Hyped Up

U2 - "No Line on the Horizon"

Genre: Rock

Hello, hello - holla! U2 returns this spring, more than four and a half years after the resounding success of its last album, 2004's Grammy-winning "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." With longtime producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois both onboard again, U2's approach seems to be "if it's not broke, don't fix it." But with Bono reportedly exploring more dance influences and even hiring Will.i.am to mix some of the new tracks, "No Line on the Horizon" should deliver its share of surprises.

Release Date: March 3

Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand"

Genre: Alternative Rock

The long break between "Tonight" and Franz Ferdinand's last album, "You Could Have It So Much Better," has afforded Franz Ferdinand a bit of time to experiment - perhaps too much time. The band's singer Alex Kapranos has mentioned a broad range of influences, from reggae to dance to electronica. Oh, and the song "Kiss Me" reportedly features human bones as percussion. But the successful mix of the band's art rock sound with more eccentric, psychedelic influences on lead single "Ulysses" suggests that "Tonight" will demand our attention.

Release Date: January 27

Missy Elliott - "Block Party"

Genre: Hip-Hop

The title of Missy Elliott's new album says it all. On "Block Party," her first album since 2005's "The Cookbook," Elliott works with producers from Timbaland to Pharrell Williams to T-Pain. But while she released three platinum albums early in the decade, Elliott's most recent efforts have sputtered; two singles released in 2008, "Ching-a-Ling" and "Shake Your Pom Pom," peaked at No. 60 and No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It remains to be seen whether the hip-hop queen can regain her former glory, but the many collaborations on "Block Party" can only help her cause.

Release Date: February 10

Bruce Springsteen - "Working on a Dream"

Genre: Classic Rock

The release of two albums in less than two years seems awfully fast for Bruce Springsteen. "Working on a Dream" comes just a year and a half after its predecessor, 2007's "Magic." However, with famed producer Brendan O'Brien (AC/DC, Pearl Jam) returning to the fold, "Working on a Dream" has already received a healthy amount of buzz. Closing track "The Wrestler" was featured in the film of the same name and received a Golden Globe nomination for best original song.

Release Date: January 27

Kelly Clarkson - "All I Ever Wanted"

Genre: Pop

Kelly Clarkson. Mozart. Two names few expect to see in the same song, let alone the same context. But it happens on Clarkson's newest album, "All I Ever Wanted." The former "American Idol" winner teamed with producer Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, experimented with the sounds of popular alternative rock band Garbage, and even mixed with Mozart. Ambitious? Certainly. Can she pull it off? This spring will tell us.

Release Date: March 17

sdkaplan@syr.edu