We made it. We survived 2020. Which seemed like a difficult task to many, the year is finally over and we can start looking forward to a new and (hopefully) safer year. With a new year, that means it is time to look back at 2020 and come up with the top albums of the year. While 2020 wasn't the best in music, I decided to bump up the count from ten albums to fifteen since there were a lot of decent albums. Since I am not the best at ranking albums, and since my mind will change five minutes after I create the list, I will just be listing the albums in alphabetical order based on the artist. Also, click on the album title to read the album review.
Detroit 2 by Big Sean
I knew I couldn't leave this album off of the list. Big Sean has just been improving ever since he started years ago. After I Decided. I knew that he had potential, and Detroit 2 was the icing on the cake. Definitely a fun and interesting story from start to finish.
Ungodly Hour by Chloe x Halle
This was the first time I dove into their discography but I was surprised. The sister duo in the music industry isn't new, but they have a certain chemistry that just makes them that much better than some of the other bands/musicians with family members.
Shore by Fleet Foxes
I waited on Crack-Up and that was the biggest mistake of my life. It was such a beautiful album that I was disappointed in myself and I knew that I had to listen to their next album as soon as it dropped. A few months after I listened to Crack-Up for the first time, they announced new music and it turned out to be a new album. I still prefer their 2017 album, but Shore is a close second.
Alfredo by Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
Freddie Gibbs is killing it with his recent releases. It may not be another Madlib produced album, but him and The Alchemist have some chemistry too. Not as great as Madlib and Freddie Gibbs, but I'll take it for 2020.
Women in Music Pt. III by HAIM
Speaking of bands with family members, we come back with HAIM. I didn't really know what to expect from this album, but it has been growing on me. I haven't re-listened to it as much as I would have liked to, but I will be checking it out more frequently since album releases have slowed down.
Man on the Moon III: The Chosen by Kid Cudi
This was another shocking music release. Just in time for the end of the year, Kid Cudi returns for his third installment of the Man on the Moon series. Also, if you're a Kid Cudi fan, I'm sure you'll be able to spot out some of the references to his first two albums in the series, especially with the call out on the very first track of the album.
Man Alive! by King Krule
Not much that I can say about this album, other than that he cut down the album length from The OOZ. I personally liked The OOZ, but this album struck a chord with me. Also, it may take some time to get used to his voice if you are just checking out his music for the first time.
No Pressure by Logic
While the debate about Logic retiring is up in the air, he really outdid himself for the 'final' Logic album. It seems like he's enjoying retirement and being a father though. He's also gaining a solid following on Twitch so he's been able to keep up a steady income without rapping. Even if he does come back to rapping, I don't think we'll ever get an album like this again.
Circles by Mac Miller
I would have never guessed that Mac was almost done with another album, or at least a sister album to Swimming. Especially since he's gone now, you can hear the raw emotion in so many of these tracks that it can make you tear up. It's surprising to see how much he has matured since his early mixtapes to Circles.
RTJ4 by Run The Jewels
Besides a few tracks off of RTJ3, Run The Jewels definitely know how to hype fans up. I didn't think this duo would have continued on for this long, but here we are with a fourth album, and in the year 2020 with that. I would have to say this is my second favorite Run The Jewels album to date.
The New Abnormal by The Strokes
Even though the album is only 9 tracks long, it's near perfection. It's also 45 minutes long so these aren't short and simple tracks. They're just another band that came off of a long run without music and returned from the dead in 2020. Other than that, I don't have too much to say about this album other than it's one of the best rock albums of the year.
The Slow Rush by Tame Impala
Alright, I may be impartial on this album since Tame Impala is my favorite artist, but you have to give Kevin Parker credit on this one. I don't think he ever intended on waiting this long for the album release, but he's had some pretty busy years leading up to the release of this album. Even though his Innerspeaker and Lonerism days are gone, I'm digging this new sound. I even think this album is better than Currents.
folklore by Taylor Swift
I'm surprised that I actually enjoyed a Taylor Swift album from start to finish. Even though my fiancée overplays this album all the time, I still get some enjoyment from this album whenever I hear it, especially Bon Iver's feature on exile. I would have never thought that she would have taken a folk path either, which some fans may think that Taylor Swift is going to retire soon.
It Is What It Is by Thundercat
I knew of Thundercat, but I never really listened to his music until I had the chance to review this album. He's a weird guy but his music is groovy and catchy to listen to. I also see him having larger roles as a producer in the near future.
After Hours by The Weeknd
How could I forget about The Weeknd's new album? This is some of Abel's best work to date, and that is not an exaggeration. We probably won't get anything like the Trilogy again, but this was refreshing for a change, especially with some sweet synth melodies thrown together. He's also gained more popularity with Tik Tok users.
Honorable Mention: Bebey by Theophilus London
Honestly, I almost forgot about this album, especially since I didn't have the chance to review it this year. By the time I found this album, it had already been a few weeks past and I had a ton of album reviews planned. It's a great album, especially with the fun title track, Bebey which reminds me of old beach day vibes.
That concludes the top albums list of the year! What were some of your favorite albums of 2020? Let me know down in the comments section and I will catch up with you guys in the next one!
Comments
Post a Comment