Happy New Year, everyone! The concept of time has frankly melted anyway, so it’s difficult for me to really comprehend the fact that we’re entering a new year—although perhaps it’ll be good for all of us to put a mental partition up from everything that went down in 2020.
With all of us holed up inside due to a little something called a pandemic, it feels like all of us had more time than ever to really listen to music. Something as omnipresent in our life as music is easy to take for granted, but for many, it is the joy that we can’t find elsewhere, and the emotional support we need without ever asking for anything back. What exactly happens when the state of the year threatens the very existence of the industry itself then? Well, it’s been a pretty unique year for music as a result. The fear of course was for music itself to grind to a halt, but artists have found inventive ways of keeping their art going despite all the challenges presented by the pandemic: tours may have been cancelled but virtual concerts are here perhaps to stay, and many musicians have simply chosen to release their projects regardless of the pandemic, with songs meant for the dancefloor radically recontexualised in the safety of our own kitchens. There has never been a better year to celebrate the power of music, to celebrate Blackness, to celebrate women, to celebrate everything we take for granted in our lives. May 2021 bring better things for us all!
As always, I’d like to offer my hugest thanks to all the writing contributors this year—there are more this year than ever before, so I hope you take the time to read everyone’s much appreciated work. In addition, thanks to all of the people on the subreddit who submitted for the list, and for being such a wonderful community.
Honorable Mentions
070 Shake - Guilty Conscience
Allie X - Learning in Public
Leave it to Allie X to keep arguably the best song of her debut-esque album Cape God as the final hurrah. I connect to the lyrics for ‘Learning in Public’ in a lot of ways; the song imbues vulnerability and anxiousness. She sings about life experiences, whether they’re wasted, messed up, or missed out on, while addressing the awkward prospect of having to learn from each lesson out in the open. It feels like everyone’s watching and judging every move, including herself. She describes a sort of out of body experience that I sometimes feel when I’m embarrassed about a mistake I’ve made around others. By the end of the song, however, Allie describes that life is a complicated series of choices, and learning from those experiences will shape you into a more confident person. It’s one part somber, one part sobering, and something I think everyone can relate to in some way. —Mudkip1
Ava Max - Naked
Since her breakout in 2018, Ava Max has been a keen follower of 00s-era pop in all of its wholeheartedness and precision. ‘Naked’ is no exception, playing on the physical and emotional angles of exposure with the potency and polish of the Swedish pop philosophy. It’s reminiscent of fellow Bonnie McKee co-write ‘Teenage Dream’ with its love-fueled liberation and intimate yet anthemic quality. Some may find it too cliché but I think there’s always a place for the saccharine pleasure that ‘Naked’ delivers. — Travo
Bad Bunny x Jhay Cortez - Dákiti
Bleachers - Chinatown (feat. Bruce Springsteen)
GFRIEND - MAGO
GFRIEND initially broke onto the k-pop scene with their distinct brand of anime OP schoolgirl melodrama, and sure they’ve played around with that formula since then but it’s only since this year with ‘Apple’ and ‘MAGO’ that the group seem to have landed on something fresh for their image, yet a totally natural fit at the same time. It’s not as if GFRIEND are the only group who have looked towards the 80s for inspiration, but their witchy take on 80s disco via 00s Confessions Madonna complete with a rollicking double chorus feels like a particularly great take, especially since they uniquely still capture a 2nd gen k-pop authenticity (catch that classic k-pop “Hakuna matata” adlib in there) not often seen amongst new gen girl groups. — Rai
Halsey - Finally//beautiful stranger
You wouldn’t expect a rip off of the Jonas Brothers’ rip off of a Lady Gaga song to feel this uniquely touching, but in spite of all the bluster and chaos that Halsey brings to the pop industry, she still knows how to write a damn good love song. ‘Finally // beautiful stranger’ was released as a promotional single in December of 2019, carrying on the more subdued nature of the other Manic tracks up to that point, but also letting go of her angst and anxiety to let her be vulnerably in love. It’s designed to make you sway along, and to also, as the song puts it, to fall: to fall in love, to fall into a stranger’s arms, to just fall over and expect someone to be there to catch you. There’s a part of me that feels a pang of pain when I hear this song; this was the song I put on repeat in December of 2019 when I thought I had finally found a stranger to be in love with, and of course things didn’t end up working out. But the song remains beautiful to my ears in spite of this pain — if anything, the emotional heft of its narrative depends on the danger that comes afterward. —letsallpoo
Kim Petras - Malibu
Kylie Minogue - Supernova
Little Mix - Break Up Song
Megan Thee Stallion - Captain Hook
What brought Megan to her prime is her creativity. Who else would compare a well-endowed man to Captain Hook? Who else would think of a curved phallus as a pirate’s hook? The sword-on-metal sample is the cherry on top and provides context to some of these cutthroat lyrics directed towards people who want to stop her bag. Megan’s voice fires like darts, just her flow makes losing your shit to this song absolutely irresistible. ‘Captain Hook’ may go all over the place from horny to pissed to unbothered but what’s established is her determination to get what she wants. — Brian
Miley Cyrus - Edge Of Midnight (Midnight Sky Remix) (feat. Stevie Nicks)
Miley Cyrus - Prisoner (feat. Dua Lipa)
The long overdue collaboration between Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa may use Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Physical’’s chorus melody — but ‘Prisoner’ is hardly the same song as its 40 year old predecessor. While ‘Physical’ is a very sexually longing (and strangely themed) song, ‘Prisoner’ feels more like it longs to be free from those emotions.
Much like the rest of Plastic Hearts, the song comes off with large 80s vibes from its new age glam style. The drums know their place, the bassline carries throughout, and the synths provide a perfect dark atmosphere to it all. Miley’s slightly raspier vocals are complimented well by Dua’s, especially when the final chorus have the two switch off the main melody. When the two harmonize, it’s a beautiful sound like a canary in a mine. Maybe?
Had this song released earlier in the year, it might have had a chance at the Top 100 — but as it stands, it’s merely an honourable mention in today’s list, though it’s doubtful it’ll be chained down to mere memories and mentions in the future. —mysario
Sam Smith - Diamonds
With previous teasers to this type of sound with ‘Dancing With A Stranger’ and ‘Promises’, Sam continues to deliver with a lush, exciting dance track over their classic sorrowful and heartbroken lyrical style. This is what Sam does best: combining dance music with tumultuous relationship lyrics. ‘Diamonds’ may be their best attempt at this type of sound so far, and it definitely deserves to be as big as their previous tracks. Although it didn’t make the Top 100, I’m glad Popheads did acknowledge this track to be a highlight from this year and I hope that Sam continues to make sad dance bops in the future that draw from house and disco. — Yetti
Stray Kids - God’s Menu
JYP’s newest boy group, Stray Kids (SKZ), have been on the scene since 2018; however, ‘God’s Menu’, released in the first half of 2020, caught the kpop world’s attention due to its creative choreography, impressive music video, and the sheer charisma of all 8 SKZ members. The instrumentation, much like the lyrics themselves, is bombastic and explosive, a niche that SKZ has carved out for themselves well.
In ‘God’s Menu’, SKZ welcomes fans and non-fans alike to their kitchen, where all sorts of food to please all palates are prepared. The song goes on to exclaim that these dishes are exquisite and like no other, that even their test menu is inventive and flavorful, and that the experiences at their kitchen can be recreated at no other. Of course, this is all an extended metaphor for SKZ and their discography, with the members boldly proclaiming that their discography is innovative and like no other. They dare listeners to check out their music — according to them, once you get a taste, you’ll be left wanting for more.
‘God’s Menu’ is a bombastic, boastful song, and one that would most certainly fail in the hands of a less charismatic group, and yet, SKZ captivated audiences across the world with their latest Korean album, in large part due to the success of ‘God’s Menu’. And it would be remiss of me to discuss ‘God’s Menu’ without mentioning the music video, which faithfully brings the bombast and the imagery of the lyrics to life. Sienna Lalau’s choreography serves to tie together the lyrics and the scenery in the music video, and her talent as a choreographer is on full display here.
If you’re missing some EDM in your life, if you want to check out a group that will certainly be at the forefront of the sound and style of the next generation of boy groups, or if you’re interested in watching some of the leaders of the next generation’s rap and dance talent come into their own, SKZ’s ‘God’s Menu’ is the place to start. — holsomeness
YUKIKA - SOUL LADY
Yukika is interesting from the onset: a Japanese singer singing in Korean mining a Japanese genre made popular by viral magic. Thankfully, the songs stand up to the novelty, and ‘SOUL LADY’ stands up to many of the 70s and 80s city pop classics it aims to emulate. She plays the tropes entirely straight and a magical naïveté surrounds the song as a result, which fits its semi-autobiographical tale of Yukika moving to Seoul to bless K-pop with her presence. — Rai
Yves Tumor - Kerosene!
Putting aside the fact that Yves Tumor is now one degree away from Flo Rida (This song’s featured vocalist is Diana Gordon a.k.a Wynter from ‘Sugar’), no other song from 2020 makes me want to dance as hard as the rock duet of ‘Kerosene!’ If I’m not shredding air guitar in the five minutes I spend listening to this, I’m envisioning a music video with two dancers clawing at each other for warmth. Yves and Diana possess an unstoppable synergy, converging as one in a desperate bid for one another.
Consider the lines sung by both: “Just tell me what you need” comes off as less of a suggestion and more of a last-ditch command when later followed by a passionate “I need keroseeene!” With the explosive electric guitar and two carnal vocalists at hand, this song constantly bursts into glorious flames.
— Extra
