article: Kanye West was supposed to have an album ready for his (divisive) headline performance at Glastonbury - but the record, at first titled So Help Me God, then renamed SWISH, has failed to materialise. Fans even petitioned the White House to get it released - but hope is on the horizon. Ten days ago, the star tweeted "I'm finishing my album" He wasn't the only one dragging his sequinned heels. R&B star Frank Ocean's follow-up to the groundbreaking Channel Orange was scheduled for July, then disappeared - prompting a foul-mouthed outburst from Adele. And Rihanna held a lavish launch party for her eighth album, ANTI, in November - but has subsequently failed to produce any new music. In fact, the Bajan star is still auditioning new material, songwriter Sia told BBC Radio 2 a fortnight ago. "The other night she came over and listened to half of 25 songs I played her because she's still looking for songs for her new album," said the songwriter, who previously wrote Rihanna's number one single, Diamonds. "It was a business meeting for sure. She took four [songs], but I don't know if they'll end up [on the album]." Rihanna kicks off a world tour, ostensibly in support of ANTI, in February - but don't assume we'll get new material before the opening night. "Every album needs to be an 11 out of 10 these days because the reviews are instant," one music industry executive told BBC News. Agenda-setting releases from Kendrick Lamar, Adele and Dr Dre sent pop stars scrambling into the studio to improve their records this year - so don't expect Rihanna, Kanye or Frank to release anything until they're sure they'll make a similar impact. Less timid is David Bowie, whose 25th album â˜… (Blackstar) was directly influenced by Kendrick Lamar's expansive take on jazz, hip-hop and funk on the 11 times Grammy-nominated To Pimp A Butterfly. Assembling a crack team of nimble-fingered jazz maestros, the aim was "in many, many ways, to avoid rock and roll," producer Tony Visconti told Rolling Stone magazine. It comes out on 8 January- Bowie's 69th birthday. Travelling in the other direction is Elton John, whose Wonderful Crazy Night is a return to the rollicking rock sound of his 1970s heyday, inspired by his domestic bliss. "I wanted to do something joyous because I was so happy with my children and my husband," the star told the BBC. Also lining up new releases are Gorillaz, whose new album will be "really fast," with "a lot of energy," says Damon Albarn; and Katy Perry, who promises a new direction on her fourth album. "I can't keep topping myself because I'll just combust at some point," she told the Associated Press. Primal Scream, who headline the 6 Music Festival in February, have teased six seconds of their 11th album Chaosmosis, on YouTube; while R&B band TLC are working on a fan-funded new album - their first since 2002's 3D. Will it include another Waterfalls or No Scrubs? Who cares, when contributing to the recording costs can earn you
summary: The past year was when the planet's biggest pop stars went missing in action.