As Tom Petty once sang, the waiting is the hardest part. And if you've been anxiously awaiting an upcoming R&B release only to find that it keeps getting delayed and pushed back with no explanation, your Guide to R&B feels your pain. And to keep track of album delays, record deal cancellations, etc., every quarter yours truly keeps you up to speed by compiling a list of the top upcoming albums that have been delayed, pushed back or rescheduled. So if you're wondering about the (long-)delayed albums by R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Pretty Ricky, Tweet and others, check out the Winter 2008-09 list of delayed albums below.

12 Play: Fourth Quarter, R. Kelly

Kellz's next album was originally supposed to be 12 Play: Fourth Quarter, and was due to come out in the summer of 2008. But a few things threw that plan off track. First was the cool reaction to potential singles "Hair Braider" and "Body Body." Second was his child pornography trial in May-June of '08, which took him away from promoting the album. Then, in July 2008, before it even had an official release date, the entire album was leaked to the Internet. Kelly's due to release a new album in '09 but the question that remains is will it be 12 Play: Fourth Quarter with different songs from the ones that leaked, or will it be an entirely new album with a different title?

New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh), Erykah Badu

Ms. Badu's fisth studio album, which is the sequel to her February 2008 release, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) was originally due to drop in the third or fourth quarter of 2008. Now, according to Motown Records, Return of the Ankh, is scheduled for a Feb. 17, 2009 release.

Signature, Joe Thomas

Joe's second album for Kedar Entertainment was originally slated to drop on Feb. 10, 2009, just in time for Valentine's Day. But the album, which is all love ballads, has now been pushed back to June 2009.

Fantasy Ride, Ciara

Fantasy Ride, Ciara's third studio album, which was supposed to be drop in January 2009, but was pushed back due to the weak response to the album's first single, "Go Girl." Right now, the album's projected to come out sometime in the spring.

Eighties Babies, Pretty Ricky

Pretty Ricky's third album, and their first without founding member Pleasure P, was originally scheduled for release Aug. 26, 2008. But after the lukewarm reaction to the album's first single, "Cuddle Up," plus the leaking of some of the songs, the album was pushed back to late 2008. Currently, the album's due sometime during the first quarter of 2009.More »

In a Perfect World, Keri Hilson

The debut album by singer-songwriter Keri Hilson was originally due out in mid-2008, and the first single, "Energy," dropped in May of that year. But for unexplained reasons (rumored to be budget cuts at her label, Interscope) the album has been pushed back to Feb. 9, 2009.

Love Tweet, Tweet

Love, Tweet is the upcoming third studio album by R&B singer Tweet. It was originally due out in early 2008 on her new home record label, Jheryl Busby and Mike City's Umbrella Recordings. The album was later pushed back to December 2008, but still never came out. The latest word from Umbrella Recordings is that the album will drop in March 2009.

Liberation AND Sugar & Spice, Mya

Liberation, Mya's fourth studio album, was tied up in legal and label problems during most of the about three years she was recording it. Eventually, Liberation was released in October 2007 - but only in Japan, and only as a digital download. In 2008, Mya left Motown Records and signed with a Japanese label - Manhattan Records. Her fifth album, Sugar & Spice was released in Japan on Dec. 3, 2008. No word yet on if the album might be released in the U.S. or worldwide.

Chapter 4: Labor Pains, Syleena Johnson

Syleena's fourth album was doue out in the third quarter of 2008, but is now set to come out Jan. 13, 2009 on Syleena's own label, Aneelys Records.
Official Tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Labor Pains
3. Where's the Love
4. Freedom
5. Is It Because I'm Black
6. Be Me
7. Interlude: Redstorm's Domestic Lesson
8. You Let Me Down
9. Shoo Fly
10 Maury Povich
11 It Is True
12 Your Love
13 My First
14 Personal Trainer
15 Go Home
16 Go
17 Outro

One Chance, One Chance

One Chance, a four-man vocal group who are proteges of Usher, released their first single, "Look at Her," back in July 2006, then promptly dropped off the map. Originally their album was set for release in November 2006, then pushed back to July 2007, but still didn't get released. Finally, a new single, "U Can't," featuring the rapper Yung Joc, was released in April 2008, almost two years after the first track. Their upcoming debut album, which was originally called Private but is now self-titled, was pushed back to September 2008, then to the first quarter of 2009.

Love, Sex & Religion (formerly titled Ocean Drive), Johnta Austin

The debut album by singer-songwriter Johnta Austin was originally title Ocean Drive and was first set to come out in 2006. But after a long, rough road that included failed singles, label changes and industry politics, the album has been pushed back repeatedly for more than two years. As of right now, there's no confirmed release date for Love, Sex & Religion.

Live in Washington D.C., Tamia

From Wikipedia: On her 2008 Summer Soul Concert Series tour, Tamia recorded her Aug. 10, 2008 performance at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C. and the show will be released as a live album and DVD. Both were slated for release on Dec. 2 2008, but was pushed back to March 3, 2009. The album, Live in Washington D.C., will also include three new tracks.