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The 9 greatest pop returns of 2017 (so far)

2017 has been a spectacular year for welcoming back some of the biggest names in the pop business. From Ed Sheeran's all-conquering return in January to Scott Mills premiering the new Pink single on his show in August, we've got a lot of familiar faces back on the scene.

Here are nine of the biggest comebacks in 2017 and how long they've kept us hanging - and there's plenty of time this year for more to come...

P!nk. Time between albums: Five years

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Scott Mills plays P!nk’s new single

P!nk's is back with her new single What About Us, and it's very very good!

TBH we should be fuming at P!nk for leaving things so long. Her last album, The Truth About Love (her sixth multi-platinum release), dropped way back in 2012 and like her previous releases was a collection of global pop hits. She dipped her toes back in the water in 2016 with her Alice Through The Looking Glass tune Just Like Fire, but a full comeback that was not.

However, things are looking up for fans of Alecia Moore and her brand of ballsy, no-nonsense pop as she's back with new single What About Us, which premiered this week on Scott Mills Radio 1 show. She announced her seventh solo album in June 2017 and after half a decade away from the pop spotlight; expectations are high for this true global superstar.

Katy Perry. Time between albums: Four years

Katy Perry left us in limbo for four years between Prism and her 2017 album Witness, but kept her profile high with a magnificent Super Bowl performance, starring in The Smurfs movie and paddle-boarding with a naked Orlando Bloom between records.

She smashed back into the charts with her comeback track Chained To The Rhythm but really caused a stir with Swish Swish, a song which appeared to touch upon her feud with Taylor Swift - something Katy herself denied, of course. She's hosting this year's MTV Video Awards, where she's also expected to pick up a load of awards AND is rumoured to be performing alongside Taylor Swift - which would be a life-changing moment for pop fans all over the world.

Watch Katy Perry perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Hull

Katy Perry - Radio 1's Big Weekend 2017 Highlights

Unforgettable moments from one of the biggest stars on the planet.

Ed Sheeran. Time between albums: Three years

And we all thought Ed Sheeran had been quite successful with his first two albums. He took three years between x and ÷ (and an extended break from social media), came back bigger than ever and took the world by storm all over again.

His single Shape Of You was the biggest selling single in the UK at the start of July (although it was facing some stiff competition from Despacito at the time) and Castle On The Hill and Galway Girl were both in the year's Top 5 best-sellers. His ÷ album, released in March, has already sold several million copies worldwide. Now that's how you make a comeback.

Watch the best bits from Ed Sheeran at Glastonbury

Ed Sheeran

Highlights of Ed Sheeran's set at Glastonbury 2017

Lorde. Time between albums: Four years

Lorde sold 5 million copies of her debut album Pure Heroine, placing her into pop's major league when she was just 16 years old.

Now a wise and mature 20 year old, Lorde returned in 2017 with her dazzling single Green Light and critically adored second album Melodrama. In fact, it was hard to find a critic who had a bad word to say about it. Her second single Perfect Places has been huge on Radio 1 this summer and she joined us at Radio 1's Big Weekend for a truly A-list performance.

Watch Lorde perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Hull

Lorde - Radio 1's Big Weekend 2017 Highlights

Beguiling doesn't come close as this New Zealand wonder bowls us over with a single note.

Lana Del Rey. Time between albums: Two years

Lana Del Rey's third album Honeymoon was an understated affair, but she made a huge return in 2017 with Lust For Life, scoring her third UK and second US No.1 album.

It also featured some of her most commercial singles since her debut, teaming up with The Weeknd for the album's title track and stirring hearts across the world with lead track Love. Lana also joined us in Hull for Big Weekend, where she made her long overdue return to UK stages, (having been absent from our shores for several years), the first in a string of rare UK live shows.

Watch Lana Del Rey perform at Radio 1's Big Weekend in Hull

Lana Del Rey - Radio 1's Big Weekend 2017 Highlights

The cinematic dream queen had us intoxicated the moment she stepped on stage.

Jay Z. Time between albums: Four years

Jay Z's place in music's premiere league is so secure we almost forgot the fact he hadn't released any new music since Magna Carta... Holy Grail in 2013. He has just been busy being Mr. Beyonce and working on Tidal for the past four years.

But he smashed back into the mainstream with his 13th studio album 4:44 and the title track from the album is currently riding high on the Radio 1 A-list with one of his most commercial tunes in years. The album was released to huge critical acclaim and gave the rapper his 11th consecutive US No.1 album.

Jay Z will be performing as part of Radio 1's Live Lounge Month in September - the best possible way to top off a perfect pop comeback.

Kesha. Time between albums: Five years

Kesha's absence from the pop mainstream is not a pleasant story but we won't dwell on that. Instead, let’s just say that her return in 2017 has been magnificent. First she gave us all the feels with lead single Praying, before follow-up single Woman (which isn't exactly radio-friendly) left us literally gagging. She's been fairly regular over the past month, with Learn To Let Go and Hymn also keeping up a remarkably high standard of pop.

Her third album Rainbow covers the story of five years of hard times and deep personal troubles and promises to be one of the year's most intimate pop records.

The Killers. Time between albums: Five years

The Killers (probably one of the biggest bands in the world) would have been back sooner if Brandon Flowers hadn't gone solo for a second time between albums four and five. We're not complaining though, his 2015 album The Desired Effect was a suitably brilliant diversion from The Killers' career.

They've always skirted on the edge of pop, but their 2017 comeback single The Man serves pure mid-90s Backstreet Boys realness, with its retro production and massive synths. They might wear black and stand near instruments, but The Killers can deliver pure pop in the exact same way as Kesha and Katy Perry.

Rita Ora. Time between albums: Five years

Good news - the second Rita Ora album is on its way.
Bad news - it has just been delayed.

Rita dropped her debut album, Ora, in 2012 and we have been waiting five long years for the sequel while she has become a worldwide star of TV, fashion and all sorts of other celebrity pursuits. Her current smash hit Your Song is an exceptional taster of her follow-up, which was originally promised to drop before the end of 2017 - but which she has now said will be released in early 2018.

However, we know she's got some belters on the new record, having premiered her new bisexual anthem Girls at Radio 1's Big Weekend earlier this summer, which features Charli XCX and Raye.

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