Reviews by mars
Mars' Top 10 Albums of 2020A year in music for the history books - featuring Dua Lipa, Tame Impala, and more. In a year where the fundamentals of daily life were entirely flipped upside down, where hundreds of millions of people found themselves spending more time at home than ever imagined before, where American society turned the darkest it’s been in decades, music became even more important. Music has always served as an escape from reality, something that bonds us regardless of both lingual and geographic boundaries. Despite 2020 throwing a wrench in almost every major release schedule, this year in music has been quite eventful. It gave rise to more Billboard Hot 100 #1 debuts than any other year in tracking history. It has put a spotlight on emerging talent through the exponential growth of TikTok. But more than anything, 2020 has given us some of the most memorable moments in pop music in recent years. These are the top ten albums that got me through this challenging year in history. 10. Mama's Boy - LANYLANY (composed of Jason Paul Klein, Charles “Lee” Priest, and Jake Goss) first broke through the pop market in the mid-2010s with their hit singles “ILYSB” and “Super Far” and later opened shows for John Mayer’s The Search of Everything Tour. Their 2018 sophomore effort, Malibu Nights, is a masterclass in heartbreak - heavily inspired by Klein’s breakup with pop superstar Dua Lipa. 2020 brought upon LANY’s most positive, heartfelt work to date on Mama’s Boy. Listening to the 14 tracks in the context of the album’s predecessor is like visualizing the light at the end of a tunnel. Album highlight ‘if this is the last time” is a heart-wrenching love letter to family, instilling the idea that we should all live as if it’s our last day - a motto that is transcendent in this chaotic year. 9. Positions - Ariana GrandeHaving cemented herself as pop's leading diva after her meteoric rise to stardom, Ariana Grande has taken more control over her artistry in the last few years than most mainstream artists ever get the chance to achieve. While her Grammy award-winning sweetener and its record-shattering follow-up, thank u, next, were both crafted during some of the darkest times of her life, Positions is a reflection of what it's like navigating a newfound love during a global pandemic. On her sixth studio album, Ariana fully embraces her sexuality and dives deep into the R&B pool while maintaining her rap-inspired melodies. But where Positions shines brightest is its vocal production - seen best on "my hair" (those whistle notes, my g-d) and its final track, “pov.” The stunning album closer features Ariana's dynamic vocal range while attempting to direct her outward love also inward. Ariana has been through more emotionally than most 27-year-olds, and Positions finds the pint-sized superstar sounding more confident than ever before. 8. Manic - HalseyAfter her omnipresent 2016 smash hit “Closer” with The Chainsmokers and successful sophomore era with 2017’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, the question of where Halsey would take her art next was wide open. Manic’s musical direction is deeply connected to the album’s name, tackling a variety of genres including pop, country, and rock. Featuring the 8x platinum “Without Me” and multiple guest appearances with their own curated interludes, Manic showcases Halsey’s talents as a songwriter, pulling from her life in the public eye, the end of a tumultuous relationship, and her battles with anxiety. It’s the album most pop stars dream of making - one with no creative limits and endless opportunities to show who the 26-year-old truly is - Ashley. 7. The Slow Rush - Tame ImpalaFive years after his largely successful Currents (and four since Rihanna covered “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” on ANTI), Kevin Parker dropped The Slow Rush under his psychedelic-rock project Tame Impala. The album’s release was preceded by singles “Borderline” and “Lost in Yesterday,” the latter now a Grammy-nominated record. The Slow Rush finds Parker continuing his journey through genre-blending songs that tackle the concept of time and nostalgia, two themes at the forefront of thought in 2020. On “Breathe Deeper,” Parker tells of calming oneself through anxiety via spacey synths in the hopes of unity. “Should you need to come undone / And let those colors run / (It just so) now you’re having fun / so do this and get through this, and come find me when you’re done / so we can be as one.” Although this album dropped a month before the coronavirus pandemic led to a near-global shutdown, the messages within Parker’s writing and production were ahead of its ~time.~ 6. Plastic Hearts - Miley CyrusMiley Cyrus has proven since the age of 12 that she is a force to be reckon with - whether on the small and big screens or through your AirPods. At just 28-years-old, Cyrus has shapeshifted her sound and evolved as an artist more times than one can count. On Plastic Hearts, she finally finds her true home atop the rock-pop throne. Through a myriad of flawless covers (see “Heart of Glass” from her iHeartRadio Festival performance) and a reinvented, ‘80s-inspired look, Miley has owned 2020 and provided one of the most cohesive eras and aesthetics in years. Her vocal rasp and ability to nail both her lower and upper registers have provided some of 2020’s best performances - including dazzling duets with Stevie Nicks on the mashup “Edge of Midnight” and with Billy Idol on the grunge-rock smash “Night Crawling.” On the cathartic "Angels Like You," Miley tells her side of previous romances through soaring vocals, introspective lyrics, and navigating feelings of both satisfaction and remorse. The Dua Lipa-assisted "Prisoner" has the two pop A-listers right at home on the disco-punk track, which is Lipa's second song of 2020 that pays homage to Olivia Newton-John's "Physical." From cover to cover, Plastic Hearts showcases Cyrus in her best light, serving as her strongest and most cohesive work to date. This is the album that she was born to make. 5. Chromatica - Lady GagaDespite reaching new levels of success most dream of with her Golden Globe-winning performance in “A Star is Born,” Gaga found herself in a dark place, navigating her emotional struggles and physical health. Through these battles, Gaga created the world of Chromatica, a place with an emphasis on unity, healing, and bravery. On her sixth studio album, Gaga returns home to the dancefloor she “fought for,” as referenced on “Free Woman.” An ode to ‘70s disco and ‘90s house music, Chromatica takes listeners on a journey through coping with loss, struggling with medication, and finding the light during one's darkest days. No aspect - either lyrically or sonically - is more captivating or reflective of this challenging year than the Grammy-nominated duet “Rain on Me” with fellow pop titan Ariana Grande. The single serves as both a therapeutic anthem for overcoming trauma and dancing through the pain to a level of confidence. “I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive,” the pop duo runs through on the song’s anthemic chorus, bringing on the storm to come out stronger on the other side. Rain has served as a metaphor in popular music for decades, but in a year as destructive as 2020, this song’s message becomes even more relevant. Chromatica is the euphoric escape that Lady Gaga surely earned - filled with tears, joy, and admirable perseverance. 4. After Hours - The WeekndFrom the man who largely ushered in the wave of dark-pop in the front half of the 2010s comes his darkest full-length release since 2012's Trilogy compilation. Despite meteoric success in recent years with his synth-filled pop/R&B, After Hours is a true return to form for Abel Tesfaye. Released just one week into the United States’ spring lockdown, After Hours’ mood set the tone for the months to come, filled with darkness, remorse, and vulnerability. Lead singles “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights” welcomed fans to the saga of this era for The Weeknd, the latter becoming the biggest hit of his career thus far. An era largely inspired by Scorsese, the city of Las Vegas, and classic films like “Casino (1995)” and “Joker (2019),” After Hours’ visuals are just as instrumental to The Weeknd’s success as the album's music. Its music videos go beyond just telling individual stores: each one is interweaved with one another and The Weeknd's public appearances, creating quite the linear narrative. The album's tracklist includes the haunting “Alone Again,” the autobiographical “Snowchild,” and the Elton John-sampling “Scared to Live.” Half of the album could have made for a number of smash hits in the 1980s with Max Martin’s glossy synth production that The Weeknd has become partially renown for. No other artist has found such success in balancing true pop smashes and staying true to his moody R&B home. 3. Fine Line - Harry StylesAlthough technically released at the tail-end of 2019, Harry Styles’ Fine Line has dominated the pop landscape in 2020 with hit after hit. The album follows a recent breakup, but don’t think that Fine Line is filled with heartfelt ballads and tragedy. In fact, Styles’ sophomore release shows the former One Direction member having more fun than ever before. The cheeky “Watermelon Sugar” became Styles’ first Billboard Hot 100 #1 hit, and “Adore You” gave Styles his longest-charting single in the U.S. Album cut “She” features some of the psychedelic rock first seen on Styles’ self-titled debut just two years ago, but this time around, he sticks the landing even more so than before through its nostalgic production. His 1970s influences - Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and David Bowie - shine bright on Fine Line’s “Canyon Moon” and “Cherry.” Album opener “Golden” features Styles’ hypnotic harmonies that immediately draw you into his dreamy California landscape, and lead single “Lights Up” shows off a pre-chorus with the same entrancing effect. Through some romantic pain came Styles’ brightest statement yet, one that sets him up perfectly for his future in music. 2. Future Nostalgia - Dua LipaAn artist’s sophomore release is often referred to as one’s “make it or break it” point. A solid follow-up to the album that brought one into the public eye can cement an artist’s legacy. A disappointing flop is another addition to the pile of sophomore slumps seen in years past. Fortunately for Dua Lipa and all of pop music, Future Nostalgia provided us with music to dance away our quarantine worries. Future Nostalgia is more than just your ordinary album by an artist with quite a few hits to her name. Released just a few weeks into the global shutdown, Future Nostalgia serves as a euphoric escape from reality, a world to let loose in and dream of happier times - whether that be in the past or future-looking. Lipa also accomplished the rare feat of creating a record flawlessly cohesive in its production, songwriting, and aesthetic. Lead single “Don’t Start Now” effortlessly set the tone for what was to come - not to mention three Grammy nominations and a #2 Billboard Hot 100 peak. The Julia Michaels co-penned “Pretty Please” is a delightful earworm that has an undeniably infectious production that serves as a nice change of pace from the rest of the record. Current single “Levitating” is a complete entrancement - a soaring take on the feelings of catching love with its disco-infused instrumentation. The album’s title truly reflects this exquisite body of work - referencing the past to drive forward into the future. Future Nostalgia is a 37-minute dance party that you never want to end, filled with longing for the days of Studio 54, the sci-fi obsessions that permeated the 1970s, and 1980s synths that drive today’s pop music resurgence. Homages to the past are seen in the Europop-infused “Break My Heart” through sampling the guitar riff on INXS’ “Need You Tonight,” directly referencing Olivia Newton-John’s single of the same name on “Physical,” and the trumpets from Bing Crosby’s “My Woman” on Lipa’s “Love Again.” And while samples can sometimes air a sense of unoriginality, Dua’s take on these two tracks - and the disco-pop revival - sound remarkably refreshed and unique to her artistic vision. While Future Nostalgia's 11 tracks were ideally crafted for sold-out stadiums or a night out on the town, nobody - not even Lipa - could have predicted the immense cultural impact this era would have. A record that wasn't intended to be enjoyed in living rooms has proven to be just as successful in quarantine as it would have in a 2020 stadium tour. On Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa and her collaborators have perfected the art of how to define a sound and usher in an exciting new wave of pop music. 1. folklore and evermore - Taylor SwiftThe shocking announcement that Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album would drop less than 24 hours before release stunned the music world. The woman who has single-handedly carried over the traditional album rollout structure into the streaming era had seemingly sidestepped into uncharted territory. Fortunately for Swift and fans alike, folklore’s surprise announcement fully benefited the album’s listening experience. Swift’s first entry into the folk-pop world, and collaborations with the National’s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, come across like a breath of fresh air by the Westerly sea. Folklore is an album crafted completely in isolation, a true quarantine record that will be forever aligned with the loss of society due to the pandemic. Regardless of societal circumstances, folklore shines as Swift’s best work of her career thus far and is a stunning depiction of childhood, lost love, infidelity, remorse, and navigating the struggles of celebrity. The nostalgia-filled “seven” and “invisible string”’s ode to fate showcase Swift’s angelic and crisp vocals layered over calming productions. And once you thought she’s done, here comes evermore. Folklore’s “sister record” captures the heartbreak and maturity of its predecessor but goes even deeper down the complex rabbit hole of adult love. Evermore’s stories tell of broken engagements, marital imperfections, finding happiness amongst the storm of separation, and even a beautiful tribute to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay. Ironically, folklore was originally seen as such a drastic departure from Swift’s pop days, but evermore stretches even further into the folk world (outside of “long story short,” which has a 1989 gloss draped all over it). Evermore’s final breath features Bon Iver and leaves listeners with a sign of hope for what’s to come: “I had a feeling so peculiar / that this pain wouldn’t be for evermore.” To no one’s surprise, Swift crafts a lyric so relatable, so perfectly juxtaposed with the state of our current world. Folklore and evermore are the culmination of all that Swift has learned from each of her previous efforts, a victory lap of sorts for one of the biggest stars of our time. It makes full use of her best skill: most notable in her country days - not the heartbreaking experiences, but her intricate storytelling. Swift's unique ability to transform the most mundane of life experiences into a vivid, imagery-filled depiction of falling in love, disappointment, and fear is what makes Taylor Swift the artist she is; think “All Too Well” and Speak Now. From pop, Swift mastered melodic structure and the art of an impeccable hook; think “Out of the Woods” and “Delicate.” All tied together with a golden string is the folklore/evermore era, a tribute to the art of songwriting and an escape both fans and Swift needed from today’s world. Comments are closed.
|
About MarsNY-based, 26-year-old, music-obsessed and loves to write about it. Archives
October 2022
Categories
All
|