As 2017 opens before us, and the potential for so many new possibilities begin, we here at Radar wanted to highlight some of the projects we are excited about in the upcoming year. From new gaming consoles, to promising films and albums, there is a plethora of exciting projects to look forward to.

  1. “Silence” by Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film, “Silence,” has been in the works for about 25 years. The script, based on the novel of the same name by Shusaku Endo, tells the story of Portuguese missionaries who go to Japan to find a missing priest from their order. Starring an all-star cast of Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield, it looks like another brilliant addition to the director’s oeuvre. -Faraz Rizvi, Arts and Entertainment Editor

2. Gorillaz

Does this need any explanation!? Gorillaz, the multimedia project masterminded by Damon Albarn, is poised to release in 2017. This full-length LP will be the first record the band has released in over five years and so far, the group has been teasing the release with animated shorts about the background of the group members. This project, which was announced early in 2016 looks to be one of the biggest highlights of 2017 musical releases. -Faraz Rizvi, Arts and Entertainment Editor

3. Nintendo Switch

Nintendo created much buzz in 2016 with the launch of the cultural phenomenon that was Pokemon Go in the summer and the much sought after NES Classic during the holidays. But 2017 holds promise for the iconic gaming company as they get ready to launch a brand new gaming console with the Nintendo Switch, the first since 2012’s Wii U.  

Essentially, the Nintendo Switch is a home console and gaming portable hybrid that will allow you to play comfortably at home and on the go wherever and whenever you want. The system is dependent on a gaming tablet which is placed upon the Nintendo Switch Dock for a home gaming experience to hook up to your TV. Once you feel like playing on the go, all you need to do is take the tablet out of the dock and you’re ready to play anywhere you want. The idea here is that the Switch enables a proper home-console gaming experience on the go using a portable handheld, complete with gorgeous HD graphics and AAA games.

Nintendo has also unveiled a couple of games for the system including the flagship title, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” and the triple AAA title, “Skyrim.” Other games included in the mix are new and improved versions of “Mario Kart” and “Splatoon” and a brand new “Super Mario” game.

Nintendo is defining the Switch as being able to “enable unprecedented new video game play styles” and hopefully we’ll see this come true when it launches this upcoming March.

-Adrian Garcia, Contributing Writer

4. Code Orange – “Forever”

Pittsburgh hardcore band Code Orange will release their third album this month on Friday the 13th. The three singles released so far showcase the band in their rawest form, blending the aggression from their hardcore punk roots with some death metal-like instrumentation. -Julian Medranda, Contributing Writer

5. “xXx”

The action film series has been revitalized and looks goofier than ever, and Vin Diesel is still a talking rock. -Julian Medranda, Contributing Writer
6. More Young Thug

The question isn’t if we will be getting new Thugger material in 2017, but rather what will be the first project to drop? The Atlanta rapper and vocalist was wildly prolific in 2016, using the year to feature on some of the most memorable singles and drop three mixtapes — “I’m Up,” “Slime Season 3” and “JEFFERY” — each of which offered a glimpse into Thug’s seemingly ever-expanding creative headspace.

And as it appears, this was only the precipice.

Recent interactions on social media have fueled rumors of forthcoming collabs with Future, The Weeknd and Travis Scott, respectively; Thug has already teased forthcoming material with his “HIHORSE’D” tour mate 21 Savage and “Hi-Tunes,” his long-awaited follow-up to “Barter 6,” has yet to be given a release date.

In short: Thug dropping new material in ‘17 is as certain as this sentence is to end with a period. However, it is the mystery behind what sonic territory his next project will assume that makes the eventual release ever more intriguing. His final project of 2016, “JEFFERY,” equipped with reggae soundscapes, uncanny one-liners, experimental cadences and an indelible vocal aggression, stands as a dazzling enigma among Thug’s discography.

Yet despite its seity, “JEFFERY” finally felt like home for a perpetually transient artist. Thug alluded to as much in an August interview promoting its release on Travis Scott’s .wav radio show, stating, “I just want to get off the ‘Slime Season’ shit … The message is to go back to who I really am. I really am Jeffery. That’s really my swag.”
If this is indeed the space where Thug opts to settle then 2017, at the least, is marked for more genre-bending material from the self-proclaimed ATLien. Though, warning: It’s likely his mind is already elsewhere. – Myles Andrews-Duve, Editor-in-Chief

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