🎶 "Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall. For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all! 🎶
That's what it feels like to finally be in the last days of 2020. What should have been a year of rebirth for us all turned more into a year of panic but also reflection for those privileged to have the opportunity. And as I look back over the year, I pour one out for what could have been one of the danciest years of our lives. Not only did Pop and Hip-Hop make big waves this year, but Disco returned and was - dare I say - accepted again now that straight white men aren't actively trying to put down queerness and carefree living. As a reward, Rock crawled out of it's early grave and graced us with its presence as well!
Trapped in my home, I listened to well over 110 albums, EPs, and mixtapes. Let's not even mention all the singles and random tracks I had on rotation. I may have truly been in my musical bag this year. And there's been quite the selection. While the top 5-7 albums of the year were fairly clear to me early on, there were many B+ through B- albums that tripped me up. My shortlist by late Autumn consisted of 50+ albums. Eventually I shortened it down to 38 and now to a final 20. As always, I did so with the help of my handy criteria:
- Does the album have a thesis and support it?
- How much does the album knock?
- Does this album speak to me/the masses?
- How many tracks standout vs fade into the background?
- How does the album stack up against its genre peers?
- Does it help me forget about quarantine?
Even with my ever heightened listening radar, there are still albums I didn't make time for, pay enough attention to, or know of their existence. Keep the discourse going and let me know what some of your favorite albums were this year. Trading music is my love language after all (one of em at least). As always, I start by offering you the albums that almost made the cut so I can craftily extend my list.
Honorable Mentions
30) Disclosure's Energy (Dance/House)
29) Jessie Ware's What's Your Pleasure? (Alternative/Disco)
28) Oliver Tree's Ugly is Beautiful (Rock/Pop)
27) Phantogram's Ceremony Alternative/Rock)
26) Thundercat's It Is What It Is (Psychedelic/Soul)
25) Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon III (Rap/Hip-Hop)
24) Duckwrth's SuperGood (R&B/Pop)
23) Dirty Projectors' 5EPs (Alternative/Indie Rock)
22) Kali Uchis' Sin Miedo (R&B/Pop)
21) Lianne La Havas' Self Titled (R&B/Soul)
*~if a song has a hyperlink, it leads to a music video~*
20) Megan Thee Stallion's Good News
Release Date: November 20
Runtime: 49:50
Release Date: November 20
Runtime: 49:50
Tracks: 17
Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B
Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B
It's hard to say if Megan's debut album truly deserves a spot on this list. I went back and forth since Good News' release trying to determine its rank, if it was better than the albums I just placed on the Honorable Mentions bench. At the very least, I have more to say about Meg's album. She opens with a diss track to the rapper that shot her, a negro I don't care to mention by name. Using the instrumental to Biggie's "Who Shot Ya," it's clear that she's gonna stick to her rapping ass ways. In fact, Megan's production makes use of a lot of hip-hop and R&B samples, barely evolving the sound, but allowing her to rap on the track as if she was old enough to be on the original track. Because of that, this definitely feels more like a mixtape than an honest album, lacking any true theme. However throughout the album, you can tell the hottest chick in the rap game is honestly having fun, and that's what makes Good News so endearing as a rap fan. It takes me back to the 00s when rappers would boast but also celebrate life. Granted, the record does skip when we make it to "Don't Rock Me to Sleep," her possible pop crossover, but all is readjusted with the "Savage (Remix)" making the cut.
19) Perfume Genius’ Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Release Date: May 15
Runtime: 50:42
Release Date: May 15
Runtime: 50:42
Tracks: 13
Genre: Alternative, Rock, Pop
Genre: Alternative, Rock, Pop
It's no secret I have a thing for skinny, sensitive, painfully artistic, distraught, sad white boys. So obviously Perfume Genius and I have flirted for quite some time. Yet he was always just a little too abstract for me to truly understand. The appeal and draw was always there, but I could never truly say I understood him. Well, either he dumbed himself down or I finally became attuned to his methods, because his fifth album Set My Heart on Fire Immediately does just that. Perhaps his queer themes are more apparent the time around. Maybe it's his use of 80's inspired sounds and arrangements. There's a slim chance his version of Rock is just what I needed to believe in the genre again. Not to mention his tracks blend perfectly into each other. His thesis of love unrequited is pure, but perhaps a little basic. There are also some sounds that deter me whenever he goes to guttural with his guitars, yet when he's in his dreamland pocket, he wins me back over everytime.
Describe - because after the pureness of the intro track, it's a little too garbled
18) Sufjan Stevens' The Ascension
Release Date: September 25
Runtime: 80:30
Release Date: September 25
Runtime: 80:30
Tracks: 15
Genre: Alternative, Electropop, Indie Rock
Genre: Alternative, Electropop, Indie Rock
With seven prior albums tucked in his Birkenstocks, Sufjan Stevens is no stranger to haunting our frontal lobes. The longest album on this year's list, this 45 year old from Detroit still manages to stay fresh with new whispers and lullabies to distract us from our woes while shoving them promptly back in our faces. Each song is a new kaleidoscope of emotions as The Ascension's cover would suggest. Themes of isolation, uniqueness, social status, and death rule the project. While some songs come off slightly heavy-handed, other songs work well as anthems of dissension. With the length and weight of The Ascension, it is rare I have time to complete the meditation in one sitting. It's then I begin to wonder if Sufjan proposed this more as a choose your own adventure album, so that we may all climb our own paths to enlightenment since no one size fits all. Can you feel that, Mr Krabs? That's nirvana calling.
America - because a twelve minute acid trip about what a shitshow of a country this has become can be a bit too much depending on your high
17) Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ What Kinda Music
Release Date: April 24
Runtime: 45:04
Release Date: April 24
Runtime: 45:04
Tracks: 12
Genre: Funk, Jazz, Neo Jazz
It brings me great joy to feature Tom Misch on this list. After doubting his debut efforts in 2018, I feel I can rightfully justify his presence with his sophomore effort What Kinda Music. This time teaming up with jazz drummer Yussef Daves, the English duo pull us in with an eerie synth keyboard that feels like its surrounding us while listening to the album's intro and title track. From there, Daves masterfully drums along as Misch strums. Misch himself has a deep yet youthful voice that compels you as he wails. When he needs a break, the two provide us with jazzy interludes and breaks that'll have you tapping your foot. I can only describe this album as major Nevada vibes. I've never been, and it's likely the duo hasn't been either. But What Kinda Music starts off as a melancholy night on a dusty, dark trail that eventually evolves into riding around with the roof down as the sun bakes your skin and you arrive in the big city to try you luck with whom or whatever will have you. It's a wonderful feeling.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Lift Off (feat Rocco Palladino)
I Did It For You
Skip It
Julie Mangos - because it sounds like the album notes before arriving to the big boss
16) HAIM’s Women in Music Pt III
Release Date: June 26
Runtime: 51:39
Release Date: June 26
Runtime: 51:39
Tracks: 16
Genre: Rock, Alternative, Indie Pop
Genre: Rock, Alternative, Indie Pop
From the jazz saxophone intro through to the "bonus tracks" that preceded the album to promote it, Women in Music Pt III is a month of sunny to overcast weather over California. This isn't to say the album is one note, but if you know the vibes, you know the fucking vibes. With this being the HAIM sisters' third album, they're no stranger to walking through empty parking lots and deserts set to their music. They know their formula and they execute it well. Danielle leads the vocals flawlessly as her sisters accompany her. But when they stray from pure Rock sounds and experiment more with pop and alternative R&B sounds, their imaginations come a live. Those songs excited me so much that some other parts of the album fell flat. However, HAIM manages to create an impressive collection of work that can drag you out of bed and force you on your way out the door (or eight weary feet to your home office) with a spring in your step.
Up From a Dream - because really who wants to wake up from a dream
15) Empress Of’s I’m Your Empress Of
Release Date: April 3
Runtime: 33:21
Runtime: 33:21
Tracks: 12
Genre: Alternative, Synth-Pop, Electronica
Light your incense, pour your wine, ingest that edible, and settle in for the chillest bath or solo dance party you've had in months. Empress Of introduces herself for the third time with this near self-titled project, and downloads us into her world with the titular intro. With short spoken word pieces from her Honduran mother about the struggle to assimilate and prosper in the States, Empress Of sings about broken relationships in a hypnotizing way, never taking more than three and a half minute intervals of your time. In fact, I'm Your Empress Of has the shortest runtime of any album on this list, garnering the title of "Best Editing." Lorely knows what she has to say, at times repeating only four lines and allowing the instrumentals to strengthen her arguments. A singer-songwriter of a different flavor, Empress Of is no stranger to dancing the pain away, and I gladly welcome her into the rotation.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
U Give It Up
Maybe This Time
Skip It
Hold Me Like Water - because it's the one track on the album she didn't write or produce herself
14) Gabriel Garzon-Montano’s Aguita
Release Date: October 2
Runtime: 42:23
Runtime: 42:23
Tracks: 10
Genre: Alternative R&B, Soul, Reggaeton
Genre: Alternative R&B, Soul, Reggaeton
Most Drake fans will recognize Gabriel's voice as the sample on the song "Jungle," but being the hipster I am, I find the original "6 8" much better. In all honesty, I didn't come across GGM until last year, but I was immediately a fan. His melodic voice has a way of slowly coming from behind to caress you like a familiar spirit, slowly lifting you off the ground as you float into your new happy place. That isn't to say his songs are all rainbows. On the contrary, it's the way he's able to sing through his pain that really draws you in. This is no different on his third album Aguita, especially on tracks like "Fields" and "Bloom." However, Mr Garzon-Montano tries something new on this record: reggaeton. Possibly feeling fully comfortable in his heritage, he let's his Spanglish fly on a decent two-fifths of the album. On first listen, it can be a bit jarring, bouncing between haunting, alternative, melodic songs and Reggaeton anthems that could be ready for the club. Yet I firmly believe Gabriel marries his two identities perfectly, making for a dynamic listening experience.
Blue Dot (feat Theo Blackmann) - because Gabriel does just fine on his own, and after the blue dot usually comes the red
13) Khruangbin’s Mordechai
Release Date: June 26
Runtime: 43:53
Runtime: 43:53
Tracks: 10
Genre: Soul, Funk, Psychedelic
Consisting of Laura Lee, Mark Spear, and Donald (DJ) Johnson, Khruangbin's a funky three piece outfit from Houston, Texas looking to shake ya up with their third effort Mordechai. Criticized in the past for simply conducting music studies on Thai and Iranian rock, the trio finally find their own voices and sound. What results is a psychedelic trip that feels like a melting Care Bears episode. Occasionally feeling vocal, the trio chants over tracks like "Connaissais de Face" and "Time (You and I)." Khruangbin easily makes your brain feel like the set to Three's Company, all very groovy but also slightly scandalious and sexy as if you were to slip into an one night stand's silk satin sheets and suddenly contemplate spending the night when you know you have that big meeting in the morning. Is it worth risking it all? You be the judge. For reasons soon to be obvious to you, I award Mordechai the title of "No Words, Just Vibes."
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Father Bird, Mother Bird
Skip It
Shida - because it's the closing credits to a movie you don't want to end
12) D Smoke’s Black Habits
Release Date: February 7
Runtime: 60:02
Release Date: February 7
Runtime: 60:02
Tracks: 16
Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop, Soul
Genre: Rap, Hip-Hop, Soul
D Smoke is a rappers' rapper. From his bars to his subject matter to his flow, this man has the talent. So it's no wonder that upon appearing on Netflix' Hustle & Flow, he won the competition. Ashamed at myself for not tuning in, I promised myself I would at least give the winner's album a chance. When I tell you Black Habits wowed me from the first listen, I fib not. With immediate comparisons to Kendrick Lamar in both flow and story telling abilities alike, D Smoke's Inglewood emits from every track on the album. However, he takes his lyrics above and beyond with his Spanish skills. That's right; he raps so fluently en Espanol it feels like an incantation. Each track on Black Habits is better than the last. With themes of family and thriving as a community at the core of this album, D Smoke is not afraid to call upon his brother SiR and various musically inclined cousins to help him deliver his message, earning this record the "Family Man of the Year" award. With his connections to TDE, D Smoke lucked out on amazing beats and stunning features from Snoop, Jill Scott, and Ari Lennox. It truly is a showstopping rap album for those truly fans of the genre.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Black Habits I (feat Jackie Gouche)
Skip It
Black Habits II - because if there's gonna be a second, I want there to be a full series
11) Rina Sawayama’s Sawayama
Release Date: April 17
Runtime: 43:39
Runtime: 43:39
Tracks: 13
Genre: Pop, Dance, Metal
Genre: Pop, Dance, Metal
Pure vocal talent. That's the first thing you'll hear on Rina Sawayama's debut album. Her sweet pop vocals are suddenly joined by jarring rock guitars and synths. You ask yourself what kinda album is this? Rina whispers in your air, "It's an experience," as the intro track triumphantly comes to a crescendo of an ending. Sawayama is an experimentation of sounds and genres, using late 90s-era pop as its basis. Elements of metal, dance, house, and R&B litter the album, showing off Rina's versatility. Some may find this confusing, but I find it delightful and exciting. She has the range and talent to show us everything she can do, from leading us to the dancefloor to the mosh pit to the bathroom mirror for a good cry. It's far too easy to name Sawayama as the "Most Adventurous Album of the Year." With topics ranging from fame, family, and identity, Rina deals with her dualing British and Japanese sides with rawness that I can only admire. She is my winner for "Best New Artist." Watch out for her.
Fuck This World (interlude) - as a protest that it didn't become a full song
10) Durand Bernarr’s Dur&
Release Date: August 28
Runtime: 47:16
Release Date: August 28
Runtime: 47:16
Tracks: 13
Genre: Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop
Genre: Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop
Durand wastes absolutely no time introducing himself and gets right to the point on "Mixxed," the intro to Dur&. He and his fans have been waiting YEARS for his true debut album. After years performing originals and covers on Youtube and touring the global singing backup for Erykah Badu (and on The Internet's albums), Durand finally comes to us fresh off an appearance on BET's The Next Big Thing. Though he didn't win the competition (somehow), the hilarious and talented singer guides us on how to deal with fuckbois, clingers, and our own emotions. The production effortlessly mixes 90s and 00s R&B stylings while updating the sound for a new generation. Durand's vocal range is vast (singing different octaves as his own backup on the album) and has been praised by the likes of Erykah and Amber Riley. One of those good raised in the church voices. Like most singers of this caliber, he truly comes alive while singing live, but he still manages to put life into each song as he adjusts to his new limelight. Listen closely to his lyrics that will have you in stitches and adding new phrases to your lexicon, like "dick so good make a nigga relocate" or "take care of them chops." Dur& very effortlessly earns the title of "Ooo, That Boy Can Saaang!" Certified house cleaning music.
Hit Single:
Stuck (feat Ari Lennox)
Standout Tracks:
Relocate
Prepared
Skip It
Passport - Because I'm never too sure when I'll find myself in a proper lounge
9) Spillage Village’s Spilligion
Release Date: September 25
Runtime: 49:45
Release Date: September 25
Runtime: 49:45
Tracks: 12
Genre: Rap, Funk, Gospel
Remember back in the day when emcees would come together like Voltron to destroy a track? Well, imagine a whole album of that. At its core, Spillage Village is made up of phenomenally slept on rappers JID and Earthgang, but the collective is rounded out by Mereba, Hollywood JB, Jurdan Bryant, Benji, and 6lack. Bursting out of the scene of Dreamville Records for their fourth joint venture, Spillage Village comes together to deliver a gospel of peace and fellowship while incorporating elements of a typical black Christian church service into their songs and interludes. Even with features from Ari Lennox, Chance the Rapper, and others, the core group still finds time to spotlight each of their members throughout Spilligion's runtime. This is a feel good album like no other, meant to enrich and uplift communities that feel looked over and left behind. JID and Earthgang did such a superb job leading this clique, it's no wonder other artists on this list tapped them for features. I think it is safe to dub Spilligion "The Blackest Album of the Year."
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
PsalmSing
Skip It
Jupiter - because even for an album about community, it's a lil too kumbaya
8) Lady Gaga’s Chromatica
Release Date: May 29
Runtime: 43:08
Tracks: 16
Release Date: May 29
Runtime: 43:08
Tracks: 16
Genre: Pop, Electronica, Disco
You know how people say they miss the Old Kanye. Well the gays missed the Old Gaga, and after trips around the sun with Tony Bennett and Bradley Cooper, our Motha Monster has returned. Up to her old tricks with a new disco spin, Lady Gaga transports us to her new planet Chromatica, where anything and everything is possible. Separated into three acts, her sixth studio album first launches us into the pop stratosphere as Gaga fights to leave Earth and return to her home planet to bring peace through dance. Act II finds our hero realizing she's the one in trouble, even being betrayed by BlackPink as the KPop group outperforms her on the standout track of the album. It's also safe to say Act II has the best pop and disco bops of the album. Finally, Act III finds Gaga hurled back into space, left forsaken but soon discovered and adored by a new group. Is this the actual plot of Chromatica? Who's to safely say. It's fun, Pop-flavored art and you can digest it however you want. After years away and finally back to form, I'm proud to award Lady Gaga the "Comeback Kid" award. May dancefloors next year honor Chromatica's impact.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Replay
Plastic Doll
Skip It
Sine from Above (feat Elton John) - because it's Elton who throttles her back into space, and it's not a pretty sight
7) Childish Gambino’s 3.15.20
Release Date: March 22
Runtime: 57:44
Runtime: 57:44
Tracks: 12
Genre: Hip-Hop, Soul, Experimental
Of all the overlooked albums this year, Gambino's fourth album 3.15.20 may rank the highest. Choosing to forgo track listings and album art, he dropped a white square and twelve tracks to the world, only naming two of them. (The album art featured above was displayed during the livestream of the album.) We begin at "0.00" in an echo chamber of reverbs and a chant calling out "we are, we are, we are." Next, a Robocop-esque version of Gambino leads us on a night ride around our new environment before Ariana Grande comes in to remind us how "Time" works. After that, we're left to explore different sounds and flows of Gambino as he raps and sings at the top of his game in a way that seems to caution us of the world over production that is at one moment haunting, eerie, and mechanical and the next bouncy, jovial, and fluid. With no clue as to what's coming next, each track is jarring and adventurous in a new way until we stumble upon a familiar song from two years ago: a very early single or an oasis in the dark hellscape Gambino has left us in? By the end of our journey, we are wary but rewarded with groovy guitar riffs identifiable as the Awaken, My Love-era. Then, in an updated Because The Internet fashion, he tells us what it was all about, a tip of what it means. 3.15.20 is a "Figure It Out" sort of an album. That is it's only crime, but perhaps it's greatest triumph.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
35.31 aka Little Foot, Big Foot
19.10 aka Haunted
Skip It
32.22 aka Chaos - because it may induce seizures for the ear sensitive, unless you like Rina's "STFU!" then you're fine
6) Gorillaz’ Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
Release Date: October 23
Runtime: 60:05
Release Date: October 23
Runtime: 60:05
Tracks: 17
Genre: Electropop, Post Punk, Hip-Hop
The Gorillaz did an odd thing this year; then again, odd is where they live. They started a webseries of sorts featuring the cast of usual suspects: 2D, Murdock, Noodle, and Russell. With the first episode dropped on January 30 of this year, a new single was released featuring an British rapper named Slowthai. It was a punk-rap anthem that got you out of your seat, headbanging along. As the months followed, a new song/video/episode premiered. It was clear they were working up to an actual release. By October, Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez was announced. In what may be one of the best rollouts in the last decade, the Gorillaz managed to excite fans new and old, calling upon names like Schoolboy Q and St Vincent and shining a spotlight on newcomers like JPEGMAFIA, Earthgang, and Octavian. The genres on the album are near limitless, and the flavor combinations varied. Somehow they managed to combine Elton John and 6lack, and the song works wonderfully. True masters of their craft, the Gorillaz' gift us this seventh album in a time of great need. Time can only tell what Season Two will have in store.
Hit Single:
Pacman (feat Schoolboy Q) Standout Tracks:
Dead Butterflies (feat Kano and Roxani Arias)
Skip It
Severed Head (feat Goldlink and Unknown Mortal Orchestra) - only because it's the hard combination to comprehend on first listen
5) Chloe x Halle’s The Ungodly Hour
Release Date: June 12
Runtime: 37:17
Tracks: 13
Genre: R&B, Soul, Pop
[Michelle Obama voice] "Hey queen(s). Girl(s), you have done it again, constantly raising the bar for us all, and doing it flawlessly. I'd say I'm surprised, but I know who you are." Chloe and Halle have returned to give us the best vocals of 2020. It really and truly is as simple as that. You like R&B, listen to this album. You miss when artists would really sing, listen to this album. You like girl groups with out the filler of LaTavia and Farrah, listen to this album. While Chloe gives you the raspy maturity of a more mellow T-Boz, Halle tickles your Disney Princess memories with her higher register. Together they are a force to be reckoned with, and on The Ungodlly Hour they deliver bop after bop until they've decided you're ready for their chiller side. The album transitions from the club to the post-game where the girls recap the events of the night and unload and unpack what they've been through. On this sophomore effort, there is no slump, only growth and maturity. Not to mention, Chloe x Halle completed a whole circuited of live performances that redefined what could be accomplished from the comfort of your backyard (or sound studio) with a little effort. Brava, ladies!
Catch Up (feat Swae Lee) - because the last thing Chloe x Halle need is help from a rappin ass mothafucka.
4) Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Release Date: April 17
Runtime: 51:54
Tracks: 13
Genre: Rock, Alternative, Baroque Pop
[Mr G from Summer Heights High voice] "Well thank god you're here. Where have you been, bitch? Where have ya bloody been?" Mostly disappeared from the public's mind since 2012 besides her cover of "Pure Imagination" used in a Chipotle ad in 2014, Ms Apple graces us with her presence, insight, and rage with her fifth album Fetch the Bolt Cutters. We're brought in first with a simple piano-led medley yearning for love before we are thrown in the middle of the complications of what that love can bring. Over the course of the album, Ms Apple and her band clap, stomp, and improvise their way into our brains with acoustic sounds that beg you to join in the jamboree. While she also deals with her relationship with other women and past sexual assault, she keeps the album light with humor. It's a wonderful balance of charm and wit that challenges listeners to look inward and face their own inner oppressors. By all accounts, this may technically be the best album of the year, but for my conditions, I'm looking for slightly more bounce this year. And so, to deal with any outrage, I rightfully declare Fetch the Bolt Cutters as 2020's "Miss Congeniality."
Cosmonauts - because I think other songs on the album are stronger
3) Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush
Release Date: February 14
Runtime: 57:27
Tracks: 12
Genre: Psychedelic Pop, Electronic, Soft Rock
On "Instant Destiny," Kevin Parker insists he's "about to do something crazy." And you know what, I'm not gonna argue with him. From the mastermind behind Tame Impala, The Slow Rush comes in faster than you would think, yet goes no where fast. This fourth album from Tame Impala almost feels like a fever dream. Have you ever had the urge to crip walk to an indie, psychedelic song before? Because there's at least three songs if not more on this album that will make you consider it. Experimenting with mixing sounds more than he has with previous efforts, KP dips his thumb in the Pop-flavored Koolaid and likes it. Sharing his new excitement, he lets his long hair flow across the album, occasionally bundling it back up for more somber tracks like "Posthumous Forgiveness." As the album pushes on, the sense that time is running out becomes more urgent, and by the final track we're hoping KP will milk every last second out of "One More Hour." So join him as he floats along the coastline; maybe you'll be lucky enough to find yourself in Australia with him, where you can dance freely. Ah, what it must feel like.
Tomorrow's Dust - only because I'm afraid you might catch something from it
2) Sam Sparro’s Boombox Eternal
Release Date: February 21
Runtime: 39:25
Tracks: 12
Genre: Dance, New Jack R&B, Pop
Few people remember Sam Sparro, so allow me to reintroduce him to you. Labeled a one-hit wonder after dropping "Black and Gold" in 2008, Sparro is back with his third album Boombox Eternal. As the name suggest, it harks back to an era when carrying around a boombox on your shoulder was the norm, when cassette tapes were the most advanced piece of listening technology we possessed. Diving into his New Jack Swing bag, Australian born Sparro delivers full chest-voiced vocals as he takes us back in time when love seemed so easy. The late 80s/90s synth sounds he borrows gave birth to my favorite single of the year: "Love Like That." Fantastic from start to finish, Sparro will have you dancing and crooning along by the time he asks us how to "Save a Life." A gay icon to me and soon to you as well, Sam Sparro deserves to be a household name. Perfectly compact at just under 40 minutes, Boombox Eternal is the perfect vibe for any long drive or moment alone in your bedroom. You'll feel like you're on the beach getaway you truly deserved this year.
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Outside the Blue
Skip It
The PPL - Who are these PPL and what do they want?
1) Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia
Release Date: March 27
Runtime: 37:17/43:23
Tracks: 11/13
Genre: Pop, Nu-Disco, Synth-Pop
I don't think people realize how much I love Dua Lipa. I admired everything about "New Rules" but I tried to write her first album off. That was a mistake, and not one I would make again for her return. Future Nostalgia is the moment. She is that pop girl, that diva, dare I say that icon. Dua Lipa made this pop-disco perfection of an album and put her whole titty in it to feed the masses. Originally overlooked because of the state of the world, Future Nostalgia was a gift. Though it deserved its time in the club - and still deserves - this album saved many people from going insane those first few months of self-isolation. As the name suggest, this record yearns for the past as well, but it brings it to current day. Imagine the Austin Powers franchise but with a witty 20-something heroine. That's what Future Nostalgia serves. Each track is a different vibe of disco modified to fit Dua's vocal range and talent, which is broad. Her voice is full and infectious. She encourages you to sing along but will always be the top female vocalist. Her views on love and lust are unique yet relatable. Even during the albums mellow moments, it keeps you moving. It is the perfect album to combat 2020 and therefore my pick for "Best Album of the Year."
Hit Single:
Standout Tracks:
Pretty Please
Good in Bed
Skip It:
Boys Will Be Boys - only because it doesn't feel discooooooooo
So many twists and turns! How exciting for you all. I hope you enjoyed my list. And if you didn't, feel free to let me know. What did I fuck up? What did I miss? I'm always interested to learn. Thank you for coming back year after year. It truly is my pleasure. Till next December, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay musically inclined.
Don't forget, you can check out my back catalog here: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.
Oh, and of course, a playlist of this year's picks can be found below.
Oh, and of course, a playlist of this year's picks can be found below.
Word.
