New year, new music: 13 albums for 2013

Here are 13 albums to look forward to in 2013:

Azealia Banks

Working title: "Broke With Expensive Taste"

Release date: Feb. 12

The leak: The brash New York rapper's first proper release after the expletive-laced underground hit "212" made her a star to fashion-magazine editors. She hopes to translate mix-tape hype into a tangible career without falling to the backlash that swallowed her West Coast counterpart Kreayshawn whole.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Working title: "Push the Sky Away"

Release date: Feb. 19

The leak: The band's first album since 2008's "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" was recorded at a 19th-century mansion in the South of France and includes the ominous first single, "We No Who U R."

Atoms for Peace

Working title: "Amok"

Release date: Feb. 26

The leak: Radiohead's Thom Yorke turns the backing band from his solo tour, featuring Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass, into a proper side project. The first single is called "Default" and sounds unsurprisingly a lot like Radiohead.

50 Cent

Working title: "Street King Immortal"

Release date: Feb. 26

The leak: The rapper hopes to reclaim his platinum status with his fifth studio release. He's got the right team for the job: Eminem and Maroon 5's Adam Levine lend a hand on the first single, "My Life," while Dr. Dre will be in the producer's seat for at least a handful of tracks.

Dido

Working title: "Girl Who Got Away"

Release date: March 5

The leak: The English singer who provided Eminem with the sizable sample for his hit "Stan" finally returns with the follow-up to 2008's "Safe Trip Home." Los Angeles R&B singer Kendrick Lamar appears on the single "Let Us Move On."

Cher

Working title: N/A

Release date: March

The leak: With Lady Gaga enlisted as a collaborator, Cher will take a break from Twitter and return to the dance floor for her 26th album -- her first since 2001's "Living Proof." The techno-leaning single "Woman's World" is out now.

The Wanted

Working title: "Third Strike"

Release date: March

The leak: Not to be outdone by archrivals One Direction, who managed to squeeze out two albums last year, the scruffy British boy band has fast-tracked the release of its third studio album, which includes the singles "Chasing the Sun" and "I Found You."

Mariah Carey

Working title: N/A

Release date: March

The leak: Her latest single, "Triumphant (Get 'Em)," fizzled, but the part-time "American Idol" judge hopes she can still reignite her music career with her 14th studio album.

Paramore

Working title: "Paramore"

Release date: April

The leak: The Tennessee mall-rock band grows up, working with Beck collaborator Justin-Meldal Johnsen on its fourth full-length album. It's not only the group's first release since 2009's "Brand New Eyes," but also the first as a trio following the departure of its co-founding drummer and guitarist.

Black Sabbath

Working title: N/A

Release date: April

The leak: Rick Rubin, the man who gave Johnny Cash a late-career save, is hoping to do the same for the comeback album from these heavy-metal titans, with Ozzy Osbourne resuming vocal duties.

Lady Gaga

Working title: "Artpop"

Release date: Spring

The leak: Rumors are swirling that it will be a double album and come paired with its own app. There's also a movie in the works with Terry Richardson, famous for his full-flash photographs of naked people. So that's good.

Natalie Maines

Working title: "Mother"

Release date: May 7

The leak: The Dixie Chicks singer leaves country in the dust on her first solo album, with rootsy Southern California singer-songwriter Ben Harper reportedly producing. The title track will most likely be the Pink Floyd cover Maines performed live several times with Harper last year.

Beyonce

Working title: N/A

Release date: TBD

The leak: Set to perform at the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show on Feb. 3, in New Orleans, Beyonce has already hit the studio with super-producers The-Dream, Kanye West and Ryan Tedder. It will most likely go down better than Madonna's "MDNA" launch.

(Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicle's pop-music critic. E-mail avaziri@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MusicSF.)