10 Artists With a Lot to Prove This Summer

For these stars, the stakes are as high as the temperatures.

10 Artists With A Lot to Prove This Summer - Summer fun—beaches, barbecues, block parties—is always fueled by an appropriately hot soundtrack. The following artists are looking to cash in on the season with big new albums, but the stakes are as high as the temperatures. Read on to check out the 10 musicians with the most to prove this summer. —Alex Gale  (Photos from left:  WENN.com, Theo Wargo/Getty Images, Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

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10 Artists With A Lot to Prove This Summer - Summer fun—beaches, barbecues, block parties—is always fueled by an appropriately hot soundtrack. The following artists are looking to cash in on the season with big new albums, but the stakes are as high as the temperatures. Read on to check out the 10 musicians with the most to prove this summer. —Alex Gale (Photos from left:  WENN.com, Theo Wargo/Getty Images, Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

Chris Brown - Breezy is all smiles with a mic in his hand, flossing his tatted chest and arms in a blood red V-neck.   (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

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Chris Brown - Chris Brown’s last album, Fortune, disappointed critics and fell far short of his earlier albums commercially. After reconciling with Rihanna and embarking on a renewed apology tour in the press, he’s looking to finally put the drama behind him and live up to his all-star potential with his new record, X, due July 16 . (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

J. Cole - With his new album, Born Sinner, due June 25, J. Cole is aiming to prove that his first, Cole World: The Sideline Story—which blew away expectations by debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—wasn’t a fluke. First single “Power Trip,” featuring Miguel, has yet to really catch fire, so the pressure is building. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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J. Cole - With his new album, Born Sinner, due June 25, J. Cole is aiming to prove that his first, Cole World: The Sideline Story—which blew away expectations by debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—wasn’t a fluke. First single “Power Trip,” featuring Miguel, has yet to really catch fire, so the pressure is building. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Wale - Wale’s last album, Ambition, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, put his career back on track and proved he was worthy of his new Maybach Music cred. The D.C. rapper is prepping his new album, The Gifted, due June 25, in hopes of topping the chart this time around and showing he’s one of the big dogs, not just Rick Ross’ foot soldier.   (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

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Wale - Wale’s last album, Ambition, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, put his career back on track and proved he was worthy of his new Maybach Music cred. The D.C. rapper is prepping his new album, The Gifted, due June 25, in hopes of topping the chart this time around and showing he’s one of the big dogs, not just Rick Ross’ foot soldier. (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Pusha T - Pusha T’s forthcoming album, My Name Is Name, due July 16, is his first album without No Malice, his brother and Clipse bandmate. With his G.O.O.D. Music capo Kanye West executive-producing, the expectations are sky-high.    (Photo: John Ricard / BET)

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Pusha T - Pusha T’s forthcoming album, My Name Is Name, due July 16, is his first album without No Malice, his brother and Clipse bandmate. With his G.O.O.D. Music capo Kanye West executive-producing, the expectations are sky-high.   (Photo: John Ricard / BET)

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King Bey - Beyoncé, who will hit the stage at the BET Experience on June 28, takes her Mrs. Carter tour to the LG Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (photo: WENN.com)

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Beyoncé - Beyoncé’s still-untitled new album is her first post-pregnancy, and her legions of fans—and haters—will be watching her every step (to see if she’s a lost one). And, after a flurry of amazing promotional triumphs—a Super Bowl Halftime performance, an HBO documentary, a Pepsi commercial, an H&M campaign, a world tour—anything less than a blockbuster will be seen as a letdown.  (Photo: WENN.com)

9. "Control," Big Sean feat. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica - Seven minutes of rhyming rippled through the rap world like a lyrical tsunami. Big Sean's "Control" record will go down as one of the year's biggest tracks after he leaked it and unleashed Kendrick Lamar's verse — you know the one. (Photo: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

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Big Sean - After standout verses on G.O.O.D. Music bangers “Mercy” and “Clique,” Big Sean is ready to cash in his chips with his upcoming sophomore disc, Hall of Fame. No sophomore jinx here. (Photo: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

Juicy J - With Stay Trippy, his first album in four years, due July 2, Juicy J is looking to punctuate his unlikely solo comeback and make his new Taylor Gang boss, Wiz Khalifa, proud.(Photo: John Ricard / BET)

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Juicy J - With Stay Trippy, his first album in four years, due July 2, Juicy J is looking to punctuate his unlikely solo comeback and make his new Taylor Gang boss, Wiz Khalifa, proud.(Photo: John Ricard / BET)

Ciara - Ciara is dropping her fifth album on July 2 in between a rock and a hard place: With Rihanna still ruling the radio waves and Beyonce set to drop a bomb this summer, there isn’t a whole lot of room for other female R&B acts to make mistakes. (Just ask Keri and Keyshia.)   (Photo:  Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

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Ciara - Ciara is dropping her fifth album on July 2 in between a rock and a hard place: With Rihanna still ruling the radio waves and Beyonce set to drop a bomb this summer, there isn’t a whole lot of room for other female R&B acts to make mistakes. (Just ask Keri and Keyshia.) (Photo:  Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

"Paranoid" feat. Young Cash - On this song, however, French takes it too far with the Auto-tune-crooned trap-rap that Future has all but trademarked at this point. It's straight-up derivative here; a casual listener would be forgiven for thinking that this song is actually Future's. Ironically, Young Cash, a protégé of T-Pain, the true originator of the style, sings the hook.  (Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

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French Montana - French Montana already has a track record of hits, including “Stay Schemin’” and “Pop That,” but all were boosted by high-octane verses from A-list guests. On his first album, Excuse My French, due May 21, the Bronx rapper will try to show he can stand on his own. (Photo:  Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

Eve - Eve set records and standards for female MCs with her run of early 2000s success. After she mostly disappeared from the public eye, Lip Lock, her first album in 11 years, may be her last chance at renewed relevance. (Photo:  Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)

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Eve - Eve set records and standards for female MCs with her run of early 2000s success. After she mostly disappeared from the public eye, Lip Lock, her first album in 11 years, may be her last chance at renewed relevance. (Photo:  Rachel Murray/Getty Images for NYLON)