In a world that was relentlessly ablaze, plagued by a global pandemic and injustice, music was a savior for many this year. People shared playlists for virtual happy hours, hosted midnight dance parties in their homes, and curated personal soundtracks to celebrate life’s highs and grieve its lows. While we often look to artists to provide a bit of light, 2020 saw them elevated, riding in on white horses, pulling us from monotony and despair. There were so many phenomenal releases, too many to list here, so this is but a small selection of records that buoyed me on a deeply meaningful level. Each record listed transcended the highly enjoyable, to reach the sublime. From the thoughts and emotions conveyed through the lyrics, to the oasis created by each sonic palette, here are my top 10 albums of 2020.
But first, the (non-exhaustive) list of honorable mentions:
THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW x Amaarae
Limbo x Aminé
Black Pumas x Black Pumas
2000AND4EVA x Bree Runway
Wasted Youth x Diana Gordon
Dreamland x Glass Animals
What’s Your Pleasure? x Jessie Ware
Peopled with Dreams x John Mark McMillan
Lianne La Havas x Lianne La Havas
Good News x Megan Thee Stallion
græ x Moses Sumney
Hurts to Laugh EP x Methyl Ethel
Punisher x Phoebe Bridgers
Look Alive EP x Shakey Graves
The Ascension x Sufjan Stevens
The Slow Rush x Tame Impala
Silver Tongue x Torres
- Ungodly Hour x Chloe x Halle – I’ve been crucified, darling/Ghosts haunt me like New Orleans/I’ve been charged with murder/Need someone to push me further
If you had no idea who Chloe and Halle Bailey were, it would be understandable if you assumed “Ungodly Hour” was a thoroughly seasoned effort. So the reality of this being their sophomore album makes the record all the more astounding. With writing that oscillates between weighty and forlorn (“Wonder What She Thinks of Me”, “Overwhelmed”), to carefree and flippant (“Do It”, “Tipsy”), the Bailey sisters have crafted a masterpiece ornamented by tight vocals, alluring harmonies, and production that burrows into your brain.
The Grammy-nominated project garnered widespread acclaim, and for good reason. Chloe x Halle are not only executive producers, but also the primary songwriters – a fact that sets them apart from many of their contemporaries (as well as those who lead the vanguard before them.) Each track speaks for itself, but it should also be noted that the sisters’ delivery of mesmerizing live performances has made them standouts when it comes to those who’ve masterfully pivoted toward all-digital eras in the age of COVID. In addition to highlighting their musical prowess, their sets at numerous high profile events have kept them as a focal point within the cultural zeitgeist. From the set designs (many of them staged on the tennis court in the backyard of the family home), to the outfits, to the instrumentation (Chloe on keys and Halle on guitar), to, most importantly, the girls’ voices, it’s abundantly clear that the duo have become performance trailblazers.
Although the album isn’t without flaw (the Mike WiLL Made-It and Swae Lee feature on “Catch Up” proves that one really can have too many cooks in the kitchen), it’s obvious that Chloe x Halle’s talent borders on the unimpeachable. It may be many things – spellbinding, ethereal, and effortless, but ungodly is far from it.
Standout Tracks: “Forgive Me”, “Busy Boy”, “Ungodly Hour”
2. SAWAYMA x Rina Sawayama – Show me the rivers, the mountains scaled/Show me who made you walk all the way here
While several high-profile pop artists found their new sound while in ages past, with many pulling influences from the disco era, Rina Sawayama reached for inspiration closer to our current timeline. The self-titled debut pulls from aesthetics that, on paper, couldn’t be further apart. The opener, “Dynasty”, sparkles with all of the goth pop grandeur of an early Evanescence record, Sawayama’s voice careening over lush electric guitars as they swell in unison around her. In contrast, the breakdown on “Lucid” catches your ear like music from legendary DJs such as Kygo or Aviici. “Who’s Gonna Save U Now?” carries the weight found in some of My Chemical Romance’s more stadium-friendly hits, and even several of the early aughts’ most captivating R&B stars could’ve added “Love Me 4 Me” to their catalogs.
Even though her more recent music references are both distinct and wide-ranging, Sawayama’s final products are all her own. Lyrically, we hear her wrestle with complicated platonic relationships (“Bad Friend”), confront fetishization (“STFU!”), and commiserate with family who’ve battled intergenerational hardships (“Akasaka Sad”). And while the production stylings may vary throughout, the stellar vocals are unwavering. Existing somewhere between Christina Aguilera and Hikaru Utada, Sawayama has managed to blend a diverse array of sonic aesthetics in a way that taps into the resurgence of Y2K enthusiasts among Millennials and Gen Zers, and reformulate them for these new audiences. (When’s the last time you heard someone who was just as much Fall Out Boy as they are Britney Spears?) Equally ambitious and challenging, Sawayama’s work has proven that, if nothing else, she has a finger on the pulse, and an ear with perfect pitch, listening to the past as she plots the future.
Standout Tracks: “Dynasty”, “XS”, “Chosen Family”
3. Chromatica x Lady Gaga – Keep my dolls inside diamond boxes/Save ’em til I know I’m gon’ drop this/Front I’ve built around my oasis/Paradise is in my hands
Lady Gaga rode the wave of a flourishing career renaissance with the interstellar “Chromatica”. After skirting the main pop scene for seven years (not to discredit “Joanne”, which went #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, or the raw cultural force of “Shallow”), “Chromatica” was a return to form for one of music’s most chameleonic figures. The pop artists who emerged as forces to be reckoned with in the late 2000s have now been with us for over a decade. But among the Katy Perrys, Rihannas, Keshas, and so forth, Lady Gaga has always been uniquely positioned, not just because of her more elaborate fashion choices, but because of the musical tapestries she weaves. Coming in at a tight 43 minutes, the album delivers in ways that made it obvious just how much Gaga was missed.
Whether on the star-dusted “Enigma”, or the 90s house-driven opener “Alice”, the record traverses across genres and decades that still feel authentic as a standalone release, or when considered within her larger discography. Segmented into three different suites, the dividing instrumental interludes play into the idea of Gaga pulling you along some sort of iconic space epic, each taut violin and resounding horn setting the stage for this cosmic saga. Despite a few minor stumbling blocks (“Fun Tonight”, “Free Woman”), the lyrical source material and aural landscape provide a solid foothold to rocket through this alien world. And for an artist whose features are few and far between, Ariana Grande, BLACKPINK, and Elton John are superb collaborators for the journey. Gaga’s renewed foray into her native genre is formulaic without being boring, and familiar while retaining the aspects of her artistry that make her her most interesting. Incorporating everything from Diana Ross and David Bowie samples, to elements of electronica and dance, the record is a synthesis of so many influences that she’s relied upon her entire career, and repackaging them for a new decade. Life is hard. Music can make it easier. The album’s goal and vision require no further explanation: Lady Gaga is the intergalactic dance commander and, regardless of circumstance, she commands us to dance.
Standout Tracks: “Rain On Me”, “Replay”, “Babylon”
4. Ho, why is you here? x Flo Milli – Yeah, d***s up when I step in the party/Your main dude wanna feel on my body/And if I take him, I won’t say I’m sorry/I do what I want, don’t report to nobody
To say that 2020 was the Year of Women in Rap would be an understatement. Powerhouses like Megan Thee Stallion, Rico Nasty, Chika, and countless others dropped projects that held the music world’s attention. But in this femme pantheon, none carried herself with quite the same swagger as Flo Milli. Confident, slick, and irreverent, the finesse with which she rides each beat on “Ho, why is you here?” is hypnotic. With an intonation somewhere between preppy valley girl-meets-southern belle, her explosive conveyance and biting word choice pull no punches. Braggadocious to a fault, her cockiness is backed up by skill in both writing and delivery that makes any youth-related greenness a non-factor. Building one’s lore is a foundational practice for most hip hop artists, and one that Milli is more than happy to take a crack at. On tracks like “In The Party” and “Like That B***h”, we see that her status as an icon isn’t just self-referential, but comparative as well. Her star shines bright on its own, but that much brighter when compared to her rivals. (At least, according to her.)
She may be a fresh 21, but her clarity of self, wit, and bravado seem to have freed her from many of the shackles that bind her peers who might be less sure of themselves. She takes ownership of her sexuality, is only worried about her next check, and, apparently, could easily take your man if she wanted to (although there’s a 50/50 chance as to whether or not she’ll even want him at all.) While the limited subject material might appear stagnant at times, her ability to further excavate and reinterpret her methods of storytelling makes the listening experience varied. The mixtape showcases the most flex-worthy aspects of her personhood, and carries the youthful zeal of one of our most promising rap stars. She may come across as brash, or an egomaniac, but this interpretation is moot. She knows who she is and what she’s about. Besides, unless you’re writing her a check, it makes no difference to her.
Standout Tracks – “May I”, “Pussycat Doll”, “Not Friendly”
5. Cape God x Allie X – I didn’t mean to make you unhappy/I didn’t mean to change without letting you know
With accounts that touch on everything from familial disappointments and loss of autonomy, to bodily betrayals and medical procedures, it’s hard to imagine Allie X being able to delve much further into the darkness. But less than two years after the release of her latest extended play, Super Sunset, she brought a pickaxe, and was ready to dig. In the land of Cape God, the ache for nostalgia and familiarity, a concept that weaves throughout the entire record, is palpable (“Fresh Laundry”, “Regulars”), and addictive tendencies (“Devil I Know”, “Madame X”) are on full display. There is no pageantry, no towering wigs or masks paired with colorful, voluminous performance outfits that swallowed stages in earlier eras. While there is certainly beauty in the heavily adorned, this new persona, or rather, absence of false identity, reveals the intrigue in what has been stripped bare.
Most of her earlier work was bursting with loud electronic melodies, thumping bass, and drum arrangements that hit like a head rush. No one was making music quite like Allie X. And while that’s still true, she’s ditched much of the sleek audio engineering for music that shines because of her vocality. On “Madame X” we get to see her years of classical training come to fruition, as her soliloquy cascades over a beautiful combination of strings and piano. “Rings A Bell” twinkles and shakes, X’s accompanied by a seductive bassline and a paper-thin beat, and “Regulars” is punctuated by an acoustic guitar that sweetly creeps along to vocals that move as softly as vapor. The landscape is expansive, falling dormant as fall begins to awaken, but any open spaces are filled with the sound of a soprano sweeping through the air cool as a breeze.
Super Sunset allowed us to dwell in a universe coated in sunshine, but the east coast is known for its chillier atmosphere, and that’s evident on Cape God. So much of the album thrives in darkness, and turns those moments between heartbeats into delectable morsels that are easy to swallow. Spaces are held to address grief, translating sorrow into a form of holiness. And in the church of X, all are welcome to worship.
Standout Tracks: “June Gloom”, “Super Duper Party People”, “Life of the Party”
6. evermore x Taylor Swift – I made you my temple, my mural, my sky/Now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life
Few artists have kept busier during this time of self-isolation than Taylor Swift. Fresh off the heels of August 2019’s Lover, July 2020’s folklore and and November 2020’s live Disney+ sessions, fans everywhere were shocked at the delivery of three albums in just over 15 months. Then came December 10, 2020, when Swift uploaded an Instagram post that announced the release of evermore at midnight.
In many respects, folklore allowed Swift to display the exact level of mastery that she retains over her craft. The entire album was a culmination of her skill as a writer, making room for line after line to shimmer in ways that, arguably, hadn’t happened earlier in her career – at least, not like this. So if you birth your magnum opus into the world, where do you go from there? If you’re Swift, you pivot from imbuing the mundane with magic, to celebrating magic at its most mundane. (Think of just about any non-action scene in a Miyazaki film.) Per the musician, the power of evermore is “found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales”, with the songs shifting away from the autobiographical, to writing through the lens of any number of fictional characters. Given the intricacies and grand nature of her own mythology, finding an approach in spinning tales fits seamlessly with Swift’s artistic narrative. She focuses on denied proposals, revenge killings, and love spells, and although there’s assuredly still much to directly unpack in Swift’s own life, this roundabout style of writing, a reliance upon fantastic or dramatized tales, is remarkable.
With her newest project being the release of her re-recorded masters, starting with 2008’s Fearless, we will witness the creation of four separate eras into less than two years. Still, juggling multiple workloads is old hat for her. If folklore pulled us into the outskirts of a dream world, and evermore is down the rabbit hole, then one can imagine only imagine Swift exploring Wonderland in its fullness, eyes steady, Alice incarnate.
Standout Tracks – “Champagne Problems”, “Ivy”, “Cowboy Like Me”
7. Future Nostalgia x Dua Lipa – You say my name like I have never heard before/I’m indecisive, but, this time, I know for sure/I hope I’m not the only one that feels it all/Are you falling?
For many, their earliest days in shutdown were defined by the release of Future Nostalgia. While some artists struggle to find the right formula for their second album, this appeared to be a nonissue for Dua Lipa. Sometimes, albums filled with bop after bop can feel overly manufactured or inauthentic, but there’s something to be said of Lipa’s ability to create a continuous string of hits whose cores feel both genuine and radio-friendly. She’s spent her past year pushing singles with the most widespread appeal, but for artists looking to cement their places in history, casting a wide net has been a consistently effective tactic in building a legacy. She’s found a way to reinterpret and introduce disco-infused pop to a generation who may’ve missed out on recent staples like Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, or Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor. That’s not to say that the project is flawless. It doesn’t break new ground in a way that pushes the genre or experiment in particularly interesting ways. A track like “Love Again” is swallowed up when sandwiched between more noteworthy songs, while the messaging in “Boys Will Be Boys”, albeit thematically important and timely, feels ill-fitting given the overarching themes.
Although the record may not be revolutionary when it comes to its sonic stylings or writing, if nothing else, its sheer gravitas is worth admiring. Even now, “Break My Heart” has retained its infectious nature, as “Pretty Please” provides a necessary oasis between the bangers that are Levitating and Hallucinate. Few artists, especially those this new to the scene, have managed to keep the globe so enchanted in the midst of madness. For a season, you couldn’t turn on the radio or television without hearing Lipa’s voice, and her strategic engagement is part of what’s allowed her to ride such a high. With the addition of both remix and deluxe versions of the album, as well as a livestream concert, the chapter Future Nostalgia has spent in the limelight hasn’t enabled it to simply survive the pandemic. It’s allowed it to thrive. If you find yourself in the minority of folks who haven’t given this record a spin while dancing in your bedroom, turn up the speakers, close your eyes, and sway. The disco ball will materialize if you give it enough time.
Standout Tracks – “Don’t Start Now”, “Physical”, “Break My Heart”
8. Plastic Hearts x Miley Cyrus – And I can’t see myself through the fire and smoke/And you, like a neon light/Shinin’ through a door that I can’t keep closed
Miley Cyrus’ transformations have never been understated. From the Disney days (let’s be clear, she had certified hits as Hannah Montana) to her Bangerz era (the appropriation was just… let me save the discourse for later), Cyrus is no stranger to exploring any number incarnations. However, despite cycling through experimental sounds including hip hop, R&B, and pop tinged with everything from country to the psychedelic, there’s one genre to which she’d never fully committed: rock. Towards the end of 2020, Cyrus’ live performances of The Cranberries’ “Zombie” and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” caught the attention of the internet, and rightfully so. We’ve seen Miley the teen pop star, the self-declared trap queen, but Miley the mosh pit instigator? A sight to behold. The two covers ended up on Plastic Hearts, in addition to tracks that hosted a number of icons, including Stevie Nicks and Joan Jett. Considering the fact that this record features Cyrus most clearly in her element, if this pivot manages to become a staple for her, then this acknowledgment from rock royalty is all the more fitting.
Lyrically, the album focuses largely on love in all its glory and gore, which is more than fitting, given Cyrus’ tumultuous past few years, with tracks like “Midnight Sky” and “Never Be Me” highlighting the gravity and price of romance. “Hate Me” finds the singer imagining her own funeral, while “Golden G String” audits her own envelope-pushing evolution, especially within the confines of a patriarchal system. Though the topics may vary, the conviction heard throughout is steadfast.
Still, it’s not a perfect record. Given how solid Dua Lipa’s 2020 mark was, one would imagine that the two teaming up for “Prisoner” would be a surefire hit, but the duet passes with little incident. Similarly, “Bad Karma” is on the verge of tapping into its potential, but fails to deliver in the end. Still, Plastic Hearts is an immaculate record – one of Cyrus’ strongest in years. Her longevity already speaks for itself, but if she continues down this road, there’s a chance we might see her crowned, sitting on a throne in the rock pantheon. For now, the paper tiara glitters all the same.
Standout Tracks – “Plastic Hearts”, “Gimme What I Want”, “Night Crawling (ft. Billy Idol)”
9. Neato x Henry Hall – Or is it my responsibility to maintain the life that has been given to me?/Or is it something I just got to do? I really do not know
Henry Hall took this past year to release a comedy album. Kind of. Not in a way that recounts a live standup set, or the ham-fisted attempts heard in many parodies, no, that would be too easy. Setting lyrical content aside for a moment, Neato is stunning. Humming with steady guitars, pointed percussion, and Hall’s voice, which is never more entrancing than when his bright falsetto is front and center, this debut is the manifestation of promise. Bolstered by a history of strong EPs and singles, his first LP is the culmination of his entire discography thus far. But, as beautiful as Hall’s latest offering is, it’s also very funny.
“Guy” stars Hall mid-conversation, just after causing offense. Rather than take ownership, he explains why he’s the one deserving of an apology. “I write conscientious tunes/Plus, I could never do something malicious, that’s absurd/Aren’t you impressed that I used that word?” It’s hardly tongue-in-cheek, with the singer portraying himself any number of men who refuse to admit wrongdoing, to the point of feigning indigence when reprimanded by the wronged party. (Especially when the offended is a woman.) On “Alive, Annoyed” he sings, “Baby/Under the moonlight/You are annoying me/Tonight/Baby/Keep your clothes on/Because all we’re gonna do/Is fight”, as the incendiary monologue contrasts against a melody that would be played at any classic 50’s sock hop. The humor comes naturally for Hall, which is no surprise given who his parents are, but despite the fact that he thrives on these flippant tunes, he also shows a clear pension for songwriting that reveals intense emotionality.
Although he’s prone to coloring with a pensive quality that lets you see inside his mind’s eye, rather than seeming journalistic, this level of transparency is jocular, almost like you’re in on the subtle eye roll, or sly wink across the room at some get together. This sincerity is at least part of what makes the time fly as you listen to the record. But these are stories worth sharing over and over again, each retelling holding on to its luster, or perhaps even increasing it. So put the album on repeat just one more time, and come back to the party. Hall’s got a seat waiting for you.
Standout Tracks – “13 Besties”, “Nervous Cousin”, “Not In My House”
10. Someone New x Helena Deland – And you ask me, “Dear, who’s the fairest one of all?”/But who gets to be your mirror/If I’m the nail on the wall?
The power of Someone New exists in Deland’s framing. Every sung line feels like its own microcosm, soft and meticulous. It’s not until you step back that the thread that ties the record together in a glossy universe is made apparent. On her starry eyed debut, Deland has unlocked the secret of the dream state. At any given point, she’s just seconds away from clapping to get your attention, a conductor pulling your runaway train mind from a reverie. She’s a lush with the intoxication that accompanies a virginal love; each kiss, each anxiety, each sensation so luminous that it almost hurts to look at directly. But Deland makes it awfully hard to resist staring.
In some ways, it’s almost as if she’s singing for, or perhaps as, someone else. On “Mid-Practice” she croons, “What I find worse than a love that hurts when it’s captive/Is a love that thrives on being the hunter”, but the lack of a tonal shift creates a juxtaposition that’s truly jarring. “Truth Nugget” fixates on exposing every part of your lover, while you’re laid bare as well, but it’s not clear as to whether or not the song ends on a period or a question mark. “Comfort, Edge” exhibits Deland at what is simultaneously both her most secure and most apprehensive, wrestling with the idea of a steady paramour that still manages to keep you on your toes. This ability to be almost completely removed from her own narrative is a frequent gesture throughout the work. It’s as if she’s hovering outside of her own body as she makes the observations, taking note of a woman who could be her, but isn’t… at least, not right now. Has she closed this chapter of her life, or was it never her story to begin with? The title suggests that change is eternal, and each lover grants the opportunity for a new identity of sorts, but how much does the cycle of love mandate deviation from self? The record asks more questions than it answers, leaving listeners with plenty to think about. We’ve all made adjustments for others, whether minor or major, and in that way, every single one of us has been open to transformation. And that question of willingness is at the very nexus of Someone New.
Standout Tracks – “Someone New”, “Dog”, “Mid Practice”
Under the crushing heft of 2020, there was so much lost in every arena of life, but music was a godsend in which frequent victories were found. A single release served as a way station in the midst of a raging storm, with the artist acting as lighthouse keeper. Albums stopped accompanying outings with friends and transitioned to the scores heard on solitary walks. In another universe, many tunes would’ve been regarded as club anthems, but in isolation, these choruses enlivened the discotheques in our minds instead. With vaccination rates on the rise, some version of normalcy is hovering over the horizon, and many artists, including Adele, FKA twigs, Florence + the Machine, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, MARINA, Rostam, St. Vincent, SZA, and Weyes Blood are lying in wait to fill the future with songs to celebrate a world that’s slowly getting back on its feet. The universe is full of unknowable variables, but the salvation found in art remains a much-needed constant. May it continue to buoy us in the midst of storms, tether us in times ever-changing, and hold us until we can hold each other once again.
