The songs list finale crowns a new champ and a Black Lives Matter protest track came out on top. It is important that advocacy continues in popular music so this is quite the achievement. For the first time ever, the top 10 songs of the year were all recorded by men. This doesn't mean women didn't represent but that men are not being left behind and that can only be a good thing. Here are the year's best songs"
1. Pig Feet (Terrace Martin feat. Denzel Curry, Daylyt, Kamasi Washington & G Perico):
released during the protests over the killing of George Floyd, Martin unleashes incendiary fire on the American police and the support cast brings all the best matches to help him burn this track to the ground.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OMirbGvn8o
2. Dance Of The Clairvoyants (Pearl Jam):
seven years away wiped away overnight, Vedder returns with band in tow with the grunge equivalent of protesting of the times.
3. Virile (Moses Sumney):
seemingly fed up with all the speculation of the levels of his masculinity, Sumney tackles the testosterone head on: over an assortment of strings and production that features Thundercat, he infuses the lyricism with contrasting feminine overtures.
4. Real Bad (Jay Wile):
Wile lays down the groove and somewhere Frank Ocean pricked his eyes wondering when did he do this track. Yes, the similarity is unnerving but this is high art.
5. Living Happy (Quelle Chris & Chris Keys feat. Joseph Chilliams & Cavalier):
turning a near-death dream experience into a soulful introspection of life.
6. Cars In Space (Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever):
the band hasn’t missed yet and Cars In Space, a logical step in their evolution, is their boldest guitar dust-up yet as it manages to sound like past, present and the blistering future of rock.
7. Modify (Lemon Demon):
Cicierega has been owning his own lane in pop for years now and there’s no let up with the ever-evolving work that he has done on the aptly-titled “Modify”.
8. Diet (Denzel Curry & Kenny Beats):
Curry is on such a roll that it’s futile to resist at this point.
9. Strike Force (Govana):
as a music critic, I have learned never to write any artist off and that eventually someone will luck into or work themselves ceaselessly unto a winning combination. Time will tell which category Govana will fall into but here, focused on Joker-like violence and not awkwardly describing a woman’s private part, he meets a production that demands deluxe delivery. And, deliver the goods he does.
10. I Love Louis Cole (Thundercat feat Louis Cole):
sure, the dreamy production and frantic horns aren’t new but the propulsive, almost creamy refrain is and its utterly fantastic.
11. On My Own (Shamir):
the year’s best switch-up surprise: Shamir ditches full grooves and plugs in electric juxtaposed with a vocal delivery that Prince would be proud of to present a case of impeachable hybrid pop.
12. Holdin’ It Down (Frazey Ford):
Ford has this uncanny vocal ability to merge almost religious sounds into a funky, urban bend which run throughout Holdin’It Down. It’s a gift—not bestowed on many vocalists---that never gets old on her album and here is the best example of it.
13. XS (Rina Sawayama):
Sawayama sings blissfully about the glorious excess that infuses the genre and the crashing beats a like icing on top of this very rich cake.
14. Death Star (Sufjan Stevens):
in his many new interpolations of dream pop, who knew Sufjan had a groove demon lying latently within him!
15. Only Times Makes It Human (King Princess):
King Princess’ ferocious foray into pop thrilled listeners last year but here she takes it even further with the lesbian anthem of the year: Only Time Makes It Human is an infectious groove about a break up but no matter your stripe, a line like, “and it sucks that I think about her/ but thinking about her keeps me going” connects.
16. Gospel For A New Century (Yves Tumor):
manages to straddles so many of his influences while finding his own unique contemporary take on the type of desperate horny-level of black soul that only the most talented musicians can convey.
17. PDLIF (Bon Iver):
released early in the year in support of humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief, the song is Vernon and his team’s unique way of helping everyone out living in the new reality of coronavirus anxiety. The song structure fluctuates almost as if in sync with the global response to the pandemic: at turns flickering uncertainty then shot through with defiance with Vernon orchestrating a lovely vocal refrain that wins out the day.
18. Lil Scammer That Could (Guapdad4000 feat. Denzel Curry):
it shouldn’t have worked but by the time Curry starts rapping about eating SPAM then it all culminates into a messy yet thrilling look at, um, scamming.
19. Overtime (U.S. Girls):
Remy sings a tale of the contemporary issue of spouses working overtime “over time” but goes even further to examine what all that hard work can lead to, including drinking yourself to death. The horns are blissful and the groove enlivens but nothing cannot hide the sadness away.
20. Deal Wiv It (Mura Masa feat. Slowthai):
hearkening back to the 90s Brit-pop days where the sheer Britishness was the audacious tart to a track, Deal Wiv It wouldn’t have stood out if Slowthai didn’t absolutely nail it. Mura paints it sonically as accurate as possible but adding the punk edges is the genius that will make other producers green with envy.
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