2020 may not have been the best year on a number of levels, but music was thankfully one exception. From Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande to Roddy Rich and Arca, these musicians offered up the best songs of the year.
No. 40 Dua Lipa – “Levitating”
Dance, Nu-Disco
While Future Nostalgia was chock full of Pop catnip, “Levitating” was the one to blow the most minds upon the album’s release. The production is nowhere near as glitzy as “Hallucinate” or as bombastic as “Don’t Start Now,” but it is ever so slightly restrained and lightweight, allowing one of the most insanely catchy verse melodies from this year to take center stage. As the only song on the album to back up the celestial imagery for the Future Nostalgia era, its importance can’t be downplayed.
No. 39 Gina Chavez – “Ella”
Latin, Pop
Senator Mitch McConnell might be the last person one would expect to create an intersectional rallying cry, yet Gina Chavez solidifies it on the inspirational “Ella.” Chavez takes the campaign slogan “Nevertheless, she persisted” to unite women against the forces that oppress them, whether it’s the police or the patriarchy, or the Church and homophobes attacking gay women. The infectious handclaps and serpentine synth riff disguise what might otherwise be an overbearing theme and turn it into a transcendent message.
No. 38 Tame Impala – “Lost In Yesterday”
Neo-Psychedelia, Alt-Rock
If any year reminds us all of our mortality, it was 2020. While The Slow Rush as a whole deals with this theme, “Lost in Yesterday” serves as a solid thesis statement, pleading for the listener to live in the present instead of being “haunted” by the past. While Parker may still not be the strongest lyricist, he accidentally stumbles upon some amusing metaphors for death, like letting it go like “groundhog day.” It’s a standout single that bridges the divide between Tame Impala’s rock-oriented listeners as well as its pop fans.
No. 37 Ryan Beatty – “Casino”
Indie Pop, Singer-Songwriter
Loving a man often is bundled with acceptance of their wishy-washy personas; wanting a lover at night but shying away from that same vulnerability in the morning. Here, singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty compares that love to a casino, either winning or losing without an in-between, being far more likely to wind up empty-handed. His acoustic guitar carries him as he wallows in that emptiness and the crushing realization that they simply aren’t meant to be.
No. 36 Spillage Village – “Baptize” (feat. JID & Earthgang and Ant Clemons)
Hip-Hop, Soul
There’s contagious chemistry between the artists here, as they weave together a narrative of religious themes that contains nods to sex, police brutality, and poverty. The wordplay is sharp and consistent, as the group pushes back on conservative, white associations of Jesus and Christianity to question how black people can be left to suffer so blatantly at the hands of those who should be supporting them.
No. 35 The Knocks – “Bodies” (feat. Muna)
Electronica, Dance
A song about memories, the feeling of heat in the summer, the freedom of the dance, and of being with people, strangers, and friends. The Knocks and Muna do an incredible job of creating space in the production to not only enjoy what they present but also to imagine and reminisce as well. At the moment, memories of dance floors are all that we have, and “Bodies” is now all the more pertinent.
No. 34 Harry Styles – “Watermelon Sugar”
Pop, Pop-Rock
It takes skill to write about oral sex in a way that 20 somethings will be able to grab quickly but also go over the heads of their grandparents, and Styles may have managed to do it better than anyone in recent memory. It’s radio-friendly to the point of comedy, as listeners from across the generational spectrum will be able to take different meanings away with ease. It’s infectious and timeless, and a representation of Styles can do when left to his own devices.
No. 33 Charli XCX – “Anthems“
Hyperpop, Electro-Pop
Back when virtually every country on the planet was in some form of a hard lockdown, the collective 20 something consciousness was (and still is) begging for just a single night of drunken rage. Charli XCX captures that raw, chaotic energy on “Anthems,” a banger that only the bad girl of Pop could summon.
No. 32 Rostam – “Unfold You”
Indie-Pop, Indie
While he’s taking a risk with his object of affection, the music sounds remarkably comfortable and innocuous. His voice, iced with indifference, waltzes from detail to detail, like sleeping under a bridge or the snow falling outside. Rostam hides the more salacious details behind this persona; he sees his lover “smiling” underneath his jacket waiting to be held (what could that mean, hm)? It’s all utterly charming and warm from start to finish.
No. 31 Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me“
House, Pop
When this galaxy shattering collaboration was initially announced, the immediate concern was whether or not a song could support the sheer star power it holds. Producer Bloodpop more than stood up to that challenge, his cymbal hits starting as light as a drizzle before snowballing into a hurricane of a chorus. Beyond the weight of their names alone, Gaga and Grande manage to play to one another’s strengths, complimenting each other’s vocal capacities rather than handicapping them and washing away their shared traumas together in the process.
No. 30 Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”
Rap, Hip-Hop
While Cupcakke may have pushed rap to its sleaziest and most hilarious heights over the past few years, Cardi and Megan took her torch and ran with it, maintaining all of her raunch but ditching the comedy of it. “WAP” is as close as it gets to musical porn, while its vivid descriptions of sex are perhaps the most surface level example of this, it glistens in the details. With the hissy spit on the “s” of Cardi’s “pussy”, or the air kisses floating in Megan’s verse, the two leading ladies of rap want to prove that, like Mahogany Lox, they could take your man if they wanted to.
No. 29 The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
Country, Power Pop
“Gaslighter” opens aptly with choral, twangy harmonies to remind everyone that the Chicks are back, and God willing, here to stay. The thunderous homecoming of the Chicks was everything we could’ve wanted; a fiery and scathing rebuke of a former lover that reminds him of all the godawful things that make him suck. That swaggering, progressive tempo and arena-filling chorus push the Chicks to look forward, much like they always have.
No. 28 SG Lewis – “Impact” (feat. Robyn and Chanel Tres)
Deep House, Funk
When putting three artists together on a song, there’s a temptation to give one the credit for leading the way. However, on “Impact”, the remarkably diverse trio complement each other masterfully, with Tres’ deep, baritone vocal colors reflecting harmonious sexuality to Robyn’s airy, whispery half voice. The production from Lewis not only follows their leads but also propels the energy and sensuality to astral levels that leave you begging for emancipation.
No. 27 Isaac Dunbar – “Makeup Drawer”
Synthpop, Indie Pop
The leading track from Dunbar’s EP perfectly sets the tone for what’s to follow, as well as his artistry as a whole. Atop a full-throated synthpop production, Dunbar explores his repressed childhood by using a metaphor for his queerness, but also one seemingly born from tangible personal experience. For so many queer men like Dunbar, his confessional tone will feel like much-needed catharsis.
No. 26 Soccer Mommy – “Circle the Drain”
Indie Rock, Lo-fi
Nashville’s favorite Soccer Mommy strips back her walls on the highlight track from her second studio LP. The lyrics in the first verse are whip-smart, a masterclass in how to be within reach to the most casual listener but nuanced enough to keep the attentive fan guessing. “Drain” also has perhaps the most vivid psychedelic hues on “Color Theory,” with her guitar spinning as she goes “round and around,” while bubbles burst at the song’s curtain call. It all coalesces into the most compelling offering from her yet.
No. 25 Bree Runway – “Little Nokia”
Electrorock, Hip-Hop
While Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion (deservingly) dominated headlines this year, Londoner Bree Runway has been hard at work, helping to forge the cutting edge of hyper pop-rap. “Little Nokia” is a thrilling experimental track, incorporating various electronic, rock, and hyperpop elements for a final product that’s daring yet polished. She rages as her lover gets caught up in drug dealing, climaxing with an epic bridge vocal that establishes her versatility in just over two minutes.
No. 24 Carly Rae Jepsen & Bleachers – “Comeback”
Synthpop, Indie Pop
“I’m at a war with myself” is one hell of an opening line, especially coming off of the Target commercial-peppiness of its preceding track, “Let’s Sort The Whole Thing Out.” But while Jepsen is indeed battling her surely sword-wielding self, the song is much more about the struggle that she and her lover are having over the same identity. She’s lost herself in her partner in an attempt to win his love over. The cyclical synths from Jack Antonoff give the impression of a repeating pattern, one that’s pleasant but also lacks ultimate fulfillment. No matter how hard she tries, this guy will never love her as much as she could love herself.
No. 23 Arca – “KLK” (feat. Rosalía)
Electronica, Reggaeton
The explosive duet between the Spanish superstars is one of the more accessible tracks that Arca has ever offered up, but also one of Rosalía’s more bombastic as well. The production is absolutely gargantuan, so uncontrollable, that it nearly spirals into chaos by the song’s final chorus.
No. 22 Lianne La Havas – “Paper Thin”
R&B, Neo Soul
“Paper Thin” is a tune as gentle as its title suggests. La Havas grapples with herself and her contradictions, “Slippin’ in and out of such confidence,” and struggles to find equilibrium. Her demeanor is remarkably calm, telling her lover matter of factly “I’m just trying to love you.” Her voice is the real star of the show; glimmering and ethereal, tiptoeing along the edge of breaking; but never failing.
No. 21 Roddy Rich – “The Box”
Rap, Hip-Hop
One of my favorite moments of 2020 was when Doja Cat, pop music’s biggest jokester, took to Instagram live adorned in full chainmail linked armor to give a Shakespearean performance of “The Box.” While that certainly should elevate this song in the eyes of any listener, “The Box” also excels on its own, sounding like it was destined to be the biggest hit of the year well before it hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. He didn’t try to make an impossibly impressive rap track, but rather one that’s universally appealing and full of his character. And for that, he was rightly rewarded.
No. 20 Lido Pimienta – “Nada”
Latin-Pop, Alt-Pop
Speaking to Radionica, Pimienta broke down this showstopper in the most gut-wrenching fashion: “In our countries, dying of natural causes does not frighten us. They rape us, they kill us, they sell us, from infants to old women. When Death visits us, the worst has happened to us.” In the face of oppression, nothing can scare her now. The slow, hip-swaying, traditional cumbia instrumentation of “Nada” soon burgeons into a brave electronic affair as she blooms in self-assurance.
No. 19 Phoeber Bridgers – “Chinese Satellite”
Indie Rock, Singer-Songwriter
One of the Punisher’s few up-tempo moments is a personal critique of religion, as Bridgers reflects on her atheism. While atheists are notorious for their condescension, Bridgers avoids this trope, posing simply “why would someone do this when they could do something else?” She grapples with the consequences of her beliefs and the conflict of wanting to believe in a higher divinity but being unable to accept it with refreshing honesty.
No. 18 The 1975 – “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
Indie Pop, Pop Rock
This is the 1975 at their best, with all the hallmarks of their core sound in full force. While that means it doesn’t break new musical ground for the band, it amplifies the disco stride of “The Sound” to mountainous heights. Healey’s buoyant and snarky vocals manage to keep this gigantic sound afloat, with hard snare hits keeping the energy pumped up to an 11. As Healy tries to subdue his long-distance lover’s insecurities, the rest of the 1975 swells with confidence behind him.
No. 17 The Strokes – “Selfless”
Rock, Post-Punk Revival
After a tumultuous decade in the 2010s, the Strokes rose from the ashes with their first full-length offering since 2013’s dud Comedown Machine. The second track from The New Abnormal reflects the growth that comes with maturity; Casablancas tones down his gritty vocal to profess his desire for a selfless love, even if it means waiting longer than a century for it.
No. 16 Christine & the Queens – “People, I’ve Been Sad”
Synthpop, French Pop
If there could’ve been a universal catchphrase for the March and April of 2020, it would’ve been “It’s true that people, I’ve been sad.” The song’s plights are actually inspired by the death of the songwriter’s mother in 2019, which makes the refrain of “If you disappear then I’m disappearing too” all the more soul-crushing. If you’ve been feeling like making a comeback after hitting rock bottom, let Christine inspire you.
No. 15 Dagny – “Somebody”
Synthpop, Indie Pop
While Norwegian chanteuse Dagny has often kept an element of acoustic sound in her music, here she casts that restraint aside to unleash an unabashed synthpop banger. It’s a pop tune as sharp as they come, the simple and relatable imagery of riding in a car during the summertime matched with the swells and crescendos of the best anthems out there.
No. 14 beabadoobee – “Care”
Indie Rock, Bedroom Pop
There has been a deluge of excellent female-led rock this year, but beabadoobee shifts left of center by embracing the teenage elements of her music that made the early 2000s pop-rock of Natasha Bedingfield and Kelly Clarkson so damn fun. It’s refreshing to see someone not simply embrace the gaiety of that style of music, but also invigorate it with a hook as purifying as “You don’t care.”
No. 13 Chloe x Halle – “Ungodly Hour”
R&B, House
The two sisters are tenacious even in the face of rejection; however, their objectives remain nebulous like early relationships often are. They’re willing to be loved in the “ungodly hour” by a hot-and-cold man, but what they want after seems after the fact is undefined.
No. 12 Perfume Genius – “On the Floor”
Indie Rock, Artpop
While a true pop tune was something that could’ve been long expected to organically arise from Mike Hadreas, it’s uniquely distorted flair makes it far more compelling than many of the offerings of his contemporaries or even the most bonafide pop star. The slanted, angular guitar riff hypnotizes from the instance it strikes, beautifully complementing the agony of Hadreas’ vocals and lyricism. It’s romantic but painful, in all the ways that love is.
No. 11 Kylie Minogue – “Magic”
Nu Disco, Synthpop
If any star was going to be able to deliver an impeccable Disco single, it was Kylie Minogue. To have a star whose career began so close to the Disco look back to it for inspiration is almost chilling; there simply won’t be another song or record—quite like this one again. Her voice is still pristine, her energy is generationless, and the energy delivered is simply euphoric.
No. 10 Arlo Parks – “Eugene”
R&B, Bedroom Pop
The struggles of the friend zone have inspired countless pieces of millennial pop—looking at you, Drake—yet it’s hard to remember the last one to be this intimate. Her tone is casual and personal throughout, from the soft, conversation initiating “hey” in the chorus to her recollection of painful details like holding Taco Bell as her crush cries over someone else. The perfect rhymes and her whispering vocal blunt her raw heartbreak so deftly that it becomes easy to lose lines like “I hate that son of a bitch” in the ocean-like sound she creates. It’s almost impossible not to feel heartbroken for her.
No. 9 Thundercat – “Dragonabll Durag”
R&B, Nu-Jazz
While Thundercat’s musical delivery is perfect in the classical sense, his instrumentation blurs whether or not he’s being dramatic or sarcastic. It is his vocal tone that makes it clear that he’s joking… at least a little bit. He’s covered in cat hair and clearly embarrassed of his animated interests, but as he told Apple Music, his durag boasts superpowers, and in spite of the odds, he still feels fly enough to smash.
No. 8 Moses Sumney – “In Bloom”
Baroque Pop, Neo Soul
Never has being put in “the friend zone” sounded so romantic. The highlight from Sumney’s unmatched 2020 LP, he narrates the struggles of being unable to read his friend’s actions and emotions as he fantasizes about what could be. The descending string lines and dense harmonies muffle his voice like the feelings he’s trying to obfuscate, and you’re left wondering how anyone could break a heart as pure and gentle as his.
No. 7 Tennis – “Need Your Love”
Indie Pop, Pop
The transition from the verse to the chorus is one of the most jarring moments in pop since Lorde’s “Green Light,” but also preposterously amazing. Where the chorus presents a sappy first line before flipping the interpretation in the second, the sound mimics this, going from fast and peppy before slamming on the brakes and falling into a hypnotic rhythm. Pleading for a savior like she’s Bonnie Taylor on “I Need A Hero,” Moore sounds enrapturing.
No. 6 Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist & Rick Ross – “Scottie Beam”
Jazz Rap, Hip-Hop
The tranquil piano riffs set a cerebral tone that allows the rappers to flow like poets, as they confess how the year and its numerous tragedies have affected them psychologically. Ross remembers the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and fellow passengers on that fatal helicopter crash and thus his own fragile humanity, while Gibbs breaks down the dichotomy that exists between his life as a successful rapper and his life as a black man in America. Their vulnerability is a reminder of how universal the trauma of death – and death itself – is.
No. 5 Rina Sawayama – “XS”
Numetal, Pop-Rock
Pop has long been regarded as the most capitalist genre, accused of being the sound of businesses and labels rather than a legitimate avenue of musical expression. On, “XS” Sawayama flips that narrative, criticizing capitalism from a genre perhaps least expected to hit it. She makes the song sound tortured, with blaring electric guitars bookending sugary choruses to emulate this conflict. While doing so “XS” remains remarkably peppy, never compromising its integrity to appeal to the masses.
No. 4 Taylor Swift – “peace”
Acoustic Pop, Folk Pop
Taylor Swift strips down her sound and walls on this confessional centerpiece. While it is another song in her discography about love within the confines of fame, her lyricism as a 30 something overwhelms that of her previous work. She reaches for new vocabulary words on “Peace” like she does on the rest of folklore, but her poetry is still effortless without it: “All these people think love’s for show / But I would die for you in secret.” Nor does she beg her lover to stay or offer him a promise of perfection, rather she gives him an honest assessment of her love and what it will entail, along with a simple but powerful query that could evaporate her relationship in an instant: would she be enough even “if I could never give you peace?”
No. 3 The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”
Synthpop, Electropop
It’s hard for anyone to deny the infectiousness of this cocked and loaded record-breaking banger. The Weeknd moves toward the center of pop rather than away from it, offering up a hypnotic slice of electropop that shakes off the standards and label of R&B that is projected onto him by the mainstream.
No. 2 Sufjan Stevens – “Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse”
Electronica, Alternative Pop
Whatever Stevens decided to muster for his latest studio album was likely to be well-received, but he more than stepped up to the plate once again, and nowhere is that more apparent than on the five-minute epic “Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse.” He commands attention from the moment his auto-tuned voice chimes in, and the urgency of his demand is supported by an alarmed synthetic background. “Refuse” twists and turns like a winding mountainous road, and by the time you reach the apex you’ll be ready to strap in and go along the journey once again.
No. 1 Jessie Ware – “Spotlight”
Post-Disco, Soul Pop
Numerous publications have pointed out an unmistakable New Yorker-aura to Jessie Ware’s 2020 LP What’s Your Pleasure, and perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than here on the opening track. A melancholy intro with just piano, strings, and vocals could go anywhere, and it effortlessly and perfectly slides into a gentle, glimmering disco soundtrack with a distinct Broadway flair. While “Spotlight” is glorious to listen to on any format, the tiny details like the trombones in the bridge or the wabbling background vocals elevate it to empyrean heights.
“Spotlight” never gives in to the temptation to become bombastic, rather Ware dances on the edge of it. It’s timelessly sophisticated, retro, and contemporary, in the most marvelous and compelling contradiction. Ware is not simply in the spotlight, now, she’s commanding it.
No. 40 Dua Lipa – “Levitating”
No. 39 Gina Chavez – “Ella”
No. 38 Tame Impala – “Lost in Yesterday”
No. 37 Ryan Beatty – “Casino”
No. 36 Spillage Village – “Baptize” (feat. JID & Earthgang and Ant Clemons)
No. 35 The Knocks – “Bodies” (feat. Muna)
No. 34 Harry Styles – “Watermelon Sugar”
No. 33 Charli XCX – “Anthems”
No. 32 Rostam – “Unfold You”
No. 31 Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”
No. 30 Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”
No. 29 The Chicks – “Gaslighter”
No. 28 SG Lewis – “Impact” (feat. Robyn & Chanel Tres)
No. 27 Isaac Dunbar – “Makeup Drawer”
No. 26 Soccer Mommy – “Circle the Drain”
No. 25 Bree Runway – “Little Nokia”
No. 24 Carly Rae Jepsen & Bleachers – “Comeback”
No. 23 Arca & Rosalía – “KLK”
No. 22 Lianne La Havas – “Paper Thin”
No. 21 Roddy Rich – “The Box”
No. 20 Lido Pimienta – “Nada”
No. 19 Phoebe Bridgers – “Chinese Satellite”
No. 18 The 1975 – “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”
No. 17 The Strokes – “Selfless”
No. 16 Christine & the Queens – “People, I’ve Been Sad”
No. 15 Dagny – “Somebody”
No. 14 beabadoobee – “Care”
No. 13 Chole x Halle – “Ungodly Hour”
No. 12 Perfume Genius – “On the Floor”
No. 11 Kylie Minogue – “Magic”
No. 10 Arlo Parks – “Eugene”
No. 9 Thundercat – “Dragonball Durag”
No. 8 Moses Sumney – “In Bloom”
No. 7 Tennis – “Need Your Love”
No. 6 Freddie Gibbs, the Alchemist & Rick Ross – “Scottie Beam”
No. 5 Rina Sawayama – “XS”
No. 4 Taylor Swift – “peace”
No. 3 The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”
No. 2 Sufjan Stevens – “Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse”
No. 1 Jessie Ware – “Spotlight”
