Quick reminder that there is a Spotify playlist at the bottom, and likely wherever you clicked in from as well, with all 50 songs in there!
25. Pop Smoke - “Shake The Room” (Feat. Quavo)
Pop Smoke has become one of the biggest names in hip hop during 2020, but he was sadly murdered in February of this year before his profile really blew up to the level he’s at now. “Shake The Room” balances the more accessible music that ended up taking him to the stratosphere, and the aggressive drill music that started his career. The song is produced by 808Melo who ended up shaping Pop Smoke’s biggest hits of his career, and features many of the traditional drill beat aspects; including skittering hi hats, an eerie vocal sample, menacing synths, and deep 808s. Pop Smoke brings his evil, gravely voice to this track that makes it feel gritty, but it also features accessible trap rapper Quavo with the lead off verse. It helps this song be the perfect example to show the drill beginnings of Pop Smoke, and the accessible songs that his massive posthumous release had.
24. Nubya Garcia - “Pace”
Nubya Garcia manages to merge both the lyrical side of jazz music, with the improvisation and instrumental building of traditional jazz music. For the first four minutes of the track, she lets her and her saxophone shine above the rest. They return to the theme once again after it reaches levels of pure organized chaos. Then the pianist, Joe Armon-Jones, gets his shine for yet another incredible build into this state of organized chaos before the same theme returns. Nubya then leads the song to it’s satisfying conclusion. It’s easily the standout on her project, and one of the best jazz tracks of the year.
23. HAIM - “The Steps”
HAIM created the ultimate summer album, and this lead single would’ve been everywhere if it weren’t for coronavirus. The song is very hook heavy, but luckily it’s one of the most immediately memorable choruses of the year. The subject matter isn’t anything special or unique, which makes it simple enough for everyone to understand on first listen. Either way, this is one of the songs where the lyrical content doesn’t even matter because the tune is so well constructed. The production isn’t unique or extremely detailed either, but it works for the song. “The Steps” isn’t a song that works when you look at every individual part by itself, but it all comes together to make a fantastic indie pop and rock song.
22. Taylor Swift - “exile” (Feat. Bon Iver)
Taylor Swift and Justin Vernon come together to create one of the most beautiful tracks of 2020 with the ballad “Exile”. As with almost all of Taylor’s songs, it’s a song about a failing relationship, this time with Taylor and Justin playing each side respectively. Justin Vernon starts out the track in a vocal style he almost never uses, one vocal layer using his lower register. It’s a jaw dropping and surprising moment, even for fans of Justin. After Taylor gives her verse, the song builds perfectly for the final two minutes and ends up going from the single vocal line at the beginning to layers upon layers of both Justin and Taylor’s vocals over some strings and a piano. It’s the highlight on the project, and one of the best ballads this year.
21. Ian Isiah - “Can’t Call It”
This song combines all the best aspects that Ian was doing on his 2020 project, Auntie. It has an extremely funky instrumental with these glistening synths and a fascinating bassline. The instrumental for the song transitions from verse to chorus perfectly, and is different enough to where it doesn’t get stale. It even has a great instrumental solo and outro to close the track out. Ian also gets the opportunity to let his voice shine on this track. His vocals soar over the pre chorus and chorus into this memorable melody that will be stuck in listeners’ heads immediately. For anyone that misses the 80s, this song and project is a necessary listen.
20. Channel Tres - “Stake Depot”
Channel has this unique combination of house and hip hop that creates this extremely vibe heavy music, and this song might be his best so far. “Skate Depot” isn’t very complicated, but it hits all the right buttons. I don’t know how to skate, but I’d imagine skating down the boardwalk on a beach in California is where the song would be best listened to. There’s just this sense of calm that washes over you while listening to this song. It’s this infectious chorus that just makes it incapable to sit completely still while it’s on. Channel Tres has perfected the calming, but groovy track once again with “Skate Depot”.
19. KennyHoopla - “how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway?//”
Now this is an anthem. It’s made to be screamed at the top of your lungs while driving with your friends in the summer with the windows down. Even the title even gives off the emo, anthemic indie rock vibe that the song exudes. KennyHoopla’s voice may not be objectively great, but his power and feeling behind the chorus is what makes the song. While the guitar and drums help drive the production, it really is the chorus and vocal performance that stands out over almost anything else this year. Nothing better than constantly screaming, “She’s gonna cut my head off, but I don’t care”.
18. Jaden - “Cabin Fever”
Jaden has simultaneously been one of the most daring and bombastic, but also unoriginal artists in a long time. His albums have been highly conceptual, hour long projects that all intertwine with one another that while entertaining, are very derivative of his favorite artists. “Cabin Fever” is one of Jaden’s most tame songs yet, but it manages to be one of his best. It’s a song for the coronavirus pandemic that is also supposed to be a distraction from 2020. It’s just a simple love song, and even takes some notes from some of the best songwriters ever, The Beatles. It even shows Jaden going away from hip hop influenced music, as this is a normal pop song in sound and structure. It’s not anything special, but it’s an extremely catchy, delightful, earworm of a tune.
17. Clipping - “Pain Everyday” (Feat. Michael Esposito)
Clipping has always been one to push the envelope of hip hop, and this song shows them at some of their best. Daveed is spitting another horrifying tale on here, this time about ghosts of lynching victims haunting their murderers and their families until they end up killing themselves. It’s truly a disturbing story and the way Daveed tells it is extremely fascinating, but it’s the production that truly brings this song home. The song consists of insane flashes of sporadic drums and synths that build and change throughout the entire song. It all climaxes in the final 50 seconds of the track, where it goes full crazy in the best way possible. It sounds like the most random and anxiety inducing music possible, but they layer on some beautiful strings fit for a movie soundtrack to help make it sound peaceful. No one else is making music quite like this.
16. RMR - “Rascal”
This song should’ve been huge. It had the novelty aspect with the song itself being a cover of “Bless the Broken Road” but with lyrics about getting out of the trap. RMR’s voice immediately stands out, as it’s a beautiful combination of a country tinged accent and a nasal delivery. The piano is played beautifully, and the layering on RMR’s voice makes anything he says sound gorgeous. Even when the lyrics about RMR flexing how good of a drug dealer he is, he still shows that he would quit immediately if there was a better path for him, “Show me a better way, promise I’ll quit this game.” The song may have been made for the gimmick of the video and lyrics, but it’s a genuinely beautiful and kind of hilarious song.
15. Childish Gambino - “53.49”
This is pure freedom in the form of a song. Gambino’s vocals alternate from weird, half-rapped verses to euphoric, screamed vocals during the chorus. It ends the journey of the album with Gambino finally finding peace with his father’s death and insecurities in his own life. He realizes that the only thing that will save him is love, “There is love in every moment under the sun, boy. I did what I wanted to.” He even makes sure to have a minute long outro where he just encourages the listener to dance freely and just enjoy life. It would be a perfect closer for a concert, but there’s a chance that we’ll never see this song live, as he might be done with music for good. Although he has mentioned he’s working on music, there’s no knowing if or when he will release it and under what name. So in case this is his final song, or even just the final song under the name Childish Gambino, this is a perfect way for his career to come to a close.
14. 100 gecs - “hand crushed by a mallet (Remix)” [Feat. Fall Out Boy, Craig Owens, and Nicole Dollanganger]
Never would’ve thought a feature list like this would work on a 100 gecs song, but it came together to one of the most insane songs of 2020. Even compared to the genre-less sound 100 gecs normally has, this song is another level of crazy. It goes from a hyperpop banger in the original, to a high speed, metal and rock influenced mutant of a song. Every feature on here works beautifully, from one of the highest selling rock bands of the past couple decades to a small youtuber whose guitar cover was so great that they just asked him for permission to use it. There’s no accurate way to prepare people for what this song sounds like, but it’s easily one of the most inventive and unique songs in a long time.
13. Drake - “Laugh Now Cry Later” (Feat. Lil Durk)
Now that Drake delayed his album until next year, this single really got its own time to shine this year. Drake didn’t do anything new on here, but it proves how easily he can make hits like this. The victorious horns help give the song its uplifting feeling. Even with the uplifting feeling, the song shows Drake and Lil Durk going into their struggles with fame and relationships. That paradox is even apparent in the title, as the song shows them trying to laugh through the pain in the moment so that they can deal with it later. It also has an immediately catchy chorus, uses Lil Durk’s high pitched voice to break up the song, and still feels fresh after many listens. Drake always seems to put out quality hits before his album, and this is yet another one to add to his ever growing list of hits.
12. The Strokes - “At The Door”
This song is very unique for The Strokes, as it almost sounds like a Voidz song, Julien’s side band. The song is extremely synth heavy and only uses the rest of the traditional band very sparingly. Julien talks about a lost relationship and the effect it has on his self esteem, and delivers one of his best vocal performances in a long time. Rick Rubin helps produce the song and he helps the song transition beautifully from the ballad itself to the almost two minute long outro that puts this downtrodden instrumental as the focal point. There was no one expecting The Strokes to make songs this unique and changing their sound 20 years after they started, but here they are and they did it successfully.
11. Ezra Collective - “Footprints”
This song is a bit different than the rest of them on here, as this is actually a cover of a Wayne Shorter song by the same name. As with most jazz, the cover can still be very different from the original because of all the solos, and that is very much the case here. Ezra Collective takes the chorus, but then adds in their own style of a perfect mixture between lyrical and straight jazz. The song is driven by the piano and drums and some luscious horn solos as well. Femi Koleoso’s drum performance is perfect and especially the transition between the chorus and solos is perfect. It’s always the little things in his performance that make him a special drummer. Joe Armon-Jones goes on a fantastic, winding piano solo that makes up most of the track, and even provides a gorgeous outro as well. They have always provided a great entryway into jazz and also made my favorite jazz track of 2020.
10. Kenny Mason - “Metal Wings”
Kenny Mason showed in 2020 that he was more than just a talented rapper. His 2019 aptly named “Hit” started off his career on a positive trajectory, but “Metal Wings” shows how unique Kenny can be. Sonically, most of the song revolves around a normal hip hop sounding beat with a guitar riff providing some extra layering in the background. His lyrics fit the dark instrumental perfectly, as he talks about everything from him getting shot in the back (the bullets being the metal wings the song is named after) to his grandmother passing away and how it affected him. But where the song gets special is the ending when it has a full rock breakdown with these layers of guitars and Kenny’s voice being fully disguised with autotune. His extremely melodic chorus helps the song transition perfectly between each section of the track. “Metal Wings” shows how Kenny Mason can combine hip hop and rock better than anyone else in 2020.
9. The Weeknd - “Faith”
The Weeknd dominated 2020 and this song shows every facet of his arsenal in one, four and a half minute song. The first half of the track consists of this overbearing, heavy synth bass driven instrumental produced by legendary producer Metro Boomin. Abel is at his lowest point here, using every drug he can get his hands on, all just to numb the pain of his heartbreak. Everything about this half is summed up in the post chorus, “I’ve been sober for a year, now it’s time for me to go back to my old ways, don’t you cry for me. Thought I’d be a better man, but you lied to me and to you.” The song then transitions into this minimalistic outro with Abel likely having OD’d, as there’s sirens in the background of this part. Everything is drenched in layers of reverb to create an auditory equivalent to what Abel is experiencing. In an album with an overarching concept and story, this song tells a satisfying story all in itself about a man at his lowest.
8. Jensen McRae - “Wolves”
I don’t think there was a song this year that blew me out of the water as much as this one. The song is an honest and poetic portrayal of sexually manipulative men. It draws a comparison between how wolves hunt their prey and how these men are finding and manipulating their victims. The first two verses are about specific experiences about sexual assault, one at 15 years old in a parking lot and at 19 years old during a party. The final verse is from someone who’s already been a victim and sees the abuser finding someone new to continue the cycle. It’s a heartbreaking song and Jensen’s powerful vocals help make it as important as it is. The instrumental is also minimal and provides a great backdrop to the story and focus of the song. “Wolves” clearly isn’t a track that people ride around listening to on a nice summer day, but it’s an important song that needs to be heard.
7. Mac Miller - “Hand Me Downs”
The entirety of Mac’s project is full of melancholic, peaceful songs, but “Hand Me Downs” slightly stands above the rest. Every nook and cranny of the track is full of nostalgia and reflection. The simple, slow drums pair perfectly with the guitar line that helps drive the instrumental. That’s all there is to the production, which gives Mac the ability to just speak his mind and truly be heard. He’s reflecting on his problems that stop him from being the best version of himself. It’s heartbreaking listening to it now knowing these ills did take him from Earth. It’s also the only track on the album to have a feature, which is used perfectly with the song dissolving into the Baro Sura’s chorus. This is truly one of the songs that are just above description and is purely based on how it makes the listener feel.
6. Gorillaz - “Pac Man” (Feat. ScHoolboy Q)
Gorillaz is so diverse that there’s hardly a sound to call a quintessential Gorillaz sound, but this would be that sound. These electronic synths and funky instrumental with a hip hop feature describes most of Gorillaz most famous songs, but this one still stands out from the rest. Instead of the rap verse being lighthearted and conceptual, ScHoolboy Q gives multiple verses about deep and personal topics. He includes race relations, raising his daughter, clawing his way to the top, drug addiction, and more in these verses. He doesn’t peel back the layers to this extent too much, so hearing a verse this open and complex in wordplay is a unique experience. Of course, the song is still catchy and groovy itself since it’s a Gorillaz song, but the ScHoolboy feature elevates it to one of my favorite songs of 2020.
5. 070 Shake - “Guilty Conscious”
The first time most of us heard 070 Shake was on the 2018 Kanye anthem “Ghost Town” and her incredible outro to the track. She finally released her debut album in the beginning of 2020, and this song proves that she’s way more than a one hit wonder. The concept is fascinating for a pop song, as she’s portraying a man being vulnerable and catching his significant other cheating. But even with the intriguing and moving concept, the reason this song is special is that it’s the catchiest song of 2020. The melody she uses for the chorus and how the glistening synth-pop instrumental play off of it is perfect. It’s one of those songs where you don’t really know what it’s about unless you listen hard because the melodies are just so intoxicating. It’s a perfect synth-pop song and shows that 070 Shake is just getting started.
4. Megan Thee Stallion - “Savage (Remix)” [Feat. Beyonce]
“Savage” was already a fantastic song, but Beyonce took the song from pretty good to one of the best songs of 2020. The entire song is restructured and features everything new besides the chorus and instrumental. Beyonce makes her presence known all over the track from two main solo verses and one where her and Megan go back and forth. Her delivery is better than 90% of rappers out right now, and she delivers some of the most iconic and timely lines of 2020 about TikTok and Only Fans. She even adds in new adlibs all over the track that are equal parts beautiful and awesome. The chemistry between them is instant and it’s honestly shocking that they recorded this separately. That Houston connection was more important than just chemistry, as they also donated all the profits to COVID relief in their hometown. Their confidence is awe-inspiring and they tried to have everyone feeling their best for at least four minutes this year.
3. Spillage Village - “Hapi”
No song made about the pandemic’s effects was more effective than Spillage Village’s “Hapi”. Built around some fantastic piano playing, each of the three artists meditate on how they deal with the world as well as focusing on their pasts. Mereba touches on how being among trees and forests helps her to refocus on making sure everyone is treated equally. Olu takes a more religious approach, belting out his verse like a gospel song and giving his best vocal performance ever. He follows a similar subject matter, but this time makes grand statements instead of the introspection that Mereba’s verse is. Benji gives the final verse on the song and it’s a motivational look at his personal goals and self confidence. All of this is wrapped up with Big Rube’s spoken word outro centered on freedom. It’s a truly moving, six and a half minute epic of a song that needs to be listened to.
2. Rosalia - “Juro Que”
This song is easily the most impressive track I’ve heard in 2020. To stay along with traditional flamenco music, the only instrumentation on the song is a guitar and some handclaps. Even with only two sounds, it sounds extremely full and layered. Over it, Rosalia weaves a tale of waiting for her boyfriend who is in jail due to a robbery. It’s all deeply connected to the story of her previous album, El Mal Querer. Luckily she has subtitles in the video for those of us that don’t speak Spanish to understand what she’s saying. Vocally, she takes a very traditional approach and it shows off her incredible voice. There are some notes that just leave me in awe every time. When the song gets special is towards the end when they layer her voice in autotune. It’s evident up to this point that she doesn’t need autotune to sing well, but it helps bring this traditional genre into the current day. There’s just something special about this song that amazes me every listen and hopefully Rosalia doesn’t abandon this sound into the future.
1. Thundercat - “Dragonball Durag”
2020 has obviously been pretty abhorrent, so sometimes we just need to have a smile and forget about life for three minutes. “Dragonball Durag” is here for those times. Every single time I listened to this song or watched the video, it would force me to smile and be happy. You can’t possibly listen to this song and not be in a good mood. Lines about cat hair, his chains, and comic books show the true hilarity of Thundercat. There’s no song this year that gives off this type innocent feeling, even with the global pandemic. Even if we look at the song critically, it’s still one of the most unique and funky of the songs of the year. The lyrical structure is all wonky, as there’s not really an official chorus but rather just returns to phrases all throughout the track. He also brings on current day saxophone icon and child friend Kamasi Washington who subtly adds quite a lot to the track. These stuttering, almost 8-bit sounding keyboards help fill out the incredible bassline that the track has going for it. “Dragonball Durag” may not be a prototypical song of the year, but the impact of just a pure, lively track in 2020 is something that can’t be underestimated.
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