2020 in Review

2020 was a year like no other. The coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the world in early 2020, new released from some of music’s biggest artists were hard to come by, and acts stopped meeting in recording studios and stalled concert tours.

Then, civil rights took the forefront across the United States over the summer, with hip-hop artists like Run The Jewels releasing songs and albums that reflected the political climate in the country ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

While some artists took time off, other acts created more intimate sounding releases. Taylor Swift moved on from her most commercial-sounding effort and turned to a stripped-down, indie-folk sound across two releases with Aaron Dessner, capitalizing off the growing female singer-songwriter movement lead by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. Charli XCX moved away from radio-styled pop and delivered an upbeat but intimate bedroom recording that touched on the feelings of isolation and grappling with change most were going through during the year. And 2000s indie acts like The Strokes and The Microphones returned with records that felt personal, mature and were right at home for fans. The lack of touring and the prominence of gathering virtually did allow some newer acts to really shine through a swell.

That’s not to say there weren’t huge hits on repeat across the airways. Pop music still thrived, and music from the likes of Dua Lipa, The Weeknd and Drake was everywhere. And you can’t talk about 2020 without mentioning “WAP” taking over the summer.

Songs of the year

Rock

Hip-Hop

Pop