Since we’re already halfway through the decade somehow, I thought it would be the perfect time to take a look back at the last five years of music and see what has left the biggest impression on me so far during the incomparable 2020s.
- JID – The Forever Story
JID remains one of Dreamville’s most promising prodigies on The Forever Story. Reminiscent of rap legends like Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne and even his label-mate J. Cole at times, Destin Route’s storytelling, beat selection and slick, intoxicating rapping ability is some of the best you’ll hear this decade.
3 tracks to try: “Surround Sound,” “Kody Blu 31,” “Stars”
- Porter Robinson – Nurture
While SMILE! 😀 blew me away this year, Nurture remains Robinson’s most blissful and personal work to date and, in turn, hits me that much harder. Coming seven years after his breakout EDM hits, this album tackles pop structure and songwriting with ease, grandeur and endless texture.
Robinson isn’t afraid to get soft and melancholic on certain tracks while others showcase his abrasive electronic production skills. A truly spellbinding listen that only continues to reward and embrace.
3 tracks to try: “Get Your Wish,” “Musician,” “Unfold”
- James Blake – Playing Robots into Heaven
Beloved producer, songwriter and collaborator James Blake crafted a culmination of all his talents and experiments on this subtle yet enchanting listen. Playing Robots into Heaven sounds exactly like what the title suggests. While Blake has ventured back into his electronica and breakbeat roots, the tracklist is also home to some gorgeous textures and his rather heavenly vocal chords. As far as I’m concerned, Blake is a virtuoso in his particular craft and has continued to entice me year after year.
3 tracks to try: “Loading,” “I Want You to Know,” “Fall Back”
- The Strokes – The New Abnormal
The Strokes’ highly-anticipated return in 2020 couldn’t have come at a better or worse time. While the start of this decade didn’t begin on the best of notes, the aptly-titled New Abnormal was and continues to be a great distraction from the chaos outside and the most refreshed the seasoned New York rock band has sounded since their inception. Julian Casablancas and company partnered with legendary “reducer” Rick Rubin to create some of the most intricate, tight and heartfelt rock and psych-pop songs of the decade.
3 tracks to try: “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus,” “At the Door,” “The Adults Are Talking”
- Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us
To reiterate my thoughts from my 2024 list, this record continues to bring me joy and reminds me why I fell in love with these guys in the first place. Vampire Weekend has grown and evolved with their modern audience and Only God Was Above Us remains one of the best rock-adjacent releases of the decade so far.
3 tracks to try: “Capricorn,” “Mary Boone,” “Hope”
- Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future
Denzel Curry remains one of my favorite rappers to blossom out of the last decade and Melt My Eyez is, as of now, his magnum opus. Curry has this impeccable ability of constantly switching up his sound and aesthetic on every release. Just a few months ago, he released a more sporadic, mixtape-esque project full of southern hip-hop bangers.
Yet in 2022, Melt My Eyez was praised for its conscious storytelling, jazz-rap style production and overall growth Curry showed as a lyricist, songwriter and entertainer. And I absolutely love it. While Curry has no need to further exceed my expectations in the future, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did anyway with just how much he keeps working, pushing himself and getting better.
3 tracks to try: “Walkin,” “Troubles,” “X-Wing”
- JPEGMAFIA – LP! [OFFLINE!]
Speaking of work ethic, JPEGMAFIA is the rapper I’ve grown to love the most throughout the ’20s with his avant-garde production style, genius sampling skills and continuous release schedule. While his solo album from this year and his collab record with Danny Brown from last year are home to some great tracks and memorable moments, LP! remains his most forward-thinking and genre-defining project of the decade thus far.
This smörgåsbord of an album reaches new heights I never thought were possible for rap music and is insanely addicting across its 20 chaotic tracks. But trust me, it doesn’t feel long in the slightest. It just keeps you wanting more.
3 tracks to try: “HAZARD DUTY PAY!,” “REBOUND!,” “WHAT KINDA RAPPIN’ IS THIS?”
- The Weeknd – After Hours
The dark and eerie aesthetic of The Weeknd has always intrigued me. From his early mixtape days to the more commercialized albums like Starboy and Beauty Behind the Madness, Abel Tesfaye has been making a name for himself for almost 15 years now while also continuing to hone in on a truly timeless sound.
To me, After Hours was the album Tesfaye was born to make. Channeling those dark and ominous undertones of his breakout tapes while also leaving room for pop appeal and ’80s synths, this album takes you on a wild ride that you never seem to get off of. This record continues to hold a special place in my heart and has me eagerly awaiting the ending to this final trilogy, which is due out this coming January.
3 tracks to try: “After Hours,” “Hardest to Love,” “Faith,” also “Blinding Lights” (if you somehow haven’t heard it yet)
- Charli xcx – BRAT
While many of you probably already predicted this placement coming, I want to mainly take this slot to reiterate Charli xcx’s artistry and presence in the pop sphere over the years, as she most likely would’ve been on this list anyway even without BRAT’s quality, appeal and success.
From her DIY, glitchy quarantine album how i’m feeling now to her more mainstream sellout sounding record CRASH, Charli has always been willing to experiment and subvert expectations and that alone makes her one of the decade’s most defining pop-stars so far. I can’t wait to see where her mind and aspirations take her from here.
3 tracks to try: “Talk talk,” “360,” “Everything is romantic,” also “claws” (from hifn)
Honorable Mentions:
Paramore – This Is Why
Six years after the group’s foray into synth-pop and new wave aesthetics, Paramore returned with a no-frills, in-your-face, back to basics album with a newfound sense of self and perseverance. This Is Why demands your attention across its 10 tracks full of kick-ass riffs, post-punk inspired melodies and Hayley Williams’ one of a kind voice. After nearly 20 years in the emo-adjacent and pop-punk spotlight, Paramore matured with the times and gave us their best record since the 2000s.
3 tracks to try: “This Is Why,” “Running Out of Time,” “Figure 8”
Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
While the Kendrick Lamar of 2024 may be the more memorable era of his down the line, with the Drake disses and surprise drop, 2022’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is still where my heart lies most. Returning after a five year gap between projects with an album as personal, down-to-earth and potent as Mr. Morale, I can’t help but respect Lamar’s artistry and willingness to take risks that much more.
The sprawling, winding double album can get a bit taxing, but when each track feels like its own therapy session, I’m able to stay invested and in-tune with what Lamar is expressing and airing-out. One of the most rewarding and, well, therapeutic releases of the decade so far and further proof of Lamar’s staying-power and generational voice.
3 tracks to try: “Savior,” “United in Grief,” “Father Time”
Rina Sawayama – Sawayama
One of the earliest signs of pop music’s evolution this decade would be Rina Sawayama’s invigorating, genre-bending debut. Sawayama mixes everything from bubblegum-pop to nu-metal and it somehow still works incredibly well. An intoxicating listen from one of the most promising voices of the last few years.
3 tracks to try: “XS,” “Comme Des Garçons (Like the Boys),” “Tokyo Love Hotel”
Genesis Owusu – Smiling with No Teeth
One of my most cherished finds this decade has to be Genesis Owusu and his genre-defying, conceptual debut Smiling with No Teeth. The Australian musician’s vision for this record was the personification of his anxiety, depression as well as racism as “two black dogs” and his constant quarrel with them, while also describing greater societal and systematic issues and oppression.
If that arc wasn’t enough, the amount of twists and turns this record takes with its soundscape and energy is enough to keep anyone engaged throughout its near hour runtime, where it barely wastes a second. Anything from hip-hop, R&B to industrial rock, Owusu really went all out on this album and the payoff is extraordinary.
3 tracks to try: “Gold Chains,” “Don’t Need You,” “Waitin’ on Ya”
HAIM – Women in Music Pt. III
Around the turn of the decade, the HAIM sisters came back with maybe their best effort yet. This record showcased everything the trio does best along with crisp and engaging production from beloved former Vampire Weekend member Rostam. HAIM crafted a harrowing album full of nonchalant bangers, crooning ear-worms and heartfelt songwriting. Women in Music is also a gentle reminder that women have and will continue to make some of the best and most creative music out there.
3 tracks to try: “Gasoline,” “The Steps,” “Don’t Wanna”
Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
I couldn’t not include one of the decade’s most exciting and innovative rising stars Chappell Roan. While this album came out in the fall of 2023, Roan has continued to see immense success to this day with just how memorable, infectious and relatable a lot of these songs can be, especially for women and the LGBTQ+ community at large.
Taking inspiration from generational artists like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and even the early days of Hilary Duff, Midwest Princess is blunt, energetic and a force to be reckoned with. There’s something for everybody to love here.
3 tracks to try: “Pink Pony Club,” “Casual,” “Red Wine Supernova”
- Sufjan Stevens – Javelin
Over these past five years, there has only been one album that has left me completely dumbfounded, speechless and shocked. So shocked might I add, that this record only fully clicked with me just a few months ago. As I’ve grown more fond of indie folk legend Sufjan Stevens’ work over the last year or two, I kept coming back to Javelin. This record is home to some of the most gorgeous, tranquil production and vocals I have ever heard. It also doesn’t hurt that the album’s lyrical themes of grief, healing and further determination are truly heart-wrenching yet all the more beautiful and hopeful in turn.
While this album is now my favorite release of the decade thus far, it also reminds me that music and art in general is always subjective and that all opinions are allowed to shift and change with time and circumstance. And to me, that’s one thing that makes music so enlightening and important. Thank you Sufjan for helping me realize that again.
3 tracks to try: “So You Are Tired,” “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?,” “A Running Start”
My best of the decade playlist, full of even more songs and albums: 2020s (so far) – Spotify
