2020: the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
Looking back at the year in music is a daunting task. Concerts made in bedrooms and listening sheshs along quarantine walks are my fondest memories of experiencing music in 2020; far from the live shows that made my 2019 so extraordinary. Before any of that starts again, we’re still going to enjoy music mostly through earphones - and the Muses have been kind, inspiration has struck, wells of energy have been tapped into. It all made for a unique year with unique releases (and their chaotic promotional cycles) and it’s a delight to go through some of my favorites. Kept it to a cool 30, counting down to reach my number 1 favorite.
30. QALF - Damso
French Hip Hop, Pop Rap, Trap
The finest French-spoken rap opus of the year came from Belgium with Damso’s September surprise release. His stone cold delivery doesn’t give away the depths he’s willing to go to lyrically, making for a disarming contrast between the message and its packaging. There’s something cathartic in the invitations to sway that pop up frequently as you dive into an album that ends with a track titled “INTRO” - barely noteworthy in a year where good and bad surprises have made a spectacle of our lives.
29. Modus Vivendi - 070 Shake
Alternative R&B, Pop Rap, Synthpop, Art Pop, Trap
070 Shake’s Modus Vivendi is a harrowing alternative R&B account of the toll relationships can have on mental health - and a particularly strong one when it comes to the alignment of its intent and its execution. G.O.O.D. has certainly made good on Kanye’s promise to contribute to the culture.
28. Fetch The Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple
Art Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Progressive Pop, Piano Rock, Jazz Pop, Cabaret
Fiona Apple coming back to Earth to drop new music on us mortals is usually a delight and this time around is no different - its DIY quality discards any expectation right out the window: really the only sure thing is that you’re going to be surprised getting in Fetch The Bolt Cutters.
27. The New Abnormal - The Strokes
Indie Rock, Post-Punk Revival, New Wave, Synthpop
The New Abnormal is fresh, painstakingly relevant while at the same time keeping intact the band’s ability to evoke the end of the party they’ve been so good at bringing up for the past two decades. Every listen is a trip down LES, 4 am, a bodega carton drink in hand and a long trip home ahead. And you decide to go walk by the East River just for the hell of it.
26. Rose in the Dark - Cleo Sol
Neo-Soul, Sophisti-Pop, Smooth Soul, Psychedelic Soul
The UK neo-soul scene is thriving thanks to artists like Cleo Sol, delivering her first solo full-length, a 38 min breath of fresh air and meandering melodies that try to capture what it means to love and to be loved.
25. JAGUAR - Victoria Monét
Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul, Dance-Pop, Funk
Victoria Monet’s take on love on the other hand is more sensual, slinky and bombastuous. It’s the inner discourse of someone owning their sexuality and fully confident of their ability to hypnotize with mesmerizing instrumentation and rich soulful R&B arrangements.
24. Room with a View - Rone
Electronic, Ambient Techno
Rone has been leading the charge of the French electronic scene away from the shimmer of the Daft Punk heritage and towards a more ambient and classically dramatic sound tailored for rich soundscapes. Room with a View is an exercise in refining the sound that made me fall in love with his early work.
23. After Hours - The Weeknd
Alternative R&B, Synthpop, Synthwave, Future Garage, Ambient Pop
The Weeknd has put together one of the most flawlessly produced albums of the year, flowing in and out of consciousness, and reminding me of a different end of the party than that suggested by The Strokes. Abel’s end of a long night is one where there is nothing left to do but go home, when we get to gear glimpses of the party itself but most of what is shared with us is its uncomfortable aftermath - the moment when your demons catch up to you and there’s nowhere to hide.
22. The Slow Rush - Tame Impala
Psychedelic Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Synthpop, Indietronica, Nu-Disco, Balearic Beat
The Slow Rush is the consolidation of the R&B direction some tracks of Currents were pulling Kevin Parker in. Admittedly it’s not as breathtaking as its predecessor, it’s an invitation to breath deeper and indulge in more soulful psychedelia for at least one more year.
21. Views of a Room - Rone
Electronic, Tech House, Ambient Techno
Views of a Room, the remix album of Room with a View, unlocks so many doors that were left ajar with the original work - really taking the vision to the next level in my opinion. What it lacks in articulation of a storyline, it makes up for in creative excursions through house and techno landscapes driven by Maceo Plex, Si Begg, Loraine James, Mathew Jonson and other big names of the electronic scene that found a way to put their powers to good use even when clubs and venues are closed
20. Ungodly Hour - Chloe x Halle
Contemporary R&B, Dance-Pop, Trap, Alternative R&B
It only took two albums for Chloe and Halle to cement a place in the pantheon of the R&B greats. Ungodly Hour is a display of incredible musical instincts, production prowess (especially from Chloe), impeccable songwriting and the confirmation of what we’d suspected from the first time we’d seen them doing Youtube covers: not one but two stars are born.
19. Apart - LÉON
Pop Soul, Indie Pop
LEON is the underdog of the brand of pop that is too grand and produced to be branded as indie despite LEON releasing her music independently, but not far-reaching and popular enough to really belong to the mainstream lane. Her new album is a polished collection of songs that deal with the aftermath of a break-up and the search of an identity when lights are out and the only face you see is the one looking back in the mirror.
18. Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa
Dance-Pop, Nu-Disco, Synthpop, Funktronica, Electropop
There isn’t really a dance pop album out this year as contagious as Dua’s. Future Nostalgia is immaculately put together with mastodons of the industry like Stuart Price and Jeff Bhasker.
17. Petals For Armor - Hayley Williams
Art Pop, Alternative Dance, Synthpop, New Wave, Art Rock, Indie Pop
Hayley Williams’ solo debut takes a page off some of the alt pop rock greats and writes anew on top. The record is an intimate account of depressive tendencies and the long road to healing.
16. New Me, Same Us - Little Dragon
Neo-Soul, Art Pop, Synthpop, Alternative R&B, Downtempo
New Me, Same Us continues Little Dragon’s streak of multi-genre voluptuous soundscape building, consolidating what made the band’s music so great in the first place.
15. S16 - Woodkid
Art Pop, Chamber Pop, Cinematic Classical, Hard Drum, Choral, Chamber Pop
Woodkid’s second album in 7 years takes his sound in darker territories, developing a sense of drama that doesn’t necessarily swell and burst like it did on The Golden Age. It’s sparse, it’s brooding, and lets us in on a new side to Yoann Lemoine - Woodkid even gets a little bit nasty on S16.
14. KiCk i - Arca
Deconstructed Club, Latin Electronic, UK Bass, Art Pop, Neoperreo, Experimental Hip Hop, Glitch Pop
Arca has become the figurehead for deconstructed club with her own brand of glitch electronics that allows her to invite Bjork, ROSALIA, Shygirl and SOPHIE on the same record. There’s order in the noise, there’s a narrative in the chaos, an affirmation of identity in an identity-less realm and a redefinition of what it means to exist. The music is intricate, complex while preserving an appeal that doesn’t let her art fall in the ‘acquired taste’ category. In fact, category is “TASTE” and that’s on periodt.
13. Set My Heart On Fire Immediately - Perfume Genius
Art Pop, Chamber Pop, Ambient Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Mike Hadreas has drawn up yet another impressive album that traces lines in the sand, trying on new hats every other track and remarkably wearing them all extremely well. Baroque pop, power ballads, alt rock, art rock… the soundscape is exceptionally rich. Just like he would on an oil painting, Mike paints over the same canvas again and again, building on each previous stroke and quickly replacing them with each new gesture.
12. Sin Miedo (Del Amor y Otros Demonios) - Kali Uchis
Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul, Reggaeton, Bolero, Latin Pop
The second album from Kali Uchis expands her soulful warmongering into Latin territories as she embraces her double cultural heritage, singing mostly in Spanish and fusing reggaeton and bolero with the soulful sound that made her debut so striking.
11. Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez - Gorillaz
Synthpop, Art Pop, Alternative Dance, Hip Hop, Neo-Psychedelia, Alternative R&B, New Wave
Not meant as a cohesive album in the traditional sense, for a virtual band known for their concept albums and an entire lore, Strange Timez is a collection of hits and collaborations that on paper seemed impossible to pull off (who had Elton John, Damon Alborn and 6LACK on the same track on their 2020 bingo card?). Gorillaz even managed to give us some of the best musical moments of the year. The record covers nearly all bases and there’s a bit of everything for everyone. It really is a great lesson in collaboration that shows that when done right - and that’s a big when - , there’s strength in numbers.
10. Women In Music Pt. III - HAIM
Indie Pop, Soft Rock, Sophisti-Pop, Indie Folk, Alt-Country
The HAIM sisters have come up with their best album yet and one of the best of the year. WIMP III is a beautifully curated piece of indie pop that highlights its instrumentation on several occasions, placing vocals on the same pedestal as any other instruments and exploring sonic directions I wouldn’t have predicted for them. And I love that for them.
9. It Was Divine - Alina Baraz
Alternative R&B, Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul, Downtempo, Trap
What is divine you ask? Alina Baraz’s vocals that’s what. She’s one of the smoothest and most sensual R&B voices out there right now, giving Sabrina Claudio a run for her money.
It Was Divine hasn’t made nearly as many waves as more high-profile R&B releases like Jessie Reyez’, Teyana Taylor’s or Kehlani’s this year. Alina’s album is incredibly well-calibrated to make for the best transportive experience possible and sticks to you long after it’s over.
8. Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers
Singer-Songwriter, Indie Folk, Indie Rock, Chamber Folk
You know I love me some Phoebe Bridgers. Punisher is more grand than its older sister Stranger in the Alps and it feels more urgent, more important, more imminent. It packages Phoebe’s idiosyncrasies perfectly - with lyrics that’ll make you laugh and cry at the same time and arrangements to die for. All in all, it’s the soundtrack of dreams and nightmares, the kind that haunt you long after you’re no longer asleep but also the ones you need to feel alive.
7. SAWAYAMA - Rina Sawayama
Dance-Pop, Contemporary R&B, Electropop, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Alternative Metal
Rina’s incredibly creative embrace of nu metal, stadium rock and Y2K diva pop in 2020 took me by surprise. Her debut LP is a triumphant piece of a quest for identity that is as complex as its mission. Props to Clarence Clarity for unifying the vision production-wise, and of course props to Rina Sawayama for carving out her own lane in the overcrowded pop space with no major label backing. This really is the kind of music I live for, long live Rina Sawayama.
6. I Disagree - Poppy
Alternative Metal, Industrial Metal, Electro-Industrial, Nu Metal, Dream Pop, Sunshine Pop
Poppy’s pop metal album is probably one of 2020’s weirdest surprises. Also one of 2020’s best surprises. Who would’ve thought a blend of sunshine pop and industrial metal would’ve worked so well? First she dared to try it. Then she went and did it. And now the world has heard it. And the world will never be the same
5. My Agenda - Dorian Electra
Bubblegum Bass, Electropop, Deconstructed Club, Pop Rap, Trap [EDM], Brostep, Industrial Rock, Hardcore [EDM]
If there’s an artist there playing with taste levels like they’re knobs on a mixing console, it’s Dorian Electra. Their disregard for what’s considered cool or lame to find the perfect sweet spot makes them one of the most exciting artists of the past few years. If you haven’t heard the album and you’re willing to give a try: expect experimentation, surprising collaborations, powerful messaging and the transcendence of what it means to cringe from brostep’s most influential representative of the year.
4. RTJ4 - Run The Jewels
Hardcore Hip Hop, Political Hip Hop, Experimental Hip Hop
2020 certainly has been pop’s year in my mind but that’s probably because that’s where my gaze and my ears fell and have fallen mostly for all my life. The list is in dire need of more hip hop and that’s all on me, I need to listen to more of it. RTJ4 is a testament to the potency of the ultra-genre and how to make socially conscious and extremely entertaining art simultaneously. I’m all ears for rap recommendations that are worth a listen if you’d like to drop any (twitter: @REDTAKES1)
3. How I’m feeling now - Charli XCX
Bubblegum Bass, Electropop, Deconstructed Club, Glitch Pop, Alternative R&B, Pop Rap
Charli made it her mission to make a whole album from scratch in 5 weeks of quarantine
and I made it mine to listen to it all year long since.It’s an exquisite follow up to her incredible 2019 Charli record, still hitting us with bangers left and right to dance the existential dread away. It’s also worth highlighting how well this album documents longing and the need for comfort and connection. If this is where mainstream pop is headed, I’m taking the bullet train to get there ‘cause I can’t wait.
2. Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas
Neo-Soul, Singer-Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, Pop Soul
The Lianne brand in a nutshell: make great music but make it effortless. Lianne’s music feels very much like the passing of time: impossible to stop, relentlessly moving forward but when you pay attention it’s slow, it takes its time, it delicately ticks on and before you know we’re 5 years later looking back at when we started paying attention wondering how it all passed so fast.The intimate inner workings of the album are the addictive nectar of the whole meal - you’ll come for the voice and you’ll stay for all of it.
1. What’s Your Pleasure - Jessie Ware
Dance-Pop, Disco, Nu-Disco, Synthpop, Synth Funk, Smooth Soul, Freestyle, Boogie, Contemporary R&B
What’s Your Pleasure is Jessie Ware’s ultimate gift to the world. This year no one has made as elegant an album that sails smoothly across an era that’s inspired so much music as of recently, coasting along New York in the 80s, the advent of neo-soul and the arrival of funky influences in UK girl band aestheticism in the early 2000s. In a way it’s Jessie’s tribute to her start on the dance scene more than ten years ago. But it’s also so much more: it’s a display of taste, of balance, of equilibrium. Honestly never in my life have I heard a 53 min record that went by so fast. The song structures forgo the pop approach without sacrificing any of its catchy appeal and there’s just so much to work with. The mirage never stops, What’s Your Pleasure really is a comforting embrace that entices you, courts you and wants you to feel safe and secure. It politely invites you to a dance and unleashes you in an empty crowd until you forget how and when you came there. All you remember is why, because you’re being constantly reminded by the pulsation of an elegant musical fabric that runs across 12 gorgeous tracks. Was it all a dream?
This wraps up my top 30 albums of the year, hoping you got something out of it. It’s been a pleasure. Have a great end of year festivities, whatever those may be!
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Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it
Twitter: @REDTAKES1
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