Here is a roundup of 20 notable titles due to drive retail traffic in the months ahead from acts in pop, rock, country, R&B, hip-hop, Christian, Latin, jazz and classical.

EVANESCENCE — “OPEN DOOR” (WIND-UP RECORDS)

Rock act Evanescence will release the long-awaited studio follow-up to 2003’s “Fallen” on October 3. “Open Door” reunites the band with “Fallen” producer Dave Fortman, and will be preceded by the intriguingly titled first single, “Call Me When You’re Sober.” “Fallen” has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, according to the label. U.S. sales alone tally 6.5 million units.

OUTKAST — “IDLEWILD” (ARISTA RECORDS)

OutKast has long been the South’s lyrical savior, and Andre 3000 and Big Boi’s five-album history has been a steady upward climb in sales and talent. The pair countered rumors that it had broken up with the release of “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” which allowed each of them to do their own creative thing and sell 5.6 million units in the process. Andre 3000 has branched off into Hollywood, acting in “Be Cool” alongside Uma Thurman and John Travolta, and “Four Brothers.” Big Boi has launched his own Purple Ribbon label through Virgin Records. His compilation “Big Boi Presents Got Purp?: Vol. II” came out in early 2006 and featured the hit “Kryptonite.” The duo’s sixth album, “Idlewild,” is slated for release August 22, alongside the pair’s film of the same name.

BEYONCE — “‘DAY” (COLUMBIA RECORDS/SONY URBAN)

Following her multiple Grammy Award wins and multiplatinum sales for her first solo album, 2003’s “Dangerously in Love,” Beyonce returns with “B’Day,” out September 5. The set arrives September 4 internationally, the singer’s 25th birthday. First single “Deja Vu” is soaring up The Billboard Hot 100. Beyonce, who also stars in this fall’s “Dreamgirls,” co-wrote, co-produced and co-arranged all the songs on the album with an array of producers that includes Sean Garrett, Rich Harrison, Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes and Swizz Beatz. “Dangerously in Love,” which spawned a number of hits including “Crazy in Love,” has sold 4.3 million units.

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE — “FUTURESEX/LOVESOUNDS” (JIVE RECORDS)

It has been a nearly four-year wait for the follow-up to Justin Timberlake’s first solo album, 2002’s “Justified.” That set, which has sold 3.6 million units, established the former ‘N Sync lead singer as a solo force to be reckoned with. On “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” out September 12, Timberlake worked with such producers as Timbaland, Rick Rubin and Jawbreakers. Timberlake co-wrote and co-produced first single “SexyBack.”

KEITH URBAN — ALBUM TITLE PENDING (CAPITOL RECORDS

NASHVILLE)

Keith Urban’s new studio album, which is not yet titled, is due in early November, and he has hinted that it may include a duet. Media interest will be stronger than usual, given Urban’s recent marriage to actress Nicole Kidman. His last album, 2004’s “Be Here,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 3 on The Billboard 200, and has sold 3.1 million copies.

KENNY CHESNEY — “LIVE THOSE SONGS AGAIN” (BNA RECORDS)

Kenny Chesney’s new 14-track live disc, “Live Those Songs Again,” is due September 19. The songs, which include hits and rarities, were taken from recordings made at various concerts during the past five years. One of them, “On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful,” was recorded at a small concert for fans staged on a private island. Other titles include “Anything but Mine,” “Back Where I Come From” and “What I Need to Do.” Chesney’s most recent album, “The Road and the Radio,” has sold 2.4 million copies since its release in November 2005.

LUDACRIS — “RELEASE THERAPY” (DISTURBING THA PEACE/DEF JAM

SOUTH)

Chris Bridges’ acting chops (“Crash,” “Hustle & Flow”) have earned him Hollywood cred, but he has not forsaken his rap alter ego, Ludacris. The multiplatinum-seller returns in late August with “Release Therapy.” The new studio set will feature production guest stars Timbaland, Pharrell and the TrakStarz. Ludacris’ last time at bat was 2005’s “The Red Light District,” which has sold 2 million units.

YOUNG JEEZY — “THE INSPIRATION” (DEF JAM RECORDS)

Young Jeezy burst onto the hip-hop scene with last summer’s mix tape “DJ Drama and Young Jeezy: Trap or Die,” which introduced him to the world outside of his Atlanta hometown. His Def Jam debut, “Thug Motivation: Let’s Get It,” has sold 1.6 million units. It also yielded the chart-topping “Soul Survivor,” featuring Akon. Plus, Jeezy produced 2005’s summer hip-hop anthem “Go Crazy,” with the remix featuring his label president and friend Jay-Z. For “The Inspiration,” which will drop September 12, he’s opening himself up to top-shelf producers like Pharrell, Kanye West, Timbaland, Scott Storch and newbies the Runners.

STING — “SONGS FROM THE LABYRINTH” (DEUTSCHE

GRAMMOPHON/UNIVERSAL CLASSICS)

This October, Deutsche Grammophon, the famed “Yellow Label” (already a four-time home for Elvis Costello), brings Sting onboard with an album featuring music from an unlikely source: John Dowland, a composer, lutenist and singer who died in 1626. Accompanied by Bosnian lute player Edin Karamazov, Sting performs sixteen of Dowland’s Elizabethan songs, interspersed with recitations from the composer’s letters. The famed vocalist calls the project something that was “never really meant to be a record; it was a labor of love.” Despite the project’s unusual nature–or perhaps because of it — DG expects this to be one of its biggest titles this season. Sting’s previous album, “Sacred Love,” sold 1.2 million units.

AUDIOSLAVE — “REVELATIONS” (EPIC RECORDS)

“Revelations,” the third studio set from Audioslave, comes out September 5 on Epic. The band — which combines former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell with previous Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk — reunited with producer Brendan O’Brien for the album. Morello says the disc includes some of the band’s most political material to date. Its predecessor, 2005’s “Out of Exile,” debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 1.1 million units.

JANET JACKSON — “20 YEARS OLD” (VIRGIN RECORDS)

Janet Jackson teams with Nelly on “Call Me,” the first single from her ninth studio album, “20 Years Old,” due September 26. The title is a nod to the 20th anniversary of the superstar’s career breakthrough, 1986’s “Control.” Working the studio boards are boyfriend/Virgin Urban president Jermaine Dupri and longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. This is Jackson’s first album since 2004’s “Damita Jo,” which has sold 988,000 units.

DIANA KRALL — “FROM THIS MOMENT ON” (VERVE RECORDS)

On September 19, jazz vocalist/pianist Diana Krall will release “From This Moment On,” her 10th CD since launching her recording career in 1993. Produced by Krall and Tommy Lipuma and engineered by Al Schmitt, the disc features such standards as “It Could Happen to You” and the title track. Krall performs with her longstanding quartet, which includes guitarist Anthony Wilson, as well as the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. The album was recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. Krall’s last release, 2005’s “Christmas Songs,” was the best-selling holiday album of the year. Her previous non-holiday album, “The Girl in the Other Room,” debuted at No. 20 on The Billboard 200, and has sold 875,000 units.

BOB SEGER — “FACE THE PROMISE” (CAPITOL RECORDS)

Rock’n’roll never forgets, sometimes it just lies dormant. Bob Seger will release his first new studio album in 11 years when “Face the Promise” drops September 12 on Capitol, preceded by first single “Wait for Me.” Seger, who was inducted last year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has not released a studio album since 1995’s “It’s a Mystery.” It has since sold 537,000 units.

MANA — “AMAR ES COMBATIR” (WARNER MUSIC LATINA)

Following the 2003 release of three greatest-hits collections, Mexican rock group Mana returns with its first studio album in four years. “Amar Es Combatir,” out worldwide August 22, follows an aggressive promotional campaign that included national spots on the Univision network during the World Cup. First single “Labios Compartidos” was serviced to radio in July. The album also features a track with bachata star Juan Luis Guerra. Mana is widely considered to be the world’s best-known and top-selling Latin rock band, with 19 million albums sold, according to Warner. The group’s previous studio album, “Revolucion De Amor,” sold 462,000 copies in the United States.

VINCE GILL — “THESE DAYS” (MCA NASHVILLE)

Vince Gill’s next project is a 43-song, four-CD set of country, bluegrass, jazz and rock songs, due October 16. Featured guests include Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Rodney Crowell, Phil Everly, the Del McCoury Band, Emmylou Harris, John Anderson, Lee Ann Womack, LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Guy Clark, Trisha Yearwood, Michael McDonald, as well as Gill’s wife, Amy Grant, and daughter, Jenny Gill. His 2003 album, “Next Big Thing,” debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and has sold 286,000 copies.

CHRIS TOMLIN — “SEE THE MORNING” (SIXSTEPSRECORDS/SPARROW

RECORDS)

In a relatively short period of time, Texas-based singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin has gone from a well-known worship leader to the Gospel Music Assn.’s reigning artist of the year. His forthcoming disc, “See the Morning,” due September 26, is expected to be one of the Christian industry’s blockbuster releases in the fall. His last album, “Arriving,” has sold 190,000 units. The first single from his new album is “Made to Worship,” which went to radio July 14. Tomlin will support the new release with a fall tour.

MARCO ANTONIO SOLIS — ALBUM TITLE PENDING (FONOVISA)

Mexican superstar Marco Antonio Solis is one of the few artists who has successfully straddled the regional Mexican and pop genres. His last studio album, “Tu Amor O Tu Desprecio,” mixed both styles and has sold 174,000 units. But his upcoming set veers more toward pop, including strings that were recorded in London. Lush accompaniments have served Solis well on blockbuster albums like “Trozos De Mi Alma.” His upcoming set, due in the fourth quarter, will no doubt benefit from his joint U.S. tour with Marc Anthony and Laura Pausini.

AMY GRANT — “TIME AGAIN: AMY GRANT LIVE” (WORD RECORDS)

Any time Amy Grant has a release pending, it’s an event in the Christian music industry, but this record is generating particularly strong buzz. CD/DVD “Time Again: Amy Grant Live,” due September 26, will chronicle the singer/songwriter’s career. The disc is a follow-up to Grant’s “Rock of Ages … Hymns of Faith” album, which has sold 110,000 units.

YO LA TENGO — “I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU AND I WILL BEAT YOUR

ASS” (MATADOR RECORDS)

Beloved adventurous indie group Yo La Tengo returns to the expansive melange of sounds featured on its mid-’90s releases on the wackily titled “I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass,” produced by Roger Moutenot and due September 12. The group’s 2003 disc, “Summer Sun,” has sold 70,000 units.

VARIOUS ARTISTS — “SHE WAS COUNTRY WHEN COUNTRY WASN’T

COOL: A TRIBUTE ALBUM TO BARBARA MANDRELL” (BNA RECORDS)

Due in early October, “She Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool: A Tribute Album to Barbara Mandrell,” produced by Mark Bright, will feature Mandrell’s songs sung by Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, Lorrie Morgan, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Shelby Lynne and gospel great CeCe Winans.

Reuters/Billboard