Comeback Kids

In pop music, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good comeback. Justin Timberlake is banking on this fact with the recent release of his new single, “Suit & Tie,” after six years of musical hiatus. All 10 of the artists highlighted in this spread have staged a resurgence in productivity in the past few months, or are set for such a comeback in 2013. Together, they prove that everything old is new again.

Backstreet Boys

Though the best selling boy band in history never really did leave, there’s no denying the fact that, since 2005, BSB has been sort of “incomplete.” After their fifth record, Never Gone, band mate Keith Richardson left the group. They released two albums, Unbreakable and This is Us, and even went on tour without him, but as a quartet, BSB wasn’t truly able to live up to the success of their late ’90s release Millennium. This past summer, though, the band announced on Good Morning America that not only was Richardson rejoining BSB, but that also they were all together in the studio recording their seventh album, set for release sometime this year. With only a new holiday song, “It’s Christmas Time Again,” and the hope of another “I Want It That Way” hit to cling to, fans will just have to wait to see what BSB has in store to celebrate the history of their incredible 20-year career. - A.I.

Beach Boys

When the remaining Beach Boys announced that they were reuniting in 2012 for a 50th anniversary reunion tour and a new album, it was a little too easy to be skeptical about the prospect: what were these 70-year-old men doing still pretending to be boys? But the sheer pop exuberance of their single “That’s Why God Made the Radio” was enough to dispel any cynics’ doubts. The Beach Boys’ resurgence reminds us that there may be no better harmonies in the history of pop music. Their innovative 1966 masterpiece Pet Sounds is the best example, but their wildly successful 2012 tour and latest album prove that their vocal capabilities have held up amazingly well. Suddenly the words “Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older” took on a wonderful new resonance. - S. K.

Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac has been around the block a few times. The British-American group was originally formed in 1967, and in the decades following has been held together by the steady presence of drummer Mick Fleetwood. But its most iconic member is surely Stevie Nicks, the blonde chanteuse who joined in 1974 and whose songwriting and vocal abilities elevated their 1977 LP Rumours to classic status. Mac fans can look forward to a reunion tour in 2013, beginning April 4 and spanning 34 cities across America. One of the band’s most famous songs urges, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow,” and the group’s continued longevity proves that they never have. - S.K.

Spice Girls

For those of us who grew up during the ’90s, it’s nearly impossible to think of the decade without hearing the infectious hooks of the Spice Girls bouncing around our heads. With hits like “Wannabe” and “Spice Up Your Life,” the group ruled the airwaves, and they even made a brief foray into movies with Spice World. The Girls seem to be at it again 12 years after they first broke up (and four years after a brief reunion tour). A performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics in August lit up the Twittersphere, and in December the ladies reunited again, promoting their London musical Viva Forever and appearing in a documentary about the band’s history. With such tantalizing brief appearances this past year, fans are hungry for more—perhaps 2013 will hold more surprises for Posh, Baby, Scary, Ginger, and Sporty. - S.K.

50 Cent

The name “50 Cent” is Curtis Jackson’s metaphor for what his music aims to represent: change. On the September 2007 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, Jackson rather fatefully appeared alongside rival Kanye West, the title reading “The Showdown: Who Will Be The King of Hip-hop?” Both artists released albums on the same day—West’s Graduation sold 2.2 million copies, while 50 Cent’s Curtis sold shy of 700,000. Quite ironically, 50 Cent’s career was seemingly derailed by the change he believed himself to represent. Confronted with mixed critical reception and mediocre sales in the years to follow, Jackson has declared the hip-hop industry “confusing.” He hopes to reclaim his title this February, however, with the release of Street King Immortal, his fifth studio album. With confirmed collaborations with artists such as Adam Levine, Akon, Alicia Keys, Dr. Dre and Wiz Khalifa, the album marks a possible comeback of the 37-year-old rapper, known best for his 2002 single “In Da Club.” - J.W.