Ok, so roughly six months ago, I made up a list of ten things that I was hoping would come to pass in the year 2009. And since 2009 is half-over, I figured that now would be a good time to revisit that list and see how much of what I wished for has come to pass.
I also figured that it would be a good way to milk three columns out of one idea. And if you think that’s lazy, wait until next week when I reach back five years and dust off something really old to revisit. Here’s a hint: it may have to do with “classic” or “skip-proof” albums.
Anyway, let’s get on with this week’s glimpse of the past, present and possibly future.
I hope Sa Ra releases an album in ‘09.
Ok, so this one did come true. What’s nutty is that in January, when I originally jotted it down, I didn’t know that they had an album on the horizon. Sadly, I haven’t picked it up yet… y’know, financial constraints, but I’ll probably have it by the end of the month.
I hope Erykah Badu follows up on New Amerykah in ‘09.
This one hasn’t happened yet. I’ll cut her some slack since she did have a kid pretty recently. Is that woman fertile or what? She’s got three kids by three different dudes—she’s like a Neo-Con’s worst nightmare or the perfect straw man for Fox News. But to be honest, I’d totally sign up to be #4. Seriously.
I hope Joe Budden finally releases his sophomore album in ‘09 (and that it sells).
Well this is tricky. Padded Room did come out, but I don’t recall it blazing up the charts, not even in this sedated sales climate. So, do I count it as a pass or a fail?
I hope that Jadakiss’ album lives up to the hype in ‘09.
It’s a good album. But it didn’t really live up to the hype. On the Interwebs people said it was “the Jadakiss album Jadakiss fans have been waiting to hear.” To my ears it sounded like every other Jadakiss album; it had some bangers and it had some songs that strived to reach an audience beyond his grasp. The end result was an album that disappointed only because it was over-hyped.
I hope that an instrumental version of Beck’s Modern Guilt leaks in ‘09.
Not yet, but I’m really, really optimistic about this. Actually, I’m just clinging to a strand of hope.
I hope Sufjan Stevens releases an album in ‘09.
Nothing yet, but I think I heard some buzz about him going back into the studio. Or I may possibly be making that up at this very moment. Still, I don’t think that it’s out of the question that Sufjan will release an album before the year is out.
I hope Martina Topley-Bird’s The Blue God gets released in the U.S. in ‘09.
I’d actually forgotten about this one. However, a quick search on Wikipedia shows that it’s yet to get a proper release in the U.S.
I hope that the White Stripes return and gloriously swipe the limelight and accolades away from the Raconteurs in ‘09.
OK, not only has this not happened yet, but Jack White has gone and formed a third band, The Dead Weather. I’m thinking that this one is looking less and less likely as the year progresses.
I hope that Wale doesn’t blow it in ‘09.
I’m sort of torn on this one. I mean, I can’t really decide if teaming up with Lady GaGa is a good look or not. It’s not like Wale sold out or anything, but I think that Lady GaGa is either near her saturation point in terms of pop culture, or at this point she’s just a passing fad to anyone not in the gay community. Either way might hurt Wale in the long run. Actually, it could hurt him in the short run; if it were an emcee that I didn’t respect, I’d look at the Seinfeld mixtape and the GaGa team up as signs that he was striving for the crossover appeal. Interesting. I’ll have to ponder this a bit longer.
I hope that Andre 3000 releases an album that showcases his talent as an emcee in ’09.
This one’s still a push. I can’t recall hearing anything about 3K releasing a new album, but that doesn’t really rule it out. Right?
And there you have my revisiting of my hopes for 2009. The year is half-over and I’m essentially able to cross four off of my list of ten—not that bad if you think about me wishing blindly. Now I really can’t wait to check back at the end of the year to see how everything panned out.
