Playboi Carti: Whole Lotta Red (2020) (Hip-hop,Trap)

It's not metal and barely punk, Whole Lotta Red is an unfinished, aesthetically dirty, collection trap scraps. Like his previous album, his writing is often impressionist, with embellishing ad-libs and some versatile inflexions and flows but not as capable as a Young Thug. Carti has a unique lane, it's too bad he does not commit to developing his ad-libs and repeated mantras throughout the song, they just exist to assume space. M3tamorphosis is good and parts of New N3on, and King Vamp have promising instrumentals and flows but are burdened but nonessential ad-libs and under committment

Hip-hop/Trap

C-

Savage Mode II: 21 Savage, Metro Boomin, 2020 (Hip-hop,Trap)

21 Savage is much more versatile much more amiable and occasionally humorous. Metro Boomin keeps up his consistent production with wide dark beats with little shimmers and sparkles. Retro Homage is present as shown on Steppin on Niggas an NWA nod. Savages attempts at softer more sensual trap are largely effective on Mr. Right Now and Said N Done while the tough songs (Glock in My Lap and Brand New Draco) reminding us that this is still a Savage tape. One of the better trap albums of the year.

Hip-hop/Trap

Fleet Foxes: Shore (2020) (Folk,Pop,Rock)

Much more poppy than last efforts. Many pop ballads work well in their sphere and the punchy drums and colourful instrumentation helps give life to many songs, with many being well written. Some ballads are a bit to watered down. 

Chamber Folk/Folk-Pop/Folk Rock

Run the Jewels:RTJ4 (Hip-hop) (2020)

Hard bars, digitized boom-bap production, and some monster flows. From the start Killer Mike and El-P hit you with high octane and politically charged verses that demand attention, crafting an enticing album for hip-hop listeners. The oldheads win on this one, one of the best hip-hop albums of the year.

Boom-bap/ Concious Hip-hop/ Hardcore Hip-hop

Taylor Swift: folklore (2020) (Folk, Pop)

As much as the gimmick of lowercase titles may be evidence of quaint rustic indie folk, a sheen of top 40 always remains. "The Woods" are a backdrop for Taylor's pop all crafted meticulously and clean but often effectively written songs about well ... romance and movies? The album is a bit of a bummer and its melancholy can be a bit overbearing not in how sad it is but how passive and similarly many of the songs are, but I can say its value can come from its dreaminess and occasional subtlety.






Chamber Pop/Folk Pop

Arca: KiCk i (2020) (Electronic, Pop)

Arca's usage of texture is intriguing and varied with her performances, ranging from chaotic to open and dramatic, focusing for the most part on sonic sentiment and dynamism rather than harmony and catchiness which allows for left field-like songs that still occasionally manage to fit in the pop sphere(Mequetrefe, KLK, Machote), for the most part, the tunes are for avande garde electronic but much crossover appeal can be found. Most songs are in Spanish, few are in English.







Art-Pop/Avande Garde/Electronic

Neil Young: Homegrown (2020) (Country,Folk,Rock)

Recorded between 1974 and 1975. For the most part quaint country-folk ballads with the occasional rock tune largely relating to Young's relationships at the time. A good batch of folk songs from one of the greatest in the genre.








Country/Folk/Rock

Bladee: 333 (2020) (Hip-hop,Pop)

With excellent production helmed by Whitearmor, Bladee continues his trend of art-pop, rap fusions. Some poppier tracks that surely borrow from older trends such as Don't Worry, Mean Girls and It Girl. With ballads such as Wings in Motion and Only One mixed in, 333 has a range of productions and Bladee's singing and vocals have improved, largely due to a more effective use of autotune. The brevity of the songs does lead to a disjointed listening experience but many of the minuscule songs are refreshing enough both in performance and production. Such as Hero of My Story 3style3 where Bladee alternates between flows and vocal effects over a very ascending ethereal instrumental and the quirky Reality Surf with Bladee's subtle delivery and vocal samples.



Art-pop/Experimental Hip-hop/Trap

Juice WRLD: Legends Never Die (2020) (Hip-hop,Pop,Trap)

Juice WRLD was one of the many prominent figures in the trend of angsty emo-rap who died much too early. On Legends Never Die, Juice WRLD follows this aesthetic but includes some of his most commercial songs like the EDM tune Come & Go, this may be due to his recent passing and likely may not have been completely part of the artistic planning. But Juice WRLD always threaded close to pop and though that may be present in this album more than ever he still expresses a relatively versatile selection of songs all ranging from EDM, pop to trap with occasions of punk. The trap drums can occasionally get a bit stale, but the aesthetic changes that occur later in album keep things interesting. Juice show's himself to be a competent songwriter and rapper as shown in highlights Conversations, Righteous, Wishing Well, Up Up And Away. 




Emo Rap/Pop/Trap

Bladee: Exeter (2020) (Hip-hop,Pop)

"Spring is never far" Bladee sings which is a good descriptor for EXETER, a mini album at on 18 minutes in length vaguely bright quirky and blissful. Not as overtly sombre as previous works, there is a stronger sense of playfulness on EXTER, though often leaving much to be wanted in terms of a fully fleshed-out song, the intriguing aesthetics of Draingang remain, crossing trap, art-pop and electronic music but never truly realized. Bladee's performances remain for the most part expressionless chants and autocroning. Highlights include RAIN3OW STAR (LOVE IS ALL), DNA RAIN, LOVESTORY

Art-Pop/Electronic/Experimental Rap

Perfume Genius: Set My Heart on Fire Immediately (Pop) (2020)

Some sentimental romantic tunes with melancholic taint. Though some ballads may be a bit melodramatic and skeletal, tending to float in the ether (Leave, Moonbend), Perfume Genius succeeds in crafting a fruitful collection of art-pop tunes while maintaining intimacy. The singing, though often wispy can be very soulful and slightly desolate. While instrumentally the album can quickly change allowing for versatility through merging an array of indie sounds, synths, classical music, quirky and more rock-oriented tunes, while still maintaining the cohesion of the album. Worth listening to for pop fans. Highlights include Describe, Jason, On the Floor, Your Body Changes Everything, Some Dream.

Art Pop/ Chamber Pop/ Indie Pop

Jeff Rosenstock: NO DREAM (Punk, Rock) (2020)

The scrappy punk energy is effectively encapsulated in intimate, angsty tunes that foray into power pop even if many of the songs may seem short the performances explosive. Sonically NO DREAM may not be too elaborate or novel, but Jeff's performances are for the most part explosive, emotive and compelling enough to connect with most punk, rock, pop fans (in that order). Favourite tracks include Nikes (Alt), Scram!, N O D R E A M, State Line, The Beauty of Breathing, Honeymoon Ashtray.




Indie Rock/Power Pop/Punk Rock

Skinshape: Umoja (Funk,Soul) (2020)

Very breezy and summerlike in all. It does get too diluted and safe even with the obvious ethnic pull from guest features, but overall the music is chill and warm with some nice background funky tunes. Sue Alma, Sudan, Dourlé are highlights.






Ethnic Psychadelic/Funk/Neo-Soul/West African Funk Fusion

Jay Electronica: A Written Testimony (2020) (Hip-hop)

Rarely as epic or profound as it may believe to be. Production is largely unrefined but occasionally decent with interesting choices that touch on industrial. Much of the album is full of vignettes of religious allusions with little worth than to show that they read some parts of the Quran and the Bible and are truly woke such as the likes of Louis Farrakhan, however never nearly as outrageous or offensive as him. By they I mean Jay#1 and Jay#2 (Jay Electronica and Jay-Z) as they are both equally featured on the album leading to free but almost indistinct mixtape like feel. It quickly becomes apparent which Jay is the more compelling one... A few decent production choices and compelling verses and highlights include The Blinding and Universal Soldier. 





Conscious Hip-hop/Islamic Hip-hop

Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist: Alfredo (2020) (Hip-hop)

Drugs, crime, God and the Streetz are lyrically found throughout Alfredo wrapped with The Alchemist's jazzy beats making an enjoyable but not particularly novel album. Though lyrically dark for the most part the album is breezy and easy going with the occasional upbeat, high tempo song (Frank Lucas, Baby $hit, All Glass),  Freddie manages to employ compelling flows and lyricism cementing himself even more in the gangsta rap cadre. Highlights include God is Perfect, Frank Lucas, Something to Rap About, Baby $hit.

Jazz Rap/Gangsta Rap

Nicolas Jaar: Cenizas (2020) (Ambient,Electronic)

Cenizas serves as detached spiritual odes. Never explicitly catchy or attention-grabbing, not immersing the listener but rather creating space to invite the listener to interpret this eerie, smoking work of art in their own introspective manner. Ambient yet the compositions are mostly jazz-inspired.



Best Tracks: Cenizas, Agosto, Mud, Hello, Chain *


B

Ambient/Avantgarde Jazz/Electronic

Ka: Descendants Of Cain (2020) (Hip-hop)

Largely the same abstract atmospheric style he is known for, this time with a larger thematic emphasis on Christianity and it's relation to Ka's life in somewhat of a noir biographical style. There are times where the vocals could have been more pronounced (My Brother's Keeper, Eye Of A Needle) and some instrumentals are too attention-grabbing yet lack diversity. The dark and punchy verses remain, in a good abstract hip-hop project.

Best Tracks: Every Now And Then, Unto Dust*, Solitude Of Enoch, Land of Nod, I Love (Mimi, Moms, Kev)

B

Abstract Hip-hop/Christian Rap/Conscious Rap/Experimental Rap


Buy Here

Yung Lean: Starz (2020) (Hip-hop/R&B)

A mixed bag of personal melancholic R&B and cloud rap, packaged in an aesthetic that is a bit rougher than Stranger but still more serious than most of his work. Performances are varied, and instrumentals are typical blissful cloud rap with occasional abrasive witch house. Some good songs but there are also barren songs with not enough focus or structure (Acid at 7/11, Butterfly Paralyzed), leading some songs to feel like filler. Still many blissful and interesting sounds are found like the lo-fi childlike Dogboy or witch house inspired downer banger Boylife in EU.

Best Tracks: Yayo, Boylife in EU*, Violence, Starz, Dogboy, Iceheart

C+

Alternative R&B/Ambient Pop/Cloud Rap/Emo Rap/Witch house

Charli XCX: how i'm feeling now (2020) (Pop)

For better or worse, most of how i'm feeling now sounds like it was made cooped up in forced isolation with little company but her significant other. The beats remain futuristic and glitchy, like her previous album, but this time more evident spots of industrial influence and a more intimate bedroom-pop-like aesthetic are found. Many of the songs read as confessional odes to love and anxiety but often the songs are not fully realized and rather feel like vague snippets of how she's feeling. A few songs may lack in instrumental progression as well (forever, enemy) leading how i'm feeling now to not be the packed pop experience but rather a collection of intimate sketches.

Best Tracks: claws, 7 years, i finally understand, anthems


C



Avant-pop/Bubblegum Bass/Electropop/Glitch-pop

Mac Miller: Circles (2020) (Hip-hop,Pop,Soul)

In continuing Mac's 2018 album Swimming, Circles has blends of hip-hop and soul sung with a Tom Waits vagrant-like romanticism, however, this time with more intimacy and enduring song compositions. The production and drums being bright and punchy are tailored well to most songs, and Mac's singing though ragged manages to be effective in the more soul-oriented songs, giving off the slacker, downhearted feeling he is known for. It is worth noting that Good News may be one of the most emotionally potent songs of the year.

Best Tracks: Circles*, Complicated, Good News*, Everybody, Hand Me Downs, Once A Day



B+




Hip-hop/ Neo-Soul/ Pop Rap