The Fresh Prince is officially back! After a 10-year musical hiatus, Will Smith announced he was back in the studio. For those who may have forgotten, Smith dominated the charts in the ‘90s as a solo artist and as a part of a rap duo with DJ Jazzy Def. Remember “Gettin’ Jiggy With It”?
There have even been talks about Smith going on tour next year, proving it is never too late to make a musical comeback. In honor of this announcement, here are five other artists that should join Smith in making a musical comeback this year
1. Ashanti
In 2002, Ashanti was a force to be reckoned with, producing hit after hit like “Happy," “Foolish” and “Rock Wit You." She was such a success that by the time her 2002 self-titled album was released, people were dubbing her as the new princess of R&B. As the decade waged on however, Ashanti failed to stay relevant in pop culture, unlike her counterparts (Beyoncé),
Her 2014 single “Never Should Have” failed to even crack the Billboard Top 100. However, with R&B artists such as Natalie La Rose and Tinashe storming up the charts, this could be a perfect opportunity for Ashanti to return to her roots with a surprise album.
2. Sisqo
Say what you will about his 1999 hit “Thong Song," but it was one of the most successful tracks of that year, helping to establish the singer as a household name. His album "Unleash the Dragon," released that same year, would go on to sell five million copies in North America.
However, Sisqo soon disappeared from the spotlight and his follow up albums "Release the Dragon" and "Last Dragon" failed to match the success of his 1999 album. With artists like The Weeknd and Jidenna reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart this summer, maybe now is the perfect time for Sisqo to make a complete comeback.
3. JC Chasez
Chasez first came into prominence as one of the two lead singers in the multiplatinum selling boy band NSYNC. You may have heard of them. The boy band spawned many hit singles in the early 2000s including “Bye Bye Bye," “It’s Gonna Be Me” and “Pop”. However, after 2002, the group never released music together again.
Although Chasez was never quite the success as a solo artist, his debut single “Blowin' Me Up With Her Love” garnered a fair amount of airplay back when it was released in 2002. Also out of the five, Chasez arguably had the best voice (sorry Timberlake), and had the songwriting chops to back it up.
When Chasez's 2004 album "Schizophrenic" flopped on the charts, a follow up became less likely to occur. In fact, the singer has yet to release another solo album. With Justin Timeberlake taking a well-deserved break from music, 2015 is the perfect opportunity for Chasez to prove to the world once again of his talents and get the solo success he deserves.
4. Nelly Furtado
When Furtado’s 2006 album “Loose” was released, Furtado was at the top of her game. It was almost impossible to go a day in 2007 without hearing "Promiscuous" on the radio. However, by the time 2008 rolled around Furtado disappeared from the public eye, leading many to wonder, “What the heck happened to Nelly Furtado?”
To be fair, Furtado has released two albums since 2008 including a Spanish album, but both failed to duplicate the success of “Loose." As the holiday season is approaching us, this could be a great time for Furtado to maybe pull a Beyoncé or Drake and throw out a surprise album.
5. Lauryn Hill
Last but certainly not least is an artist that many kids today may not have heard of through the white noise that is Top 40 radio. The New Jersey native singer released "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1998 and the album became one of the most successful albums of all time, selling over 20 million records.
It produced the hit single “Doo Wop (That Thing)” and earned her five Grammys in 1999. However, as the 2000s approached, it seemed as though Hill dropped off the map completely. It has been 17 years since she released an album. Hill did embark on a successful acoustic tour last year, proving she still has the voice to pull off an amazing album. 2015 could be an excellent year for her to join the rest of these forgotten artists in making a return to the spotlight.
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Reach the reporter at obie.dieke@asu.edu, or on Twitter @20crowndancer14
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