Recess Predicts 2015

Here we are – 2015! We made it! As we move forward into the unknown of this new, exciting year, Recess sat around our crystal ball and summoned forth some predictions for what to expect in 2015. Whether the predictions have to do with the rise of television, the wealth of new movies being released, or seemingly random artist collaborations, Recess has you covered. Read on to see what our staff members think.

Contributing Staff Members: Adam Schutzman, Drew Haskins, Gary Hoffman, Josh Polikov, Katie Fernelius, Sid Gopinath

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Music

• Surprise Albums: Beyonce did it! Bjork did it! Kanye is kind of doing it! This is the year that artists flock to the idea of dropping albums without any warning. Why? Just because they can! (Sid)
• Rihanna will surprise-drop a new album: It will be a solid B+ (Drew)
• Kanye West and Paul McCartney will surprise-drop a new collaborative album: It will be a solid B-, leading many to question why Yeezus wanted to work with such an untalented young upstart (Drew)
• Return of Simple Plan: You just wait. They'll be back with that angsty teen sh*t. (Adam)
• Holographic Headliners: Run the Jewels rock Lollapalooza, appearing on stage alongside a holographic Biggie Smalls. Sun Kil Moon’s Mark Kozelek, performing at the same time with holographic Jerry Garcia, storms off stage and weeks later releases a double-album titled “Run the Jewels: You Hurt My Feelings." (Josh)
• Frank Ocean FINALLY releases his new album: After three long years of waiting, Frank Ocean finally seems like he might be on the brink of releasing a new album. He has posted teaser songs, like the snippet of a song titled “memrise” and his tribute to Aaliyah, on Tumblr, as well as given an interview to Pitchfork, but beyond these brief glimpses, his sophomore album remains mostly shrouded in secrecy. My guess is that it will not only live up to the hype, but solidify Frank Ocean’s place as one of the best working musical artists today. (Katie)
• Blink-182 and The Civil Wars announce reunion tours: One of the groups does it for the money. The other group does it because people actually want them to get back together. (Sid)

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Television

• Amazon and Netflix will dominate the TV realm: Amazon Prime's success with Transparent and Netflix's success with House of Cards and Orange is the New Black have already given the two companies credibility but with a whole new slue of shows they are bound to enter serious awards contention and become a legitimate television industry. (Adam)
• The new Netflix Marvel series (Daredevil, A.K.A. Jessica Jones) will exceed expectations: Krysten Ritter will finally outrun the memory of Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23.? (Drew)
• Arrow will get another spin-off: The Atom. (Adam)
• House of Cards premieres its third season: Kevin Spacey will continue his nefarious monologues and political climbing in the third season of Netflix’s critically acclaimed series. Now that he has become the leader of the free world, what’s left of the political ladder to climb? In true Greek tragedy form, I anticipate his fall from grace will be the next big plot movement, but who or what will be responsible for his downfall remains a mystery. (Katie)
• Aziz Ansari stars in "Rent-a-Show": With the hugely popular "Parks and Recreation" coming to a close, its only natural that they announce a spin off in the near future. I think the best characters to focus on would be Tom Haverford or Ron Swanson. Seeing as Swanson's gruff, dry delivery just wouldn't be the same without being contrasted to Leslie's chipper attitude, I would much rather see Tom Haverford and Jean-Ralphio struggle as entrepreneurs for a season or two. (Gary)
• Better Call Saul is a major hit: Breaking Bad fans will absolutely love the take on crooked attorney Jimmy McGill's transition into the infamous Saul Goodman. They'll even be willing to leave their chemistry sets behind for this one. (Adam)

Other

• Race will be at the forefront of discussion: 2014 was feminism’s year: between #YesAllWomen, #HeForShe and #BringBackOurGirls, it seemed that every few weeks, a new conversation on gender emerged, whether in regards to the Gamergate controversy, Rolling Stone’s article, or even Duke’s own Belle Knox. I predict that 2015 will be the year for activists who fight racism. Selma’s Oscar snub already drew ire from hoards of movie fans, but networks like ABC are investing in programming featuring people of color, like Scandal, Black*ish and Fresh Off the Boat. My guess is that the momentum behind political movements like #BlackLivesMatter will translate into more diverse mainstream art. (Katie)