2020 was a long year. Luckily there was a lot of good music released to help us all get by. And there were a few select great albums as well.
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
Every song on this album would be a hit if it was released as a single. Dua’s sound becomes more distinctive on this album – she’s added disco flourishes and is leaning heavily on the 80s dance-pop influences. These aren’t just great pop songs, they’re her songs.They sound modern, retro and at the same time futuristic. Future Nostalgia indeed.
Mac Miller – Circles
Circles is a continuation of the themes and laid back rhymes of Miller’s last album Swimming. It’s impossible not to hear this posthumous piece as Mac speaking from beyond the grave. It’s even more dour, slow tempo, and self-reflective. It’s hard not to hear this as his apology, but if you listen a little bit closer you realize it’s more hopeful than it appears at first.
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
Bridgers sound is hauntingly beautiful. Her songs have dark themes, and apocalyptic metaphors, but her lyrics always come across as honest instead of pretentious. It’s an otherworldly sound not heard since the late Elliott Smith, Chris Bell, or Nick Drake.
Run the Jewels – RTJ4
RTJ are as apologetically political, brash, and bombastic as ever on their fourth album. They also happen to be a dream team of one of the best contemporary producers and one of the best contemporary rappers. Their sound was more relevant than ever in 2020.
Selena Gomez – Rare
Something we don’t give Selena Gomez credit for is she’s never afraid of embarrassing herself in her songs. This album stretches her sound outside of her previous dance-pop. Some of these songs sound almost like Go-go songs and others have a Leslie Gore/Nancy Sinatra 1960s vibe to them. And on the best song on the album the chorus is just a series of grunts, which I don’t even think are done by Selena. She’s confident it’ll work and it does.
Taylor Swift – evermore
Taylor gave us 1-2 punch of autumnal breakup songs in 2020 with folklore and evermore. Her songwriting remains as strong as ever, but evermore is the more consistent rainy day mood album.
Honorable Mention
Car Seat Headrest- Making a Door Less Open
Eminem – Music to be Murdered By
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Hayley Williams – Petals for Armor
Hum – Inlet
Katy Perry – Smile
Ke$ha – High Road
Logic – No Pressure
Margo Price – That’s How the Rumor Get Started
Meghan Trainor – A Very Trainor Christmas
Nas – King’s Disease
Taylor Swift – folklore