Anu Gulati
Favorite music of 2020
I’m aware there’s a month left in 2020. Figured I’d document what music I’ve loved the most this year. I thought it was a pretty good music year, overwhelming with releases at times. I spent a lot of time not keeping up with 2020 music and being invested in 2000s rap instead, or Big L essentials, or Chilean trap. I also got really into Milwaukee rap while the rest of the country was catching up on Detroit rap thru TikTok.
I’ll have the albums list at the end ordered, but the following tracks will be unordered. These are my favorite songs of 2020, as well as my favorite moments in songs.
“Azul” by J Balvin
“Word on the Streets,” “Crash” and “Fuck All Dat” by Key Glock
“Hardest to Love” by The Weeknd
“Street Affection” by Lil Durk
“Action” by WiFiGawd
”@ Meh” by Playboi Carti
“Backflip or Sumn” by Drakeo the Ruler
Freddie Gibbs’s verse on “$500 Ounces” from Westside Gunn’s Pray for Paris
“Bean (Kobe)” ft. Chief Keef by Lil Uzi Vert
“Kobe Free” by Lil Poppa (I deeply loved any mention of Kobe in songs this year)
“the 1” by Taylor Swift
“Blue World” by Mac Miller
“Gross” by Princess Nokia
“Emotionally Scarred” and “Gang Signs” by Lil Baby
“Ourself” by NSG
“SOLDIERS” ft. Sampha by Headie One
“City Poppin” by BlueBucksClan ft. King Combs
“The Moment” ft. King Combs, Kai Ca$h by FLEE
“Official” by A.G. Cook (one of my favorite songwriting examples of the past two years)
“SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY” by Amaarae
“Waving, Smiling” by Angel Olsen
“Flow” by Kelly Lee Owens
“Essence” ft. Tems by WizKid
“Run and Hide” by Jay Electronica
“Clouded” and “Skyline” by Brent Faiyaz
“High Speed” by FMB DZ
“Play Play” ft. Burna Boy by J Hus
“You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around” by Grimes
“City On My Back” and “Window Shopper” by Rio Da Yung OG
“Gushers” by DCLAY
“Never Worked” by The Jacka
“Shife” by Z-Ro
“Me Too” by BandGang Lonnie Bands
“Forever Ballin” by Yhung T.O. and DaBoii
“That One Bag” ft. BabyTron by Cash Kidd
“BRAND NEW” by Bino Rideaux
“Fantasy” by Against All Logic
“Local Scammer (Remix)” ft. Ivorian Doll by G4 Boyz
“A Forecast” by Touché Amoré
“Don’t Need Time” by HotBoii
“Never Come Back” by Caribou
“Korleone” by BBY KODIE
“dropout” by brakence
The perfect run of “Dangerous City” -> “So What” -> “Outlandish” -> “Keep it Going” by dvsn on his album.
“Been Turnt” by 42 Dugg
“Songs about you” by Chika
“Rover” ft. DTG by S1mba
“IN THE MIRROR 거울” by Yaeji
“Foreigner” by Pop Smoke (I hate the A Boogie verse)
“Blueberry Faygo” by Lil Mosey (in my opinion this was the song of the summer)
“forever” by Charli XCX
“Kam and Kauri” ft. Skilla Baby by Sada Baby (I’ve said this since I discovered “Womack”, but Skilla Baby is one of the best out of Detroit fr)
everything osquinn has released this year
“Ohio Tpke” by Jeff Rosenstock
And now my favorite albums (subject to shift before the end of the year, of course):
- The Price of Tea in China by Boldy James
- Evergreen Wildchild 2 by Lil Poppa
- YHLQMDLG by Bad Bunny
- Meet the Woo 2 by Pop Smoke
- Eternal Atake (Deluxe) by Lil Uzi Vert
- WHAT WE DREW by Yaeji
- Fuck the World by Brent Faiyaz
- How I’m Feeling Now by Charli XCX
- Notes on a Conditional Form by The 1975
- Heat Check, Vol. 2 by WiFiGawd x Tony Seltzer
If the ShittyBoyz compilation of their best YouTube songs counts, that album would be in my top 5 easily.
Honorable mentions that I still really love: My Turn by Lil Baby, 1800 by Ty Fontaine, Industry Games by Chika, A Muse in her Feelings by dvsn, Eat When You’re Hungry, Sleep When You’re Tired by Jay Worthy and Harry Fraud, City On My Back by Rio Da Yung OG, Attack of the Future Shocked, Flesh Covered, Meatbags of the 85 by $ilkmoney, We’re New Again by Makaya McCraven / Gil-Scott Heron, and Yellow Tape by Key Glock.