Who doesn’t like the element of surprise? Think back to the surprise drop of Beyonce’s self-titled album. It created excitement, mystique and put fans all over, no matter the artist, that we should always stay sharp.

What good are release dates now? Due to album delays, sample clearance and label issues 90% of the time they don’t stick. After the switch fans are let down because they have to wait longer, listen to reasons for delay and more.

When J.Cole was ready to drop 2014 Forest Hills Drive it was set to be a surprise release, only the be ruined by an accidental leak, but fans were excited and ready. With huge artists like Kanye West, Rihanna and Kanye West seemingly sitting on new releases everybody is waiting on one of them to “Pull a Beyonce.”

The idea of having a new collection provided by your favorite artist at any given moment not only frees up the artists from being stuck to a certain planned deadline that is viewed by all, but it may even help maximize an artist’s sales if it goes directly to iTunes, sidestepping early leaks.

So why not due away with release dates? At this point they are becoming obsolete to the overall process and the guessing game is beginning to be a little bit fun. – Shawn Grant