Ron Martinez December 24, 2020 at 1:17 pm - Reply. This would be a prescient message at any time, but seems even more so in today’s uncertain climate. EH, NME said: “It’s safe to say that we’ve come to expect contradictions and curveballs from Princess Nokia.”, In a nutshell: Ambitious pop on a turbulent journey through self-discovery and self-acceptance, BTS have always proved themselves as a band with big ideas, and ‘MOTS: 7’ was no different. While that record was a poetic punk record filled with bravado, its follow-up looked inward, expelling the demons that brewed over their brutal two-year tour, interrogating the downsides of the ego. The following is a list of albums released or scheduled for release in 2020. As on 2019’s ‘Persona’, they mined Carl Jung’s psychological concepts to produce a compelling collection examining their personal flaws and façades, voyaging through an inventive spectrum that offered gems as brilliantly diverse as J-hope’s Afro-beat inspired fiesta ‘Outro: Ego’, the fiery hip-hop of ‘UGH!’ and the combative, marching band parade of ‘ON’. 3 points if the list having 25 or lower albums. A melting pot of genres and styles where complex jazz rhythms sit alongside electronica, dance, grime, rock and pop, ‘Dark Matter’ was ambitious and experimental in scope, but never lost sight of the dancefloor. Our countdown is complete, topped by a mercurial work of sprawling invention by a woman who has dug deep to survive. Here are 50 of the best, in the categorically and objectively correct order. excel at – in other words, a perfect lockdown tonic. EH, NME said: “The underlying message of Hayley Williams’ stunning solo album is this: wear your flaws like a coat of gleaming armour and find strength in being open and vulnerable. LS Read the full review. From the singsong chorus of Tomorrow to the twanging riff of John Cooper Clarke, the melodies are insistent and prodding, set to unleash a poorly coordinated army of robot dancers when indie discos reopen. Taking a step away from the glossy pop that’s been a staple of her past few records, she surprise-released an astonishing collection of indie-folk tunes that acted as a soothing balm during this strange time. [color black]COVID-19 kills in the house and outside in the garden. Mike Hadreasâs work has always dealt with heavy themes including abuse and bullying, but with the opener of his new album, he asks to be relinquished of his trauma. Saint Cloud provides no tritely optimistic spin on this state of affairs, yet still radiates a soothing, cathartic and bittersweet joy. And although Suddenly was less club-facing than Caribouâs previous albums Our Love and Swim, Snaithâs pleasure centres remained satisfyingly intact on the understated house of Never Come Back, and the filtered giddiness of Ravi. Humanity, for example, is âa room of pit ponies / Drowning forever in a sea of loveâ. AS, NME said: “On ‘weird!’ Yungblud’s never looked more dangerous, felt more inspiring or been more vital as he proves himself as one of the most important rock stars around.”, In a nutshell: The effervescent bassist pays tribute to the late Mac Miller across his most sombre offering yet, Stephen Bruner was rocked by the tragic death of rapper and friend Mac Miller in 2018 (“Bye-bye for now, I’ll keep holding it down for you,” he sang on the moving ‘Fair Chance’), and his existential fourth album saw him pare down the usual Thundercat exuberance somewhat. While the small matter of a global pandemic may have stopped them in their tracks, there’s no denying that this album helped us all to continue dancing through the darkness. BTS are the kings of the IFPIâs list of the bestselling albums of 2020 in every way possible. Meg Remy is pictured with a little kid on the cover â a symbol of hope, you might think, but then biological and natural maternal relationships turn out to be corrupted, too. My favorite on the list was Bless Your Heart. Released after his death from an accidental drug overdose, Millerâs final album showed the evolution of his artistry. On Murder Most Foul, his longest song ever â and one of his very best â heâs like Walt Whitman spilling his thoughts on a meme page for Facebook boomers: a sublime epic of conspiracy theorising, American history and rockânâroll nostalgia. COR, Key track: ‘Only You Freestyle’ feat. And after the unconvincing authenticity of her album Joanne (2016), Gaga was at her most potent, roaring about being âLUVAHS even just tonightâ, and concluding the defiant chorus of Free Woman with a tart finger-wagging âuh-uhâ. Yet this is not weary resignation: for an artist who has been in constant metamorphosis, such acceptance feels revelatory. The world's defining voice in music and pop culture since 1952. The title of Charli XCXâs lockdown album might be read as business as usual: she is, after all, our most hyper-present and reactive pop star, one obsessed with stimulation. A voracious hunger seethes through Murphyâs most club-facing record. Yet Folklore found a moment of stillness in the turmoil, turning even the darkest musings into something sparkling and beautiful. List of Billboard number-one country albums of 2020. Plus it quickly fulfilled its promise by offering escape when it arrived in the darkest days of the pandemic. Alexis Petridis Read more. BBT Read the full review. This record was both claustrophobic and liberating, with ethereal choruses on tracks such as ‘Error’ and ‘Urantia’ giving way to pulverising riffs on ‘This Link Is Dead’ and ‘Ceremony’. But Grandeâs horniness has been part of her artistic identity for years â on Positions, it offered a safe retreat from headlines about heartbreak and tragedy. These are notable albums, defined as having received significant coverage from reliable sources independent of the subject. With a global fanbase hanging on your every word, though, that anger turned to hope and this celebratory coming-of-age album was all about believing in your choices. She sang with an intimacy that conveyed the real-time growth of thoughts from instinct to decision, her hurt at the hands of bad men and racists calcifying into defiance. Like Marvin Gaye, another great purveyor of intimacy, Sumney shores up the solipsism of standout ballads Me in 20 Years and Bless Me with the whispers of multitracked harmonies constructed solely from his voice. Their widely beloved 2019 debut single Bad Blood suggested the Yorkshire quartet could go in any number of directions â vintage new wave, jangly indiepop â but they headed for the club, using the industrial synth pulsations of Depeche Mode and early Ministry, and guitars that nodded to various legendary Mancunians â Bernard Sumner, Johnny Marr, Vini Reilly. Site also contains reviews, ratings & more. 2019. In contrast to that dreamlike haze was KeiyaAâs clarity of thought. A list of the top albums of the year from The Wire. LS Read the full review. A lot happened in 2020, a year that sometimes sped by but more often felt slow, frustrating and full of fear. There’s always next year for that. There were only so many loaves of banana bread you could bake before a wave of sadness hit and you wondered ‘what is the point?’ and apathy grew. The concept of Chromatica was unusually light for her: a planet of kindness punks? Like a sky laced with pastel cirrus, it is effervescent and awe-inspiring. The list is of 2020 albums we have reviewed. On the exquisite Key West (Philosopher Pirate), heâs an old rogue hymning the last of his life at the far end of America, afternoon beer palpably in hand. A list by NotoriousBrotzmannHead [List802472] | | +32. Taylor shows how sex itself is communication, adding up to one of the hottest, most emotionally astute albums of the year. HM, NME said: “Drawing on every aspect of her identity, Sawayama creates an expansive musical account of her personal history, all bolstered by her impressive experimental song-writing techniques.”, In a nutshell: Welsh musician masters emotive techno-pop on meditative second album, In her debut NME cover story in October, Owens said that her childhood in Wales had taught her how to appreciate “the magic around me at all times”. Ariana Grandeâs sixth album made no bones about its primary concern â namely bones every which way until Tuesday, upholstered by slinky, lavish R&B. 2020. For them, the music, always, does the talking.”, In a nutshell: It’s an acquired taste, but the open-minded will fall in love with this singular, scattershot triumph, It’s been a twisted year, and the music has followed suit. You can escape the virus to the wonderful world of Poohkalian music and listen to some or all of these wonderful musical works of art before you die. Nothing Revealed/Everything Denied sighs at life spent on the defensive; I Think Thereâs Something You Should Know sets Healyâs self-alienation to fractured two-step. Quite simply one of the best bands in the world right now, who have something to say and the means to say it. Rock on! Lists. Well, what a year it’s been. The 50 Best Albums of 2020 So Far Including Bob Dylan, Lil Uzi Vert, Bad Bunny, Dua Lipa, and more. You can escape. to carnal vintage funk (Super Stars), Ariel Pinkish psych pop (Strawberry Privilege), and a really blockbuster lead single in Gospel for a New Century. SP, NME said: “[Haim] have produced a record that’s experimental, soothing and vulnerable; it’s a thing of great beauty.”, In a nutshell: Alt-pop don makes nu-metal cool again, This debut album was long anticipated: Rina Sawayama released her first tune in 2013 (the louche ‘Sleeping and Waking’) and hustled as an independent artist until signing to ultra-cool label Dirty Hit last year. Stephen Brunerâs fourth album caught some flak for lacking the finesse of his earlier work: spattered with sub-two-minute ideas that seemed to constrict and slacken his six-stringed bass excursions; his louche falsetto barely concealing his existential anxiety and fear of loss. GR, NME said: “Cycling through the conflicting emotions that come from living in a society that’s set itself on fire, ‘Working Men’s Club’ is an attention-demanding debut that couldn’t have come at a better time.”, In a nutshell: Disco euphoria that turns back the clock to a carefree time of mirrorballs and late-night boogie-ing, Returning to claim her throne as queen of the dancefloor, the eccentric Irish outsider delivered a decade-in-the-making album full of pulsating feel-good anthems. Katie Crutchfield cited alt-country pioneer Lucinda Williams as a crucial influence on Saint Cloud, but the spectre of a more conventional giant is equally hard to ignore. AT, NME said: “Here Porridge Radio nail some of music’s hardest tricks – breathing fresh life into indie and making a record that can loosely be compared to other bands in fragments, but also feels entirely their own.”, In a nutshell: Paramore’s vocalist strikes out alone – and doesn’t hold back, Pop-rock heroes Paramore’s new-wavey 2017 album ‘After Laughter’ marked a serious turning point for Williams; following her divorce from New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert, she moved into a decrepit cottage in Nashville and struggled with the disorientating excess of touring. This album won them a Mercury nod, spoke to a legion of new fans and should have won them scores more at festival sites across the globe. Sure! Jarmania ensues! SP, NME said: ‘‘Fetch The Bolt Cutters’ will cut straight to the gut for Apple fans old and new. DB, NME said: “Weaving Indian folk music, Jamaican dub, Congolese syncopated guitars with reference points to the South Asian musical innovation from the ‘70s and ‘80s, the trio have made an album still very much rooted in the city they call home.”, In a nutshell: Abel Tesfaye brings the bangers, but offers a tantalising glimpse at the darkness that exists beneath them, On his fourth album, Abel Tesfaye managed to craft the rarest of things – a record that’s full of stadium-sized bangers and soul-searing honesty at the same time. Her fifth album was a much denser, more claustrophobic effort that gleamed like dark chrome, reflecting the looming climate crisis and turmoil in her personal life as her relationship with Tesla CEO, Elon Musk put her firmly under the celeb spotlight. LS Read the full review. A year of cancelled tour dates allowed Swift to make an album without having to consider the nosebleed seats. The rapper had already been stretching out into the role of a Bruno Mars-ish funk singer, and here he tries that out at a lower tempo, seeming to really enjoy letting his voice reach for longer notes or more fragile types of song: psychedelic balladry, indie-folk, white soul. Snaithâs plaintive voice, reminiscent of Arthur Russell, contrasted soulful samples to particular effect on Home, as if contrasting reality and desire. Its plush disco setting evoked the eraâs velvet, feathers and static-crackled polyester â cinders at the drop of a lit Vogue. The lithe buoyancy of Husâs vocals remained, accompanied by flourishes of sax, piano, guitar and strings. There were still jazz-tinged larks to be had, though: “I may be covered in cat hair, but I still smell good”, from the excellently titled ‘Dragonball Durag’, is a serious contender for lyric of the year. Among a huge cohort of artists finding hard-won inner peace this year, the Welsh producer cast off limiting relationships and superficial pleasures on her second album. BTS were announced last week as the act that sold and streamed the most music overall in 2020, so itâs not a surprise that theyâre at the top of the albums list. Sort. âLess of who I am for you in case I offend you,â she rued on the song LINE, pledging to be alone instead. It should be underlined that the sororal US trioâs first two albums, Days Are Gone (2013) and Something to Tell You (2017) are very good: slick without smoothing too much over. ‘I’m Your Empress Of’ is nothing short of breathtaking.”, In a nutshell: With warm, expansive melodies, Khruangbin’s lush singular instrumentals cocooned us temporarily from the difficulties of a rough year, Khruangbin‘s third album created a singular sonic landscape as the Houston trio pulled from regions as far-flung as South Asia to South America and Iran to Jamaica. NL, NME said: “Brimming with the prickling anxiety and stress that’s become commonplace during the pandemic… [this is] a glorious, experimental collection.”, In a nutshell: Big tunes; bigger attitude, The follow-up to Burna’s 2019 breakout record ‘African Giant’ may have featured guest appearances from the likes of Stormzy, New Jersey hip-hop trio Naughty By Nature and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, but the Nigerian icon, born Damini Ogulu, was never overshadowed. Recorded over a five-year spell in her California home, Fetch the Bolt Cutters encompasses every euphoric rush and hopeless roar as Fiona Apple telescopes between historic incidents that once diminished her to find their common thread. The clenched fussiness of 2017âs Crack-Up abated for more subtly detailed, openhearted arrangements â padded and cottony on Featherweight, earnest and loving on Sunblind, a tribute to departed songwriters such as Richard Swift and Arthur Russell â as Pecknold resolved to accept the things he cannot change, to surrender to contentment and honour community in divided times: âWeâve only made it together, feel some change in the weather.â LS Read the full review. A mix of innocence and sophistication distinguishes this R&B gem, their vocal rhapsodies catching on coy bass lines and barbed percussion.
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