No surprises: how unexpected album drops became the norm

Rihanna, Beyoncé, Pixies, Bowie and Radiohead all sidestepped industry traditions by dropping albums with no warning. But now we all expect the unexpected, has the trick lost its excitement?

Last week two major artists did something that would once have been a shock, but which now seems inevitable. On Thursday, after months of dripfeeding, Rihanna released her album Anti with no warning. Two days later, Beyoncé followed with an unheralded new single, Formation. Yet it’s less than 10 years since surprise releases became “a thing” for the record industry, kickstarted by an act of defiance by a huge band.