will's top albums/songs of 2020

[willapted33]

so it took me a bit longer than i would've liked, but i'm finally starting my year-end favourite albums/songs thread

still not entirely sure what the songs format will be, maybe a top 100

the main focus of the thread will be the albums list though, i'm planning on doing a top 30 + some honourable mentions

just tagging some people who i think will be interested, if anyone else would like a tag please let me know !

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{tags}
Nick P singingrulebritannia Daryl the Beryl walt91 @trilogy DistrictTwelve eidde janinho fearlessarrow samo🦕 MoD Sambalada wrip

[willapted33]

-honourable mentions-


here are 8 albums that i really enjoyed from 2020, that didn't quite make the list -


hm #1: FlySiifu's - Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin



genres: abstract hip-hop, jazz rap

    Pink Siifu had a very strong year, releasing both this and solo album 'Negro', both of which i enjoyed a fair amount - i think i preferred the more accessible nature of this one though. the production is consistently enjoyable and his rapping on the subject of a record store is impressive and quite creative. i would definitely recommend this to fans of the genre.

7/10

favourite tracks: 'Waiting to Get Shot', 'Dollar Dr. Dream', 'Rick James'


hm #2: NO DREAM - Jeff Rosenstock



genres: pop punk, power pop

love how Jeff kinda just does his thing on this album. this doesn't really sound like anything else i heard last year and thus is quite a refreshing listen. the middle of the album in particular is really strong, if the whole thing maintained that it would have made my top 30.

7/10

favourite tracks: 'The Beauty of Breathing', 'f a m e ', 'Leave it in the Sun'


hm #3: Burden of Proof - Benny the Butcher



genres: east coast hip-hop, hardcore hip-hop

Burden of Proof is probably my favourite Griselda album, certainly better than anything i've heard from WSG at the very least. the beats here are a little different to what we normally get from the group and Benny just raps very well over them.

7/10

favourite tracks: 'One Way Flight (ft. Freddie Gibbs)', 'Over the Limit (ft. Dom Kennedy)', 'Legend'


hm #4: Purple Moonlight Pages - R.A.P. Ferreira



genres: jazz rap, abstract hip-hop

makes me really happy that Milo/R.A.P. Ferreira is getting more appreciation because of this album. it's not one of my absolute favourites of 2020 but it certainly has its moments.

7/10

favourite tracks: 'Ro Talk', 'Mythical', 'Cycles'


hm #5: Savage Mode II - 21 Savage & Metro Boomin



genres: trap, southern hip-hop, gangsta rap

i think out of all my honourable mentions - this one has the highest highs. for that reason it's a bit disappointing to me that this wasn't as great as it could've been. the production in general is great and 21's bars are menacing and always enjoyable. it falls a bit short in some of its hooks though, and there's a few tracks i just didn't really care for.

7/10

favourite tracks: 'RIP Luv', 'Rich N**** S**t (ft. Young Thug)', 'Said n Done'


hm #6: Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa



genres: dance pop, nu-disco

this is probably a bit lower than most Pulse users would have FN, but i still really enjoyed this album. this album has some great singles, some weak tracks and a lot of in between. it ultimately doesn't quite make my list but had songs i returned to a lot in 2020.

7/10

favourite tracks: 'Don't Start Now', 'Physical', 'Levitating' {DaBaby remix especially}


hm #7: Manger on McNichols - Boldy James & Sterling Toles



genres: jazz rap, gangsta rap

whilst i'm not fully on board with this, i think there is a lot of potential here. the music on this album specifically is nothing i would return to all that often, but this album certainly highlights the potential of Boldy James. hoping for big things from him in the near future.

7/10

favourite tracks - 'Mommy Dearest (A Eulogy)', 'Got Flicked (The Rebirth) (ft. Louis P. Newton)', 'Birth of Bold (The Christening)'


hm #8: Magic Oneohtrix Point Never - Oneohtrix Point Never



genres: neo-psychedelia, progressive electronic

between his work on Uncut Gems, Weeknd collaborations and general popularity - it's safe to say OPN has had a big couple of years. whilst i don't think this album is perfect or anything, it's a nice culmination of all this work and i'm glad i can recognise him in some form on this list.

 7/10

favourite tracks: 'Lost But Never Alone', 'Long Road Home', 'No Nightmares'




and to bring the honourable mention count to 10, here are 2 ep's i thought were great in 2020 -


hm #9: Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 - Tkay Maidza



genres: pop rap, trap

almost every song here is a banger, she really has so much potential for someone so young and i'm super excited for an album from her.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Awake (ft. JPEGMAFIA)', 'You Sad', 'Grasshopper'


hm #10: Vergangenheitsbewältigung (Crater Speak) - Slauson Malone



genres: neo-soul, sound collage

another super promising artist, drops a great ep to follow up last year's A Quiet Farewell. this one is more accessible though, and i'd like to see Slauson further explore this sound in the future.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'The Wake Pt. 3 & 2', 'THE MESSAGE 3', 'Smile #6'



so - there's all the honourable mentions. excited to start the top 30 itself soon (:

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip

[Zach]

So you were really gonna do this without including me in the tags? I see how this is.

[Mylo13 💜]

Jan 18, 2021 4:10:57 GMT -5 Zach said:

So you were really gonna do this without including me in the tags? I see how this is.

^^ I wanna see!

[BB🌕]

Tag me please!

[willapted33]

-top 30 albums of 2020-


time to start revealing the proper list!


30. RTJ4 - Run the Jewels



genres: hardcore hip-hop, political hip-hop

i'm imagining a lot of people have this one a lot higher than i do, it's been very well received both critically and commercially too - RTJ no longer feel like an underground act. whilst i do think this album is great, it strikes me as more of the same from these two and i tend to think other RTJ albums have stronger tracklists. with that said, it did make my list and thus i still really enjoy the album, Killer Mike's bars on here are some of his best ever and El-P is still in great form.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Walking in the Snow', 'A Few Words for the Firing Squad (Radiation)', 'Holy Calamafuck'


29. We Will Always Love You - The Avalanches



genres: neo-psychedelia, electronic

it's quite long and there's a lot of interludes, but WWALY is still a great album to me. whilst it doesn't reach the incredible heights of their debut, i find this album to succeed in creating an interesting, atmospheric listen with a lot of great songs mixed in. the variety in its features keeps the 70 minute runtime from dragging and adds a lot of flavor to the music here. The Avalanches can always be relied upon for some great music.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'The Divine Chord (ft. MGMT & Johnny Marr)', 'Music Makes Me High', 'Take Care in Your Dreaming (ft. Denzel Curry, Tricky & Sampa the Great)'


28. Song for Our Daughter - Laura Marling



genres: singer/songwriter, contemporary folk

this brand of female singer/songwriter was something i couldn't get enough of this year, i find it perfect for when you're feeling a bit down (and obviously that was a lot of 2020 lol). i found Laura's album to be consistently strong across the board. she is a hugely talented songwriter and crafted a number of impressive tunes on here.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Held Down', 'Alexandra', 'Only the Strong'


27. Attack of the Future Shocked, Flesh Covered, Meat Bags of the 85 - $ilkMoney



genres: jazz rap, political hip-hop, abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop

do not let his name fool you, $ilkMoney is a technically sound rapper, who does not hold back from talking about significant issues in society. his delivery on here is so witty and blunt at times - it's really not what i expected going into this album. the production is also really good across the board, a lot of these beats are very enjoyable and really enhance the music. highly recommend this one to rap fans.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Snort Ashwagandha Root Powder', 'I Wanna Be the Superbug When I Grow Up', 'The Pump Didn't Kill Him, He Died in the Fountain'


26. Gorillaz - Song Machine, Season One



genres: art pop, synthpop

this was one of my biggest surprises of the year, given how odd a group of features this was - i was really expecting something like Humanz. instead of that, though, Song Machine, Season One is, dare i say, their best album since Demon Days. this album is remarkably consistent and features a number of great songs that delve into different styles and feature a wide array of guests, almost all of which pay off. really looking forward to a potential 'Season Two', if it can be on this level.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Momentary Bliss (ft. slowthai & Slaves)', 'Aries (ft. Peter Hook & Georgia)', 'Pac-Man (ft. SchoolBoy Q)'


25. SOUL LADY - YUKIKA



genres: k-pop, city pop

heh, this is probably a surprise to some. but yeah, as time has gone on i've come to appreciate k-pop more and more. YUKIKA, LOOΠΔ & TWICE in particular i find make really quality stuff. i should also mention this album here is basically a city pop release. from what i understand Yukika Teramoto is actually Japanese and yeah, you can definitely hear it on this album. good thing i love city pop though lol. one of the most enjoyable listens of the year and i absolutely recommend this if you liked YUKIKA's songs from the madness tournaments.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'SOUL LADY', 'pit-a-pet', 'Yesterday'


24. Ultimate Success Today - Protomartyr



genres: post-punk, art punk, noise rock

quite popular with the rock board here, i found Protomartyr's 2020 record to be super impressive on all fronts. first things first, the lyricism on here was fantastic across the board, definitely some of the best in rock at the moment. i also enjoyed the instrumentals a lot, some interesting choices in terms of cellos, saxes etc. and obviously solid bass and guitarwork across the board. just a standout album overall.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Processed by the Boys', 'June 21', 'Michigan Hammers'


23. 10 - tricot



genres: math rock, indie rock

tricot are just a really cool ass band in general. the mathy riffs on here go hard as f**k and the same could be said by the drumming. another appreciation i have is for the vocalist, her melodies are killer and i love her voice - and because of this i feel like nothing is lost in translation. the tracks are really solid throughout, but i think the last four in particular is a really strong way to finish off the album.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Laststep', '悪戯', '箱'


22. 2017-2019 - Against All Logic



genres: house, post-industrial, idm

Nicolas Jaar had quite a big year, dropping two well-received albums under his own name, as well as a follow up to 2018's '2012-2017' under the Against All Logic name. i generally find myself preferring his AAL work, which is only supported by the strength of this album. the songs here are both creative and enjoyable. the production in general is impressive and the album is so catchy it'd be hard to not enjoy it.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Penny', 'Deeeeeeefers', 'You (Forever)'


21. Inner Song - Kelly Lee Owens



genres: art pop, tech house

very cool sounding album here. whether its more of a poppy sounding moment, or more electronic Kelly's vocals on here are gorgeous throughout. production is dope as well. whilst there's certain songs here i don't love, this album definitely has some high highs and i think is quite underrated in general, i'd recommend it to anyone really.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'On', 'L.I.N.E.', 'Night'


...


either posting the next ten albums or starting the songs list next.

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip  Zach  Mylo13 💜  BB🌕  CocaNola

[fearlessarrow]

Omg yes Yukika love

Also I didn't expect you to like TWICE, I stan! TWICE is like actually my favorite K-pop girl group (them and SNSD are my two top girl groups lol).

[willapted33]

-top 100 songs of 2020-


starting this list now, not really any rules other than it must've been released in 2020
i feel like this goes without saying but the order of this list, particularly the lower ranks could easily switch around


this post will feature 100-51, i'll probably go into a bit more detail with my higher ranked tracks


100. Delete Forever - Grimes
99. Spotlight - Jessie Ware
98. Aries - Gorillaz (ft. Peter Hook & Georgia)
97. King Vamp - Playboi Carti
96. Yesserskiii - Lil Uzi Vert (ft. 21 Savage)
95. Run - Joji
94. Genesis - Deftones
93. Grasshopper - Tkay Maidza
92. By Any Means - Jorja Smith
91. The Feeling - Blu & Exile (ft. Jacinto Rhines) 
90. Do It - Chloe x Halle
89. Care - beabadoobee
88. pink diamond - Charli XCX
87. In Your Eyes - The Weeknd
86. Emotionally Scarred - Lil Baby
85. Cars in Space - Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
84. Levitating - Dua Lipa (ft. DaBaby)
83. CUTIE PIE! - JPEGMAFIA
82. Babies & Fools - Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist (ft. Conway the Machine)
81. Pac-Man - Gorillaz (ft. SchoolBoy Q)
80. What's Your Pleasure? - Jessie Ware
79. My Future - Billie Eilish
78. ICU - Phoebe Bridgers
77. Scary Hours - Moor Mother & billy woods (ft. John Forte)
76. pit-a-pet - YUKIKA
75. Dragonball Durag - Thundercat
74. The Divine Chord - The Avalanches (ft. MGMT & Johnny Marr)
73. Don't Stop - Megan Thee Stallion (ft. Young Thug)
72. Troubled Water - Blu & Exile (ft. Gappy Ranks)
71. The Wake Pt. 3 & 2 - Slauson Malone
70. walking in the snow - Run the Jewels
69. I Can See - Mac Miller
68. Prices - Lil Uzi Vert
67. Right Now - DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ 
66. Physical - Dua Lipa
65. Penny - Against All Logic
64. At the Door - The Strokes
63. Over - Playboi Carti
62. SONGS ABOUT YOU - CHIKA
61. Paradisin' - Rina Sawayama
60. L.I.N.E. - Kelly Lee Owens
59. Faith - The Weeknd
58. willow - Taylor Swift
57. Blue World - Mac Miller
56. Rose Rouge - Jorja Smith
55. Control - Playboi Carti
54. End Of An Era - DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ
53. evermore - Taylor Swift (ft. Bon Iver)
52. anthems - Charli XCX
51. I Want You to Love Me - Fiona Apple

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip  Zach  Mylo13 💜  BB🌕  CocaNola  kimberly  filthy  born

[filthy]

what the hell will no tag

[willapted33]

Jan 21, 2021 9:35:34 GMT -5 filthy said:

what the hell will no tag

ok i actually thought i was tagging you lol 

[born]

Jan 21, 2021 9:35:34 GMT -5 filthy said:

what the hell will no tag

[janinho]

Tricot. Great band.  :)

[willapted33]

-top 30 albums of 2020-


note: there's been a small stuff up, one of my top ten albums was accidentally left off my list so everything should be moved down a spot, and technically RTJ4 is actually an honourable mention
this also means i need to reveal 21-11 in this set instead of 20-11, so without further ado -


21. Visions of Bodies Being Burned - clipping.

 

genres: horrorcore, industrial hip-hop, experimental hip-hop

all it takes is a glance at the cover art for this album to know how it'll sound and where it will take you. 52 minutes of some of darkest and eeriest hip-hop of the year, including some sensational rapping from Daveed Diggs over a series of menacing, hard beats. it's basically all you can ask for in an experimental hip-hop release. there's certain tracks here and there that aren't quite as strong as others, but they don't detract too much. great record.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Say the Name', 'Something Underneath', 'Pain Everyday (ft. Michael Esposito)'


20. Sawayama - Rina Sawayama



genres: dance pop, contemporary r&b

what can i say about this that hasn't already been said? nothing much. this album is consistently praised all over the internet, her songs always do well in madness tournaments and this definitely has the reputation of one of the best pop releases of 2020. i agree with basically of this, it's a very cool album. there's a lot of jams on here, but she also switches it up enough so that the songs all work together as a cohesive album. good stuff Rina.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'XS', 'Love Me 4 Me', 'Paradisin'


19. Songs - Adrianne Lenker



genres: contemporary folk, singer/songwriter

as i mentioned previously, this type of sound/style is one i've enjoyed more and more recently. on 'Songs', Adrianne is able to use her distinct voice to create some of the more memorable folk music of the past few years. she sounds perfect over these very laid-back, acoustic instrumentals. the music on here feels very cozy and warm, it's perfect for a cold day, sitting inside relaxing - and i typically love music for this kind of situation. oh i should also mention this is one of the most beautiful sounding albums i heard last year. listen to it.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'anything', 'come', 'not a lot, just forever'


18. Brass - Moor Mother & billy woods



genres: abstract hip-hop, experimental hip-hop, east coast hip-hop

released in mid December and only discovered by me a month later, this was pretty much the final addition to my list. but yeah after hearing this there was no way i was going to leave it off. a super interesting listen in terms of lyrics, but also its production - which is quite off-kilter. the collaboration between the two performers is interesting in itself, but they work perfectly together. this one is quite hard to talk about in general but basically if you're a fan of the genre, you'll really enjoy it.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Scary Hours (ft. John Forté), 'Chimney (ft. Mach-Hommy)', 'Arkeology (ft. E L U C I D)'


17. What's Your Pleasure? - Jessie Ware


genres: dance-pop, disco

similar to Sawayama, except even more liked on here and online in general. WYP? is a really well executed attempt at disco, filled with groovy production and stunning vocal performances from Jessie. you already knew this, though. whilst the album has grown off me a little, it was always going to be a lock in my top 20.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Adore You', 'What's Your Pleasure?', 'Spotlight'


16. Ohms - Deftones



genres: alternative metal

i can't tell if my recent appreciation for Deftones is a sign of metal as a whole growing on me or just this group in particular. i think it might be a bit of both if anything. a lot of metal i find to be technically impressive but i don't get a lot out it when i listen. Deftones are different though, i really get something out of listening to them. so far i've only listened to this one and White Pony, as well as a few singles here and there but i really love what i've heard. i feel like a lot of it has to do with Chino's vocals, they are awesome on this album. but then again i love the riffs and drumming and whatnot as well. great release in general.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Ohms', 'Error', 'Genesis'


15. Eternal Atake (Deluxe) / LUV vs. the World 2 - Lil Uzi Vert



genres: trap, pop rap

obviously i'm a massive Uzi fan, he's created some of my favourite songs of all time and has one of the most consistent discographies in his genre. so naturally in 2020 when he dropped basically 2 full length solo albums in back to back weeks, i was fairly excited. and i really liked both of them! for the record, this position is given to the deluxe where all 32 of the EA tracks are found. the original album i thought was very cool, the way the songs had a rough theme of space and whatnot was well done and there was plenty of good songs there. i'd have to say he really stepped it up on the deluxe though, the production here is fantastic, complete with catchy hooks and great flows.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Bean (Kobe) (ft. Chief Keef)', 'Futsal Shuffle 2020', 'Prices'


14. Alfredo - Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist



genres: gangsta rap, jazz rap

since the release of 2018's Fetti, Freddie has been on a crazy run in terms of albums - and particularly collaborative albums. this time he hops on the silky smooth production of The Alchemist. this is another one that there's not much i could say about, basically if you enjoy this type of music you will like this album. it's that simple. i'll add that i think this could've probably finished a little higher but its only 10 tracks and 35 minutes, i feel like Bandana and Pinata pack in a few more great songs because they're a bit longer. still though, great work Freddie & Alchemist.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Babies & Fools (ft. Conway the Machine)', 'Something to Rap About (ft. Tyler, the Creator)', 'Baby $hit'


13. Circles - Mac Miller



genres: neo-soul, alternative r&b

this album is so beautifully put together. probably the best and most authentic example of a posthumous album i've heard. the production here is consistently really enjoyable and fits the album perfectly. the star of the show here is obviously Mac though. some of these tracks it's seriously hard not to choke up at. the peaks on here are phenomenal, there's a couple songs i like a bit less but its overall a fantastic piece of art.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Good News', 'Blue World', 'I Can See'


12. The New Abnormal - The Strokes



genres: indie rock, new wave, post-punk revival

i feel like this one doesn't really need an explanation. is there anyone who doesn't like this album? it's just really good music. the peaks of the album for me are with the intro, one of the catchiest and more replayable songs of 2020 and the outro, one of the most emotionally moving songs of 2020. in between there's some really cool highlights and all together its just a great album. it's on a similar level to the debut for me.

8/10

favourite tracks: 'Ode to the Mets', 'The Adults Are Talking', 'At the Door'


11. Miles - Blu & Exile



genres: jazz rap, west coast hip-hop, conscious hip-hop

my introduction to both Blu & Exile was on their first collab album, Below the Heavens - which is a bit of an underground classic at this point. it's a great album, it's got one of my absolute favourite rap songs ever on it, probably top 10, in 'Dancing in the Rain', and both artists do their thing across the project. so, going into this 95 minute mammoth of an album, i really wasn't expecting something that blew Below the Heavens out of the water. but that's what i got. the first thing i'd say about this album is Exile's production. absolutely phenomenal across the board, fits the rapping perfectly and just sounds so damn good. and i've obviously also got to comment on Blu's rapping. good god man. so much is packed into these 20 tracks. it's somewhat a celebration of music as a whole, particularly jazz and blues musicians (hence the title). but then there's also plenty of more introspective bars about Blu's life. it's hard to do this justice through words, just listen to it.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'Troubled Water (ft. Gappy Ranks)', 'The Feeling (ft. Jacinto Rhines)', 'Music Is My Everything (ft. Choosey & Jimetta Rose)'


that's all for now folks...

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip  Zach  Mylo13 💜  BB🌕  CocaNola  kimberly  filthy  born

[Zach]

Jan 22, 2021 9:38:08 GMT -5 willapted33 said:

18. Brass - Moor Mother & billy woods

How the hell did I miss this? Needa go listen.

[willapted33]

-top 100 songs of 2020-


posting the next 25 now...


50. Processed By The Boys - Protomartyr

favourite post-punk song of the year, love the harsh vocal delivery and instrumental here

49. Error - Deftones

one of my absolute favourites from the new album

48. Bittersweet - Lianne La Havas

beautiful vocal display, great chorus and instrumental as well

47. Rich N**** S**t - 21 Savage & Metro Boomin (ft. Young Thug)

probably one of the best trap beats ever conceived, 21 & Thug flow perfectly over it

46. Dawn in the Adan - Ichiko Aoba

i want to live in this song's world

45. Ro Talk - R.A.P. Ferreira

without a doubt my favourite off the new album, everything here is so laid-back and relaxing

44. Snort Ashwagandha Root Powder - $ilkmoney

a 2 minute bar-fest, beat great as well

43. Ohms - Deftones

the most instant song off the album for me, love the riff so much & Chino sounds great here

42. Laststep - tricot

such a beautiful song, wonderful instrumental but it's really the vocal performance that steals the show here

41. 327 - Westside Gunn (ft. Joey Bada$$, Tyler, the Creator & Billie Essco)

basically what i said about Ro Talk except i like this one a bit more

40. Momentary Bliss - Gorillaz (ft. slowthai & Slaves)

slowthai's part on its own would make this list, there's also a whole song to go along with it which is nice

39. Say the Name - clipping.

do i really need to explain this one

38. Futsal Shuffle 2020 - Lil Uzi Vert

pure hype, that beat is a thing of sheer beauty

37. Adore You - Jessie Ware

probably a surprising pick for best song on the album - given it misses the whole disco thing, but yeah this one is brilliantly produced and i love the vocals

36. Can't Fight - Lianne La Havas

one of my favourite choruses of the year, rest of the song very good as well

35. The Adults Are Talking - The Strokes

Julian's vocals on here <3<3<3 instrumental also fire

34. Righteous - Juice WRLD

im crying now

33. Lockdown - Anderson .Paak

cannot think of a single flaw in this one

32. Love Me 4 Me - Rina Sawayama

basically everything after the 30 second mark is absolute gold

31. Savior Complex - Phoebe Bridgers

i love every single moment of this song. particularly the lyrics. don't even know why i just love Phoebe's writing so much

30. Dying to Believe - The Beths

The Beths are maybe the most likable band on the planet and this is one of their best singles so i uh don't really need to explain this pick

29. BALD! - JPEGMAFIA

bald! i look ray allen

28. betty - Taylor Swift

i love the lyrics to this so much it wouldn't even have to sound good but then it does so thats an added bonus

27. Under the Table - Fiona Apple

the hook is the perfect example of simple but effective, love the overall sound of the song as well

26. The Bigger Picture - Lil Baby

i don't like this quite as much as Drip Too Hard or Life Goes On but i'm glad more people are appreciating Lil Baby bc of this song, it perfectly captures such a prominent time in 2020 and it's just a really impressive track in general


..........

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip  Zach  Mylo13 💜  BB🌕  CocaNola  kimberly  filthy  born

[MoD]

love the Protomartyr, R.A.P. Ferreira and Freddie mentions 🔥🔥🔥

[willapted33]

-top 30 albums of 2020-


posting up to the top five here


10. After Hours - The Weeknd



genres: alternative r&b, synthpop

super obvious pick but yeah i loved this album. in my opinion this is quite easily the best work he's done since the mixtapes, almost ten years ago. i like how The Weeknd was able to blend together his older alt r&b style with his more recent massive pop singles like a sort of culmination of all his work. his vocals across the whole album are stellar, whether they're on a radio single or a darker, slower track. another major highlight here is the production, definitely some of the best you'll hear on any mainstream album. despite having a number of very different producers the album creates a specific atmosphere and sticks to it well, it definitely feels more cohesive than his past couple of albums.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'After Hours', 'Faith', 'Blinding Lights'


9. Charmed - DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ



genres: house, outsider house, plunderphonics

i think this is quite literally the longest album i've ever listened to, at 184 minutes. i feel like for most genres i'd just get sick of the music by then, but idk why this just works. maybe it's less to do with the sound of the album and more to do with the sheer quality of the thing. it also helps that this is one of the most joyous albums i've ever heard. every single sound here makes me happy. aside from being straight up happy its kinda hard to describe how the music here makes me feel. i've recently noticed on twitter accounts that post 'liminal spaces' or 'elegiac auras', which are photos that provoke the feeling of 'anemoia', defined as "nostalgia for a time one has never known." i bring this up because this album kinda gives me the same feeling, and i feel like as a whole it could be the soundtrack to a lot of those images. this may be because of the slightly odd vocal samples, or just the future funkish vibe of the album gives it a nostalgic feeling. so to summarise, if you enjoy feeling happy and nostalgic i think you should listen to this album.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'End of an Era', 'Right Now', 'Eeeeyyyy'


8. Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas



genres: neo-soul, singer/songwriter

best r&b release of the year, absolutely gorgeous record. the vocals on here are to die for. the instrumentals add a fair amount as well. this one is very self-explanatory, i don't have anything overly personal with this album its just really really good.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'Weird Fishes', 'Can't Fight', 'Bittersweet'


7. Microphones in 2020 - The Microphones



genres: singer/songwriter, indie folk, avant-folk

yeah this is a masterpiece. i feel like if you were already a fan of Phil's work this would be the normal reaction. otherwise you probably won't understand the praise. this album/video/thing is so deeply personal i feel like you have to have some sort of knowledge or attachment to the man behind the music. for me, my relationship with Elverum's work is primarily through his 2001 masterpiece 'The Glow Pt. 2' which is one of my favourite albums period. i've also had some very personal listens to TGP2 in a way, ones where i just laid back and reflected on the music and words and where i was at the time. this album in a way gives me a similar feeling to that. at its essence this album is Phil sitting there reflecting on his life and the events that shaped him, yet i still relate to it somehow. my enjoyment for the album isn't that hard to explain, it's got an instrumental reminiscent to classic Microphones material, the writing on here is unbelievable, and the storytelling is unmatched. what i do find difficult to explain is why this album somehow feels relatable to me and why its such an emotional experience for me. there's no real resolution to this write-up, i love the album, it's very moving to me, i can't exactly pinpoint why, it just does.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'Microphones in 2020'


6. Windswept Adan - Ichiko Aoba



genres: chamber folk, singer/songwriter

an unfathomably beautiful album. this is the definition of music that takes you to another dimension. for me, Windswept Adan is music for a world of waterfalls and streams and flowers. it's definitely a place i'd want to be, and this album takes me right there. i can't imagine possibly disliking this so uh go listen if you haven't.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'Porcelain', 'Dawn in the Adan', 'ohayashi'


......

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip  Zach  Mylo13 💜  BB🌕  CocaNola  kimberly  filthy  born

[willapted33]

-top 100 songs of 2020-


going up to the top 10 here


25. Bean (Kobe) - Lil Uzi Vert (ft Chief Keef)

my favourite of all the songs Uzi released in 2020, love the efforts from Pierre and Keef & Uzi himself is on fire here

24. On - Kelly Lee Owens

absolutely stunning track, her vocals here are to die for and i love the lyrics as well

23. Kerosene! - Yves Tumor

an undeniable jam

22. XS - Rina Sawayama

yeah this eventually became my favourite from the album, one of the biggest choruses of the year. also love a bit of anti-capitalism in my pop songs
fr

21. Held Down - Laura Marling

didn't actually catch onto this til January 2021 but whatever, the writing here is fantastic and i love the sound of the track too

20. Dior - Pop Smoke

kinda said this in the hot 100 thread already but a very fresh take on trap music and executed very well for the most part

19. Oh How We Drift Away - Tim Heidecker & Weyes Blood

this would be a highlight on Titanic Rising which says a hell of a lot, hopefully she releases a new album sooner rather than later but i'll take this in the meantime

18. RIP Luv - 21 Savage & Metro Boomin

this one really grew on me since sending it for WTM, some of Metro's best ever production and 21's best ever rapping

17. august - Taylor Swift

this is basically Taylor trying dream pop and totally pulling it off

16. circle the drain - Soccer Mommy

i swear to god this is one of the most relatable songs ever released

15. ringtone (Remix) - 100 gecs (ft. Charli XCX, Kero Kero Bonito & Rico Nasty)

so many amazing moments in this song, i think if i had to pick one it would be Rico's verse which is probably my favourite of hers in general 

14. Pig Feet - Terrace Martin & Denzel Curry (ft. Kamasi Washington, G Perico & Daylyt)

self-explanatory, insane track

13. SOUL LADY - YUKIKA

catchiest song of the year, also incredibly produced and sung

12. Good Days - SZA

latest song to get on this list i believe but god damn it was worth the wait, this just keeps growing on me, so gorgeous

11. anything - Adrianne Lenker

the toughest cut to the top ten i had to make, the lyrics and sound of this as a whole are so beautiful. the chorus in particular is just <3

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip  Zach  Mylo13 💜  BB🌕  CocaNola  kimberly  filthy  born

[born]

I have yet to listen to the Ichiko Aoba album but it’s definitely on my list. This last set of songs is so strong that I can’t help but wonder what the top 10 will look like.

[fearlessarrow]

We have no choice but to stan a list with Taylor and Yukika so high along with many other great songs/albums

[willapted33]

-top 100 songs of 2020-


posting 10-6 and then the top 5 in back to back posts


10. this is me trying - Taylor Swift



my favourite of all the songs she released in 2020. it was honestly a toss up between this and 'anything' for the tenth spot but it would feel wrong for Taylor to not have a top ten entry. this has pretty much always been my favourite from 'folklore'. i think initially i was taken aback by how good this sounded. i think what really made the song click for me were the lyrics, though. they're fairly simplistic but each line hits me very hard, super relatable stuff. brilliant song.




9. After Hours - The Weeknd



this is just obvious, right. as much as i love Blinding Lights and well, a hell of a lot of stuff he's put out - this is probably his best song since the first mixtape. this thing is so well performed, so well produced and overall one of the most flawless songs released in 2020. some highlights of the track would have to include the contrast between his higher vocals and the dark beat. i also love the way the song splits itself into distinctive parts, the 6 minute run-time feels quicker than most 3 minute songs. also the beat switch at around 2:10, of course.




8. Ode to the Mets - The Strokes



this is one that continues to grow on me each day and i feel like i'm only properly getting into it now. anyway, The Strokes were a band i finally checked out in 2020, starting with their classic debut 'Is This It' which i really enjoyed. a little while later i got around to 'The New Abnormal', their album from last year and thought it was great. immediately this was a bit of a standout but not an absolute favourite. but yeah upon relistens this one really stuck out to me. honestly this might be my favourite song of theirs at this stage, sorry Hard to Explain. for one, i love the sound of this, the melody, the instrumental and all that jazz. the main highlight is of course Julian himself, he really pours his heart and soul into this performance with some of the best lyrics on any song i heard last year. phenomenal.




7. Porcelain - Ichiko Aoba



one of the most beautiful sounding songs of all time. every single second of this song is enchanting. her vocals here are pristine. i'm going to stop gushing now before i run out of similar-meaning adjectives! you get the idea though.




6. Shameika - Fiona Apple



Shameika did not lie. every moment of this song is genius. i think along with the other tracks on the album, the lyrics are what really get me here, one of the most impressively written songs in recent memory. it also doesn't hurt that the instrumental here is also great, the uniqueness of the sound elevates it to another level.

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[willapted33]

-top 100 songs of 2020-


top five incoming


5. Weird Fishes - Lianne La Havas



it's probably a bit of an odd pick to go with a cover of a song i already loved as high as 5th place, over some tracks that are a lot more ambitious and creative. but fuck it, it's my list so i make the rules lol. i love this cover. Lianne's performance here is so heavenly and emotional. her delivery of the "i'll hit the bottom/the bottom and escape" outro is unbelievably good. this is really neck and neck with the original for me, probably an unpopular opinion with Radiohead fans but whatever. i love how the instrumental here was simplified to really project Lianne's vocals into the forefront, and also to make the song distinctive enough to not be just the same song with a different vocalist. the original is such a perfectly done song, but this one is more moving. props to Lianne because - holy shit this is good. 




4. forever - Charli XCX



honestly this is probably my favourite Charli song at this point. the lyrics here are simple but that's the whole point. they're so lovely and pleasant and perfectly convey the message of the song. whilst the vocals are probably my favourite part of the track, massive props to the producers here as well. the way the instrumental has more chaotic noisy moments to represent the strains of a relationship and then has more relaxed moments to represent the positive feelings of the relationship is so well done. this song deserves all its praise and more.




3. Good News - Mac Miller



what can i even say about this. every single line here hits so hard man, some of them to an extent that could be labelled as eerie. it should also be noted that this may well be the best beat he ever performed on, so many good things going on there. but obviously the star of the show here is Mac, Rest in Peace, i'm so thankful that you had one last masterpiece left for us.




2. I Know the End - Phoebe Bridgers



i love Phoebe Bridgers. i get the same sort of emotional resonance out of her music as i do Frank Ocean's, which is really saying something. i think initially this was definitely the album track that stood out to me the most from Punisher. iirc it was because of the Sufjan Stevens-esque horns towards the end of the song. upon revisiting the track, though, it was something else that stuck out to me, which was Phoebe herself. this is my favourite lyrical performance of 2020 with absolute ease. i love every single line here. i don't know what it is, maybe her delivery, maybe the way she wrote the lyrics, maybe what they represent. that's not important though, what matters is that i just do love the lyrics here. the third verse in particular is so fking good. the way the instrumental picks up in this verse is also incredible. then the ending of the song with the screams and the instrumental becomes more intense its so well done. as an album closer this is literally perfect. so yeah, this is basically a perfect 5/5 song to me. how on earth could it not be first then...




1. Kyoto - Phoebe Bridgers



yeah no this is not surprising in any way, shape or form. I Know the End is indeed a perfect song, but unfortunately it's just not quite as perfect as this. i would say it's somewhat ironic that her most upbeat ever song ended up topping this list, given what i love most about Phoebe, but no this is still a highly emotional experience for me. i don't really know what else to say about this but here's some of my favourite parts - the instrumental, particularly the horns which are just to die for, the lyrics on the chorus, the second verse, the outro, the way the first verse and the instrumental come in together at the start of the song fuck i just named every part of the track. thank you Phoebe for giving us this work of pure magic.

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[fearlessarrow]

Um the top 10 fucking slays

[born]

Jan 25, 2021 9:24:26 GMT -5 born said:

This last set of songs is so strong that I can’t help but wonder what the top 10 will look like.

Yeah this top 10 exceeds my expectations. Two Phoebe Bridgers songs? As the top 2? 

Very happy to see that we have the same favorites from albums like The New Abnormal, folklore & Circles. Plus "After Hours", "forever" & "Shameika" which I adore.

[willapted33]

-top 30 albums of 2020-


time to finish this thing


5. Whole Lotta Red - Playboi Carti



genres: trap, southern hip-hop, experimental hip-hop

to kick off the top five, we have what is likely the most controversial placement on the whole list! you know, usually with an album that's had this much backlash that i love this much i'd actually feel like i was missing something. but nope, it's been over a month since the release of WLR - i loved it on first listen and i still love it now. i think a lot of the hate for this comes from kids who listen to nothing but trap music, in which case yeah, this probably goes over their heads. it sounds nothing like the leaks that everyone seems to adore, and Die Lit is a very tame album compared to this. i think the raw energy here, as well as the song structure, reminds me more of a punk album than anything else. Carti's delivery here is nuts. his strained vocals yelling about this and that is really unlike anything else in the trap scene. similar to Die Lit, his delivery here turns otherwise redundant, simple lyrics into great tracks. the beats here should also be acknowledge, there's quite a lot producers who worked on this, who all help the album have enough variation to where the tracklist doesn't feel too long but also keeps the album quite distinct in Carti's catalogue. i know Kanye was the executive producer here, so maybe he helped with the cohesiveness of it all. another thing worth nothing is that this is quite a consistent album, i love the majority of tracks here - especially on the second half of the album. i'll sum up by saying that this is an incredible album and i can't wait to see where Carti goes next.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'Control', 'Over', 'Vamp Anthem'


4. How I'm Feeling Now - Charli XCX



genres: electropop, hyperpop, bubblegum bass

and now back to obvious picks. this is my favourite album from Charli. i think it's her most consistent and has some of her best ever songs. really this album was always going to make my list, it was just how high up that took some thinking. in terms of pure enjoyment though, it really doesn't get much better than this. this album was seemingly made through home recordings and production, which is quite interesting in itself given how good it all sounds. Charli herself sounds great on basically all these songs and more often than not i love the instrumentals as well. not much more than that to say really. it goes real hard.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'forever', 'anthems', 'pink diamond'


3. Fetch the Bolt Cutters - Fiona Apple



genres: art pop, singer/songwriter

this quite possibly was the defining album of 2020 in music circles. i heard takes about this album every day for months online. i feel like with a lesser album this would've become tiring but yeah no there's nothing 'lesser' about Fetch the Bolt Cutters. to me at least, this definitely feels like a landmark album. if this list was being super critical and picking the 'best' albums, this would be first place. Fiona's lyrics on here are probably the highlight. she's a very intelligent writer and a lot of these songs are very impressive. i also love the odd production choices, they give a lot of flavor to the album. looking at the tracklist, the first four songs are all basically flawless. the rest of the record doesn't quite maintain that level but there's some real gems in there - Cosmonauts, Drumset, Newspaper etc. it should also be noted that a lot of these topics aren't all that relatable for me - i am not a middle aged American woman, and i feel like this is a bit of a turnoff for some people. i've always been of the opinion, though, that music doesn't have to be specifically relatable to be enjoyable and have emotional resonance. a lot of the best artists - Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt, Robert Smith, Fiona Apple, for example - can make you feel what they feel through their words and music, which may well be the greatest strength of this album.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'Shameika', 'Under the Table', 'I Want You to Love Me'


2. folklore - Taylor Swift/evermore - Taylor Swift





genres: singer/songwriter, folk pop

whilst making this list i had to think about what to do with these two albums, they're very similar in both style and quality. i ultimately decided to place them in one position, as evermore is essentially just an extension of folklore. for the record if i split them, folklore would rank at number 2 and evermore probably at number 4. anyways, yeah i love both of these albums. obviously Taylor has grown on me a lot recently, if you've seen my chart or rankings in rankdowns in the past year you've probably noticed this. folklore wasn't actually the reason for this, i started listening to All Too Well a lot before it came out, but Taylor releasing her two best albums in 2020 certainly didn't hurt her chances at becoming one of my favourite artists. starting with folklore. this was my album of the year from the basically the minute it dropped and only got overtaken at the very end. it's wonderful. 16 tracks and i can confidently say i absolutely love 13 of them. some people probably think i'm jumping on the Taylor Swift making indie music hype a bit too much, but honestly i find her to be infinitely more engaging than most of the artists within the genre. her talent really shines through here, where she's not trying to make dumbed down radio singles that clog up half the album, which is the feeling i get on most of her other releases. this is Taylor at her peak. evermore is more of the same, which i mean in the best way possible. i definitely love most of the tracks off that album as well, it doesn't quite have the same number of incredible tracks, though, which is really my only complaint. now i sit here hoping she makes it a trilogy.

folklore

9/10

favourite tracks: 'this is me trying', 'august', 'betty'

evermore

9/10

favourite tracks: 'evermore (ft. Bon Iver)', 'willow', 'champagne problems'


and finally...


1. Punisher - Phoebe Bridgers



genres: indie folk, singer/songwriter

never judge an album based on first listen is something i should stick to more often. at first this album really just went over my head. i could tell that it was 'good' and 'well written' but do these things really matter if the songs go in one ear and out the other, probably not. it wasn't really until the good ol' process of basically every song growing on you one by one that this album really started to click. i'm still not sure if this is the most i'll enjoy it, it definitely has 10/10 potential in the future. but yes in the present with how much i currently enjoy the album, this is easily my album of the year for 2020. to be fair to myself, when i first listened to this i wasn't really paying to the lyrics, so i basically missed the strongest appeal of the album just like that. it wasn't until later i that i realised that basically every single line here resonates with me in one way or another. sad indie music has become my thing recently and this is one of the absolute peaks of the genre. Phoebe throughout this album is on fire. every word she speaks i feel. as for the other parts of the album - her voice is gorgeous, the instrumentals are phenomenal (especially on Kyoto & I Know the End) and the melodies are sweet. thank you for this Phoebe, this is a masterpiece.

9/10

favourite tracks: 'Kyoto', 'I Know the End', 'Savior Complex'


the end is here

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{tags}Nick P  singingrulebritannia  Daryl the Beryl  walt91  @trilogy  DistrictTwelve  eidde  janinho  fearlessarrow  samo🦕  MoD  Sambalada  wrip  Zach  Mylo13 💜  BB🌕  CocaNola  kimberly  filthy  born

[willapted33]

to end off, thanks to everyone for following along - it makes it a lot more enjoyable to share music when people are interested in what you're sharing.

also i've made the top 100 songs list into a spotify playlist -


(:

[Sambalada]

Fantastic list but we are not surprised

The top 10 songs are flawless

[MoD]

this list sucks where is viper