Beyoncé, David Bowie, U2 and D’Angelo all did it – so who’s next?

It could happen at any time. One moment, you’re sitting there, procrastinating like a pro. The next, your inbox, social-media feeds and news sources are exploding with news of a superstar album seemingly delivered out of nowhere.

Beyoncé, David Bowie, U2 and D’Angelo all did it, so it can only be a matter of time before some other household name goes “hey, surprise, here’s one we made earlier”.

I keep expecting to wake up one of these drab January mornings to find the new Frank Ocean or Kendrick Lamar albums waiting for me. Both have been working away on new music for ages – Lamar’s agent was also looking at tour dates for early 2015.

They’re not the only acts with albums expected in the next 12 months. Imagine if Adele, Emeli Sandé, Kanye West, Giorgio Moroder, Coldplay, Rihanna and Mumford and Sons all threw caution to the wind and just released their albums in the morning, with no advance huffing and puffing?

Maverick behaviour
You can see the appeal of such maverick behaviour. Why bother with a prolonged, tortured, over-protective PR and promo campaign? Instead of putting up with ugly journalists, ill-informed radio DJs and inane TV presenters, you can launch the album with a few #boom tweets and Instagram photos. Think of the eco brownie points.

As long as you already have an established fan base, you can stick the album out at a time of your choosing without paying much attention to the process of a campaign. The fans will buy and talk about the album because that’s what fans do. If the music is any good, it will attract new fans.

Given that cash is made these days in the music business from touring, branding and other ancillary activities, the album is really something of a loss leader. The radio? Sure, who listens to radio for new music any more?

But you can be sure that there are many acts who would approach the notion of an unannounced album release with a great degree of fear and dread. What would happen, they think to themselves as they wake up at 4.55am in a cold sweat, if we released a new album and no one cared? The beauty of the old, traditional model is that at least you have all the media coverage in the bag before the album arrives.

No doubt, we’ll see many more surprise albums popping up unbidden in our lives in the next while. Pop loves a meme and, take it from me, this is way better than acts going around wearing masks or acting all mysterious.

One of the many Irish albums blanked by the Choice Music Prize shortlist last week, Kormac O’Halloran’s

[  second album ]

becomes more and more impressive with each listen. It’s packed with guests such as Irvine Welsh and Speech Debelle, but the real pleasure comes from O’Halloran’s musical suss.

ETC
Quarter Block Party
The first run of a new Cork arts festival focuses on the South and North Main Streets in the city with a feast of music, theatre, discussion, art and culture from February 6th to 8th. Acts playing the event include O Emperor, Twinkranes, Women's Christmas, Cian Nugent, Jetsetter, Adult Rock, Conor Walsh, Twin Lights and many more. Info at makeshiftensemble.com