Best Of 2020: Top Singles In Order Of Preference Through June 30th
Song 33 – Noname – Noname apologized for this response to the J. Cole, but she shouldn’t. It is a 69 second vision of life for a black woman, and how she will change it. So much jumps out at you “one girl missing, another one go missing,” and “I’m the new vanguard” at the top of his list. How many songs care about transgendered women, how many songs push themselves to the forefront of a conscious change in perception. She buries into your subconscious you and on repeat it all becomes real in your mind. Noname has always been a great, but now she might be the greatest. Produced by Madlib.
Lilacs – Waxahatchee – a most gloriously tuneful indie folk stroke of love and difficulties, she sounds both scratchy and sweet and jumps up an octave on the chorus
Toosie Slide – Drake At the kickoff of the pandemic, Drake teaches us a new dance when we needed it
Bounce – Cazzu – Argentina trap queen but more youthful and exciting than even the most now Latin Trap
I Think You’re Great – Alex the Astronaut – The Australian singer songwriter has written the lick of the year here, a tasty acoustic underpinning which is among the best pep talks since Marina’s “I Am Not A Robot”. She is a terrific songwriter and her disposition completely pleasant.
The Father, My Son, And The Holy Ghost – Craig Morgan – in the face of the worst loss a person can suffer, the death of his son, Morgan finds strength in faith
Letting You Go – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – A deeply felt song for his four year old daughter, Mercy Rose.
Cut Me – Moses Sumney – Sublimely sung chill soul with an artful hip hop package and an intense lyric that swerves in and out around the horns
ringtone (Remix) [feat. Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, Kero Kero Bonito] – 100 gecs, Charli XCX, Rico Nasty – The sine qua non of queer pop crossover
A New Muse – Owen – The American Football leader returns to solo outout on a girgeous dreamscape pop track
I’m Not Getting Excited – The Beths – combustibile punk pop rocker about morbidity and death
la – Kelsea Ballerini – As a non-believer, I might be wrong. This is the best song of its sort since “I Took A Pill In Ibiza” (not the remix, the original), and Kelsea takes it exactly right with a gorgeous bridge.
Sweet – Porridge Radio – the sort of song that changes a semi-underground rock band from Brighton in England into overnight sensations
Rain On Me (with Ariana Grande) – Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande – a major pop stroke, dance track built for anthem temperature taking
Forgiveness – Mandy Moore – all the action here has already happened off the tracks, in a divorce that became a referendum. But Mandy’s final response is devastating: “Will I forgive you? You don’t get to know…”
Gary Lives in the Twilight Zone – Gary Wilson – The cult artists cult artist, obtuse, strange, a little otherworldly and bizarre and yet completely brilliant dance pop, and here is one of Gary’s very best.
Scared To Live – The Weeknd – The Weeknd’s genius pop ballad, with a very useful Elton John sample that is a study in how to use an expensive song
For The First Time – Best Coast – Bethany is always trying to change herself, album for album she tears up yesterday for today. The first single of the fine new album is an absolute slice of greatness about the joys of breaking up.
Keep Up – RaeLynn – hillbilly as red as her neck
Hard To Forget – Sam Hunt – There stands the song…
JU$T (feat. Pharrell Williams & Zack de la Rocha) – Run The Jewels, Zack De La Rocha, Pharrell William – “look at all these slave masters posting on your dollar bill”
