Rihanna -- Unapologetic, Nov. 19

  • Rihanna's developed quite the constant CD release schedule, this being the fourth November in a row that she's released a new album. Last year's Talk That Talk spawned two top-five Billboard hits, and her first single off the new album, "Diamonds" has already made it to No. 4. The album title, Unapologetic, could refer to anything from the fact that Rihanna doesn't write any of her own songs to the fact that she's allowing Chris Brown to be on the album.

Ghostface Killah -- Twelve Reasons to Die, Nov. 20

  • Rap release dates almost always get changed, and
    there are rumors that Ghostface's new album may have been pushed back to avoid conflict with RZA's Man With The Iron Fists soundtrack. But if it comes out this year, Twelve Reasons to Die should be worth picking up, as Ghostface might be the most talented rapper of Wu Tang Clan -- and alongside the likes of Method Man, GZA and Raekwon, that's saying something. He also seems rejuvenated based on his awesome verse on Kanye's "New God Flow," even though nobody still has any idea what he's talking
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    about.

Alicia Keys -- Girl On Fire, Nov. 26

  • Alicia Keys hasn't done much high-profile work since 2009, when she released her last album and was featured on Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind." Since then, she's had a baby with Swizz Beatz (who's as annoying and less deserving of that as it gets) and she recorded Girl On Fire, which hopefully is a return to form for the exceptionally talented Keys.