TBA (Capitol, summer)
With guidance from producer Brian Eno, "there's experimentation and exploration" on Coldplay's fourth album.