BILLBOARD'S MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS/ARTISTS FOR 2012

Sales have leveled out but artists can kick-star careers with a click. It's a good time to be new. Meet 17 acts whose time is now and whose debut albums will win your ears in 2012. 2012 Album Preview: This Year's Best Bets Azealia Banks | TBA Date: TBA Twitter: @azealiabanks Genre: hip-hop After honing her skills at New York's La Guardia High School -- whose alumni include Nicki Minaj and Kelis -- 20-year-old Harlem rapper/singer Azealia Banks caught the attention of hip-hop blogs on her club-ready single "212," which hit iTunes in December. Formerly signed to XL Recordings, on Jan. 18 Banks announced she had signed to Universal Music. She is prepping her debut album for a 2012 release. In the meantime, she's issued more Internet-baiting tracks ("Liquorice," "L8R"), plotted a U.K. tour that kicks off Feb. 7 and confirmed spots at Coachella and Tokyo's Springroove Festival. Alabama Shakes | "Boys & Girls Date:April 10 Twitter: @alabamashakes Genre: independent, blues-rock Athens, Ala., blues rock quintet Alabama Shakes has built a monstrous buzz since self-releasing its self-titled debut EP in September through Bandcamp. Paste magazine recently named the band its best new artist of 2011, and the act's face-melting live shows-featuring the devastating lead vocals of frontwoman Brittany Howard-have been selling out faster and faster. The band's full-length debut, "Boys & Girls," is set to drop in early April on ATO in the United States and Rough Trade in the United Kingdom. Willow Smith | "Knees and Elbows" Date: April Twitter: @officialwillowbr /> Genre: R&B Ever since Willow Smith stormed onto the scene in 2010 with "Whip My Hair"-No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100; 1.5 million downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan-fans have been wondering what's next. Well, the 11-year-old dynamo is back with new single "Fireball" (featuring Nicki Minaj), while her Roc Nation debut album, "Knees and Elbows," is due in April, just in time for the Kids' Choice Awards (hosted by Willow's famous father, Will). The set's producers and songwriters include Tricky Stewart, the-Dream, Jim Jonsin, Warryn Campbell, Ester Dean, Andre Merritt, Red Styles and Stoopid Robots. According to Omarr Rambert, music director/A&R executive for Overbrook Entertainment, which manages Smith, "This album is like a gumbo of R&B, pop and rock. It's pretty much all the music that inspires Willow." Duck Sauce | TBA Date: TBA Twitter: @ducksaucenyc Genre: dance Duck Sauce started out as a side project: a chance for friends and fellow DJ/producers A-Trak and Armand Van Helden to indulge their love for all things "zany and absurd," according to A-Trak. In 2011, that resulted in a mere three singles: feel-good disco-house anthem "aNYway," minimal-house chant "Big Bad Wolf" and what might be the year's most surprising Grammy Award nominee (for best dance song), "Barbra Streisand." The simple track-which bleats the diva's name over a sampled disco loop-inspired a celeb-dotted video (66.3 million YouTube views thus far) and even a make-your-own microsite, which allowed users to set any similarly syllabic set of words to the same instrumental. It was enough to prompt the occasional duo to start work on a full album, set for a 2012 release. "It still sort of feels like a side project, because Armand and I both continue to do our own solo work in parallel," says A-Trak, also founder of label Fool's Gold. "Dance music's not going anywhere, and with Duck Sauce I feel like we really have our lane, our own place. Not to sound cocky, but no one's really making records like us on this level. Our approach is minimal and fun. We take pride in being outsiders and doing things our own way." Ed Sheeran | "+" Date: TBA Twitter: @edsheeran Genre: pop British artist Ed Sheeran (@edsheeran) has already made a big impression in his homeland. Signed to Asylum/Atlantic Records, the 20-year-old singer scored three top five singles in 2011 with his chart-topping debut, "+." Now Sheeran has set the United States in his sights. Live shows at New York's Mercury Lounge (Jan. 30) and Los Angeles' Hotel Cafe (Feb. 2)-booked by New York-based Paradigm-have already sold out. An appearance at South by Southwest is also scheduled. A U.S. release date for the album (on Elektra/Atlantic) is yet to be announced, but expectation for the folk-pop artist is growing. "Ed is a phenomenal talent, a unique voice and one of the biggest U.K. breakthroughs of the year," Atlantic Records U.K. chairman Max Lousada says. "His brilliant album is already attracting him a passionate global audience, and we're extremely excited about [its] U.S. campaign." Brent Anderson | TBA Date: summer Twitter: @brents2cents Genre: country Brent Anderson can recall singing in the hallway at a casino while his band played the main room because he was too young to legally be in the venue, but such obstacles didn't deter the Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville newcomer, who began writing songs when he was 10 and fronting his own band at 13. The Pascagoula, Miss., native spent the latter part of 2011 introducing country radio to his debut single, "Amy's Song," which features guest vocals by Vince Gill and Pure Prairie League's Craig Fuller. "We've been doing a lot of radio shows at clubs and bars, so we're getting in front of listeners," says Anderson, now 23, who has also been opening shows for Ronnie Dunn, Jerrod Niemann and Brad Paisley. "He's a unique songwriter and a unique singer," says Paisley, who co-wrote two songs for Anderson's debut, set to arrive this summer. "He has this really cool voice and when I heard the way he writes, I was in. I hope he has all the success in the world." J Balvin | TBA Date: TBA Twitter: @jbalvin Genre: latin For the past three years, J Balvin (real name Jose Alvaro Osorio Balvin) has permeated the airwaves of his native Colombia with self-released, danceable reggaet�n tracks boasting romantic lyrics and catchy hooks. In 2010, EMI Colombia signed Balvin to a distribution deal, leading U.S.-based Capitol Latin to sign him as an exclusive recording artist. After collecting a gold plaque in Colombia for sales of 15,000 copies of his 2009 debut, "Real," Balvin is now preparing to go global. His first international album will hit later this year, but in January Capitol Latin will drop a mixtape featuring hits and unreleased material. "What he has accomplished on his own has been unprecedented," Capitol Latin VP of marketing David Alvarado says. "We are happy to take him to the next level." Karyn Williams | "Only You" Date: May Twitter: @karynwilliams Genre: Christian In 2007, Karyn Williams left her real estate career in Orlando, Fla., and moved to Nashville. An indie effort stirred interest at Christian radio with the single "Rejoice" and paved the way for a deal with Inpop Records. "It has its roots in pop/worship," Williams says of label debut "Only You," coming in May. "I have a broad variety of musical influences that range from Amy Grant to Mariah Carey to the Judds, so there is a little bit of everything on this record." Jacob Latimore | "All of Me" Date: early 2012 Twitter: @jacoblatimore Genre: R&B Fifteen-year-old Jacob Latimore is a singer/dancer/actor who first appeared on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop charts in 2007 with viral single "Superstar" (released by Crown World/Face2Face, the track peaked at No. 84) and whose RCA debut is slated for early 2012. The Teddy Riley-produced radio version of first single "Like 'Em All" (featuring Issa) has sold 76,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and peaked at No. 55 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs last year. It was preceded last February by a version featuring Diggy Simmons that peaked in the top five at Radio Disney. Giovanna Pessi | "If Grief Could Wait" Date: Feb. 7 Genre: jazz Swiss harpist Giovanna Pessi, whose previous recordings have been with baroque and contemporary music ensembles, blends the folk music of Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake and collaborator Susanna Wallumrod with 17th-century pieces by Henry Purcell on her solo debut, "If Grief Could Wait," arriving Feb. 7 on ECM. Produced by Manfred Eicher and recorded in Lugano, Switzerland, the album uses early-music instrumentation of harp, viola da gamba and nyckelharpa to complement Wallumrod's understated vocals. Pessi met Wallumrod while recording with Wallumrod's brother Christian in 2006, which led to Pessi playing harp on Susanna's Sonata Mix Dwarf Cosmos. Eicher then asked Pessi to deliver a proposal for an ECM album, prompting a year of rehearsing before the project expanded to a quartet. Wallumrod, a Norwegian, has performed as Susanna & the Magical Orchestra since 2000. Meek Mill | TBA Date: spring Twitter: @meekmill Genre: hip-hop Maybach Music Group, Rick Ross' imprint on Warner Bros. Records, scored big in November when Wale's sophomore album, "Ambition," debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Next up for MMG is the proper debut from Meek Mill, a star on the Philadelphia mixtape scene who broke out in 2011 with "Ima Boss," the scorching street anthem that appeared on "Maybach Music Group Presents: Self Made Vol. 1" and peaked at No. 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally. Warner Bros. executive VP/head of urban music Joie Manda says that Mill has completed four songs for his still-untitled debut, which is due in the spring, and that, like "Ambition, "will be executive-produced by Ross. "You're going to get those high-energy club records, and you're also going to get a few introspective records . . . He wants to describe who he is and his story about where he comes from," Manda says, adding that Mill is planning on a headlining tour in 2012. Fun. | "Some Nights" Date: Feb. 21 Twitter: @ournameisfun Genre: pop With a baroque pop sound that recalls Queen and a youthful exuberance that's in tune with its new label, Fueled by Ramen, New York-based band Fun. is just that. Almost three years after releasing its first LP, the group will make its major-label debut when new album "Some Nights" arrives Feb. 21. The set, produced by Kanye West collaborator Jeff Bhasker -who "gave the album the shot in the arm I was hoping it would have," fun. frontman Nate Ruess says-showcases the act's growth into a band able to channel its massive sound and singalong choruses into concise tracks. "Sometimes we felt the need to go overboard," Ruess adds, "and then we realized we wanted everything to be heard." Dustin Lynch | TBA Date: TBA Twitter: @dustinlynch Genre: country Broken Bow Records newcomer Dustin Lynch honed his songwriting skills penning more than 200 songs in less than two years. The Tullahoma, Tenn., native earned the respect of Music Row's songwriting elite and his collaborators include Dallas Davidson ("Just a Kiss"), Tim Nichols ("Live Like You Were Dying") and Casey Beathard. His debut single, "Cowboys and Angels," is gaining traction at country radio and he's a savvy social media operative: He documents his travels on his radio-tour Tumblr ( dlradiotour.tumblr.com) and connects with fans through his weekly YouTube Web series, "Tuesdays on the DL." On Jan. 17, Country Weekly will launch CW on the DL, featuring a new song from Lynch and a webisode each week leading up to street date. Feed Me | TBA Date: mid-year Twitter: @feedme Genre: dance In addition to being respected drum'n'bass producer Spor, U.K.-born Jon Gooch is also feed me, a toxic green, rec�tangle-shaped cartoon monster with a fang-filled Cheshire grin who just happens to produce song-based electro-house. An animated character fronting a dance music project? Just tell Feed Me's label boss Deadmau5 that it's crazy. A full album on Mau5trap, and a headlining North American tour-heavy with visuals and effects, supports TBA-are planned for midyear. Nena Guzman | "Te Declaro La Guerra/I Declare War on You" Date: Feb. 28 Twitter: @nena_guzman1 Genre: latin Downey, Calif.-based Del Records founder Angel Del Villar discovered Mexican-born Nena Guzman last year after seeing her belt out heartfelt corridos and romantic ballads online. On Feb. 28, Del Records/Sony will release her debut, "Te Declaro La Guerra/I Declare War on You." Produced by regional Mexican music vets Giovanni Cabrera and Daniel Niebla, the project will mark the 21-year-old Guzman, who has already racked up 2 million-plus YouTube views, as one of the youngest artists in her genre to emerge with a strong fan base. For King & Country | "Crave" Date: Feb. 28 Twitter: @4kingandcountry Genre: Christian Boasting a vibrant pop/rock sound that echoes a mix of influences ranging from Coldplay and Amy Grant to Aqualung, For King & Country bows Feb. 28 with its Fervent Records debut, "Crave." Born in Sydney, siblings Joel and Luke Smallbone moved to Nashville during elementary school when their concert promoter father relocated the family. "We are opposites, but we really function well together," Joel says of the brothers' dynamic. The duo's first single, "Busted Heart (Hold On to Me)" is climbing Billboard's Christian Songs chart. Album cuts "People Change" and "Love's to Blame" have aired on the CW show "Vampire Diaries," and the song "Light It Up" was tapped for Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva." The brothers will kick off 2012 joining Skillet, Sanctus Real and other acts on the Winter Jam tour. Brad Oberhofer | TBA Date: March 15 Twitter: @oberhofermusic Genre: independent, pop Before Glassnote Records signed him last summer, one-man band Brad Oberhofer already had a sizable fan base. A former student at New York University, the Tacoma, Wash., native spent years performing in Manhattan and Brooklyn at established and DIY venues alike, and today, within many online and local indie circles, Oberhofer is already a household name. Now with Glassnote onboard, the artist has been able to fully realize what he has called a two-year-long "labor of love." The result? A sparkly pop debut, due March 15, that fits well beside works by labelmate Phoenix. As for what to expect from it, Glassnote CEO Daniel Glass suggests the tracks will be best-digested on the move. "We were driving in California recently," he says, "and we just blasted it, over and over." 2012 Album Preview: This Year's Best Bets