MAXWELL A heartbroken soul suffers for his art
Following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones and the Flamin' Groovies, nouveau soul man Maxwell is simply calling his upcoming album Now. "It's kind of reflective of where I'm at now," he explains. "I wanted to make an eclectic record. There's not just one kind of vibe to it. There's hard stuff, funky stuff, sex stuff, and stuff to make teenage girls cry." As for inspiration, Maxwell, 27, admits that there is a secret subtext to the disc: "Actually, a lot of it came out of a heartbreak phase--I had a real rocky romance year, so there's a bittersweet thing going on in a lot of songs. It's really about accepting life and not trying to create a perfect mirage of what a relationship should be." (April 3)
D12 A Detroit rap posse cashes in on a Shady deal
If Eminem is a modern-day corollary to A Clockwork Orange's Alex, get ready to meet his droogs: D12 (a.k.a. the Dirty Dozen, a.k.a. the Detroit 12), five Motor City guttersnipes who knew the real Slim Shady back in the day. "We grew up together, started the group together," says lead rapper Proof, 25. "Em made a pact with us that if any one of us [got successful], that individual would come back and get the group." Eminem (center), who still counts himself a member, proved as good as his word, helping his homeys get a record deal and producing much of their upcoming debut, Devil's Night. If it's possible, "our politics are a little more incorrect than Eminem's," boasts Proof (far right). "Our motto is 'We don't give a f--- about nothin' at all.'" D12's first single, "Purple Pills," is due in February. Parents, consider yourselves warned. (March)
NEW FACES LENNON
AGE 18 COMING SOON Quick, name two entities that have suffered from a deficit of hard-edged rockers. Was your first answer "women"? And was your second "Arista Records"? Both may get a shot in the arm when Lennon (nee Lennon Murphy) releases her debut album, 5:30 Saturday Morning, this summer. TOUGH ENOUGH It takes moxie to dive into the music scene using only your first name. And even more when you're named after one of history's most revered rockers. But Lennon has plenty of battle-tested mettle: Her mom died the week Arista offered Lennon a contract; and the singer-songwriter has been involved in a legal struggle to gain custody of her niece. SOUNDS LIKE? Speaking of metal, her music is more Korn than Fab: Think Alanis taking Lit class. "It has hard, grinding guitar tones," she says, "and some f---ed-up programming."
THE HEAVY WAITS
Like timid ghosts, delinquent albums by erstwhile superstars appear on release schedules, only to again vanish into the ether. This year, though, a few belated pop spirits may appear. A new Michael Jackson disc, featuring beats by R&B hitmaker Rodney Jerkins, looks probable (along with a Jackson 5 reunion disc), and Guns N' Roses will find out if America has an appetite for an older, beefier Axl Rose when the now-unrecognizable band unveils Chinese Democracy, promised for sometime in 2001. And speaking of mysterioso big-name projects, will Neil Young finally unveil the Archives box that almost arrived last fall? (Likely.) Will Bruce Springsteen reenter the studio with the E Street Band? (No comment.) Will Lauryn Hill (left) let us hear her new album--which might be the sound-track to Soul Sauce? (Somewhat likely.) Will you be reading this same list next year? (Possibly.)
