The Odinary Playlist’s Best Tracks of 2020
The soundtrack to a confusing year, 2020.
2020, what a bizarre year this was.
The rapid flows of information and the constant shift of medical protocols only confused us more and more. Public spaces were closed, it was hard to tell what was actually happening to the world. Many of us (including me) had probably lost the ability to socially interact in real life. The ultimate goal for the year was to survive and to find comfort in the uncertainty.
But the silver lining was, we’d got tons of good music this year. 2020 was an overwhelmingly great year in music.
The whole global lockdown situation forced artists (and basically the whole music industry) to do things differently. We had witnessed many weird things throughout the year — which were all great! — from Code Orange playing to an empty venue, Fiona Apple came back with a strange album at the right time, Taylor Swift going full indie mode, disco revival became a thing when no dancefloor was open for public, to a new viral video-sharing platform called TikTok making sensations out of lesser-known/indie artists.
Not only that, this year, we also learned a lot from racial injustice and police brutality — which was sad — that led to global awareness with the rise of BLM Movement and many others. At least the world had made a progress, and there were many moving art pieces coming out as a form of reaction to these racist and xenophobic behaviors.
ANYWAY, without further ado, here are the songs that highlight my 2020:
25. Riz Ahmed: “The Breakup (Shikwa)”
No. 25 on my list is, in fact, a spoken-word track — or, in the context of the album: a skit — that opens Riz’s latest conceptual record in which he speaks out about the hate and prejudice subjected towards British-South Asians (specifically Moslems), especially in the wake of brexit. It is a powerful one, with the help of his superb acting skills, he delivers a great speech and it’s interesting how he likens the relationship of moguls and Britain to his relationship with a toxic ex named Brittany.
24. Run The Jewels: “a few words for the firing squad (radiation)”
The dramatic closer to the album that defined this year’s massive protest against racial injustice and police brutality. It features a dark beat with 3/4 time signature. The track builds on with El-P and Killer Mike’s uneasy flows, and reaches its climax with a sax solo by Cochemea Gastelum.
tl;dr The title says it all.
23. Isyana Sarasvati: “UNLOCK THE KEY”
A critically acclaimed single that shows the true nature of a blossoming Indonesian pop diva. Here, Isyana incorporates progressive rock composition with element of tutti. The heavy dose of twist and turn, plus its theatrical delivery kinda remind me of the bands Yes, and Sparks. Which actually means a good thing.
22. Yves Tumor: “Kerosene!”
A glam-rock tune with mystical touch. The track features slick off-note vocal by Bowie himself, and also a soulful yet ecstatic vocal feature by Diana Gordon. There are also some electrifying guitar solos at various points in the song that take the craft to reach an otherworldly height.
21. Porridge Radio: “Born Confused”
The opening track to Porridge Radio’s 2020 release, Every Bad, is a perfect example that shows frontwoman Dana Margolin’s ability in creating mantras through lyrical wordplay.
The song starts off with a big question: “What is going on with me?”. Dana’s vocal expressions and the music, capture the feeling of frustration and confusion very well. It gets cynical yet liberating at the end where it goes: “Thank you for leaving me / Thank you for making me happy.”
20. Charli XCX: “anthems”
If how i’m feeling now was the first official self-quarantine album, then its penultimate track “anthems” was definitely the first official self-quarantine anthem.
Instrumentally, it’s a hard-hitting electropop banger to dance yourself too but at the same time will you miss your friends too. It’s interesting how the second verse was written collaboratively with fans during an Instagram Live session.
The lyrics accumulates what most of us basically felt during early quarantine months: “Wake up late, eat some cereal / Try my best to be physical / Love myself in a TV show / Staring out to oblivion”.
19. Porches: “Patience”
It starts out with mournful piano chords and Aaron Maine’s fragile vocal leads (he uses a lot of vibrato in his vocals). The song then layers itself with various subtle instruments before finally bursts into a submerging climax with heavy loads of dramatic synth. The lyrics evokes sense of self-belief amid the mess you’ve gotten yourselves into, and to deal with whatever life throws at you.
18. Tkay Maidza: “Grasshopper”
A grimy trap banger from Aussie-Zimbabwean rapper Tkay Maidza’s impressive EP Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2. The beat is dark and filty, on top of that, lies Tkay’s fierce and relentless flow. This thing is full of personality, it’s irresistible.
17. Destroyer: “The Raven”
The softest cut on Destroyer’s twelfth LP, Have We Met. This track is a dreamy ballad that works as the album’s emotional centerpiece.
While “The Raven” is an indirect nod to Edgar Allan Poe, the lyrics exhibits typical Dan Bejar’s ramble that’s full of patters (see opening line: “Just look at the world around you / Actually no, don’t look”). Often times the lyrics seems to talk about death and destruction, but hey, isn’t Dan a word-magician and all we have to do is just listen and enjoy his tricks?
16. Jeff Rosenstock: “Ohio Tpke”
A progressive pop-punk track that serves as a climactic cloer to Jeff Rosenstock’s latest LP, NO DREAM. On “Ohio Tpke” Jeff shares the dilemma he faces when leaving home for tour, using Ohio Turnpike as a symbol to narrate his inner thoughts.
This track works in multiple parts, in which Jeff channels many of his rock influences from Springsteen, to Against Me!. The mood of the song grows softer and softer as it reaches the end. The track is dedicated to “the only person I ever wanted to like me”, the one that provides home for him. It is the ultimate “coming home to you” anthem of the year.
15. The Strokes: “Ode To The Mets”
The song is about the deterioration of a relationship due to constant disappointment, or as Fab implies “something that you set your heart to and you love unconditionally, but continues to disappoint you”, which in the case of The Strokes, it’s New York and its new abnormality, and for many new yorkers, it’s their baseball team, the Mets–and for us, it could be anything.
This thing is almost 6 minutes long, which is pretty lengthy for a Strokes song. I love the linear structure of this track where the intensity escalates slowly as the song progress. Jules’ vocal starts out listless, then suddenly he jumps a few octaves and things got very emotional. The beautiful guitar and vocal melodies on the outro do provide a beautiful exit for the album. Definitely the best closure of any The Strokes record, period.
14. Lido Pimienta: “Te Quiera”
On her latest effort Miss Columbia, Canadian-based singer Lido Pimienta reflects on her Columbian roots by using a 2015 beauty pageant controversy as a central theme. Sonically, she incorporates elements of Latin music — reggaeton, cumbia — into the art-pop territory.
Since my first spin, “Te Queria” has been the most appealing track from the album for me. Tonality-wise, it’s so vivid. I’d say, it’s the one track that represents the colorful personality displayed on the cover. It has some addictive repeating hooks too (the lines: “Yo te miraba también” & “Yo te boté, yo te boté”).
*) and yes, I’m including the Chancha Via Circuito remix version to the list, because the mixing is slightly better than the album version. All the instruments sound much clearer, all the colors feel much nicer in the ears.
13. Code Orange: “A Sliver”
We know that Code Orange have been incorporating industrial-electronic sounds since Forever (2017), but on their latest LP Underneath, almost everything falls into place better than on Forever. So great that, the glitchy, futuristic and modern hardcore sound has now officially become their signature sound.
The best example of this sonic experimentation can be heard on the penultimate track “A Sliver”, my personal favorite from the album. Love the glassy drumbeats, the cold and haunting guitar riffs on the verses before going full hardcore on the chorus. The glitchy section during the bridge is where the industrial-electronic blend works best, the transition from hardcore to the electronic passage flows seamlessly here.
Also, I really love the lyrical theme of this song, which I think is highly relevant to today’s tech-advanced/digitized society. The overall experience is just so visceral and in your face.
12. Fiona Apple: “Newspaper”
Some of the keywords that describe Fiona Apple’s critically acclaimed album Fetch the Bolt Cutters are cathartic, raw, and organic. And I think, of all the 15 tracks in the list, “Newspaper” is the one that perfectly embodies all three traits. This song, with all that it has to offer, feels like a mental exercise. A catharsis.
Using the power of percussive instruments to create tensions and moods. It’s sort of reminiscent of Nick Cave’s gothic/early dark cabaret-era, with all the dark tone and manic, distressing mood that it brings. Fiona also offers a wide range of vocal presentation here, from humming to a full-lungs mode when expressively shouting “And I’m alone on the summit now”.
For a song that tries to deliver the power of kinship among women, it’s interesting that Fiona brings her sister to fill in some call & response vocal parts (even more interesting, she was breastfeeding while doing the take).
11. Jessie Ware: “Remember Where You Are”
A groovy soulful disco-pop tune with some magnificent group vocals on the hook. It’s beautiful and uplifting. Despite its sexual tendency, this song feels appropriate to close any formal/important/grand/ballroom-type of occasion due to its delicacy and elegance.
Oh, did I mention this song won the award for bassline of the year? (from me of course). And just recently Mr. Obama also included this track on his favorite songs of 2020.
10. Taylor Swift: “exile” (feat. Bon Iver)
The strongest duet I’ve heard the entire year. using film motives to describe a relationship, it’s beautifully arranged, majestic, and heart-wrenching. Really love the vocal performances from both parties — oh boy do I love Justin Vernon’s deep lower register voice on this thing.
Performance-wise, the chemistry feels perfect. But what fascinates me is how each of these ex-lover’s voice appears alienated (exiled) from the other, and when the “voices” do interplay during the bridge, it perfectly encapsulates just how bad the disconnection really is.
Thanks to Aaron Dessner (of The National fame) for making this happened.
9. envy: “Dawn and Gaze”
Well, technically it’s a 2018 release, but since it’s included in the new album, I guess this shouldn’t be considered cheating.
At first, the track left me with a so-so impression because I really hated the overuse of vocoder here, BUT the cinematic nature of this song plus the beautiful and fluid guitar leads that elevate the song’s climax just make it hard to resist. I begin to think that “Dawn and gaze” is probably the best song envy have written post A Dead Sinking Story (2003).
8. Megan Thee Stallion: “Savage (Remix)” (feat. Beyonce)
Dropping a number of great singles and getting involved in some of the most successful musical projects in 2020, Texan powerhouse Megan Thee Stallion had been one of the most prolific acts of the year. My personal choice though, out of the bunch, lands to the remix version of “Savage” which features our queen Beyoncé.
The original version was already a TikTok hit previously, but Megan’s unwavering new verses and Beyoncé’s classy touch did take the song to a whole new level. The two trading bars and supporting each other like puzzle pieces fit perfectly: “I’m a bad bitch, she’s a savage, no comparison here”.
Along with Cardi B’s “WAP”, these were definitely the songs that made 2020.
7. Tame Impala: “On Track”
2:52 – 3:22 minute mark.
6. HMLTD: “Blank Slate”
HMLTD has been one of the most interesting new faces of the British music scene in recent years. They hybridize post-punk and glam-rock with elements of modern music such as trap, electropop and many others (the band has an eclectic discography). Their message has always been thought-provoking and politically-charged yet delivered in a very glamourous manner. The band claimed it’s better to act classy than pretending to be working-class and being ungenuine.
Compared to all the songs that had been released before, “Blank Slate” feels like the most conventional sounding song this eccentric unit has ever thrown into their catalog. The track is reminiscent of the best musical works by the likes of Pulp and Suede during the heyday of Britpop, more than two decades ago.
5. clipping.: “Say the Name”
The song refers to the 90s horror film series Candyman, which story deals with the issues of slavery, racial violence and interracial love. the track also utilizes a line from Geto Boys’ song that reads “Candlesticks in the dark, visions of bodies being burned” as the main hook.
This track is dark, eerie and terrorizing. It features a driving groove, excellent sound design by the outfit’s instrumental department, and Daveed Diggs’ cold-blooded flow. The song’s structure is a nod to a Nine Inch Nails song, a slow burner that builds up to a climax — the climactic beats do remind me of Tool’s best riffs on “Forty Six & 2” with some extra haunting glockenspiel sounds.
Probably one of the best horrorcore songs of all time.
4. Rina Sawayama: “Dynasty”
I still remember the night I listened to SAWAYAMA for the first time when it premiered back in April. the album opened with “Dynasty”. At first, I was hesitating a bit because Rina and Clarence Clarity already had a perfect opener (“Ordinary Superstar”) on their previous project — how are they gonna top it off? But then, I had my first spin and boy did it deliver. “Dynasty” blew my mind away that night, I almost cried.
“Dynasty” is an epic presentation of a persona. With a colossal instrumental accompaniment, Rina rises like a golden phoenix on this song.
How many times have Pixels talked about Rina’s layering vocal harmony during Clarence’s guitar solo? She sounds mega at that particular moment.
The lyrics grapple with the issues of family and inherited cycle of pain that runs within. And with this track, Rina’s inviting the listeners to break the chain and figure out the world with her. It’s a mission statement, it’s a generational call to action. It’s a powerful body of work, it’s a moving piece.
3. Phoebe Bridgers: “I Know The End”
This song literally shows how far Phoebe Bridgers has become as a songwriter. Imagine having an album’s worth of materials and pack them into one cohesive track, “I Know The End” is an epic cacophony.
The song has at least 3 parts and each part has its own emotional arc. It starts with typical somber psychedelia that appears throughout the album. Then in the mid-section Phoebe presents us with some musical and lyrical crescendos. The instrumental swells here are beautiful and the way Phoebe throws out words is impressive, sometimes it feels random, but in the bigger picture she actually uses these words to build vivid imagery of an apocalyptic scene. And finally, it explodes into an apocalyptic orchestral parade that features horns, Nick Zinner on guitar, huge group vocals and SCREAMS.
It’s also worth to mention that Phoebe draws the influence from My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade on this one. Definitely not to be missed.
2. Perfume Genius: “Nothing at All”
Initially, I was going to put “On the Floor” on this list, because I think that track is the most single-worthy / most well-written track off Perfume Genius’ Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, with a rather dynamic progression and catchy bouncy-guitar rhythm.
But at the final minute, I came back to my year-end listening statistics, only to realize how other song from the album, “Nothing at All”, actually came up pretty high on my annual recap.
“Nothing at All” has been my go-to sonic therapy in the last 6 to 7 months.
The song is one emotional release after another. From the pulsating drumbeat that rings like a heartbeat, the dimly distorted guitar, the compelling Springsteen-esque hook on the chorus, the enchanting “dee dee” expressions, the gentle flute sounds, and numerous other elements, I love everything about this song.
Not to mention its lyrical theme, which Mike Hadreas claimed to be about “being so into someone that they can really throw anything at you, and it doesn’t matter”.
I haven’t talked about my favorite bit of the song though, which is the post-chorus that features a swooning windy synth passage that sounds like a butterfly flying atop the sky of a beautiful garden. It’s a moment of blissful catharsis.
This song also slipped into Pitchfork readers’ favorite tracks of the year at #100. It was the song which hook was sung by Anthony Fantano in his review for the album. It was the song that got into Matt Berninger’s quarantine playlist not long after the album came out. I hate the fact that I need to have all these contexts to realize how real deal this track is, rather than trusting my own feeling.
1. Moses Sumney: “Virile”
On “Virile”, Moses Sumney rejects the traditional notions of virility/masculinity within our society and challenges its status quo.
Sonically, “Virile” is an infectious industrial-art pop track, which relies heavily on stomping beats and one-chord guitar strums (mainly written by industrial duo YVETTE). This monotonous–yet thunderous–foundation, however, provides some room for other instruments to dance on top of it. We’ve got Thundercat on the bass, some beautiful flute and harp sounds, a wonderful strings arrangement and to top it all off, Moses’ acrobatic vocals.
“Virile” is hands down the most exciting rock anthem I’ve heard in a while.
1. Moses Sumney: “Me In 20 Years”
F — k, I hate to be indecisive, but man, I can’t just ignore this masterpiece and leave it off my list. So there you go, we’ve got two winners this year (both from the same artist).
“Me in 20 Years” in all of its forms, is a different beast from “Virile”. “Me In 20 Years” is a surrealistic ballad that showcases Moses Sumney’s ultimate weapon: his military-grade voice.
The range he presents here is transcendent, especially during the bridge where he sings “a little bit longer, just a little bit more”. Living in a falsetto space and sometimes hitting the blue notes, his voice perfectly captures the vulnerability of a cavitated old man — as well as the discomfort of an anxious young man — as the song is about the fear of being alone in the distant future. The astral and glitchy beats here is produced by Daniel Lopatin (of Oneohtrix Point Never fame). Each of the collaborator’s styles fit perfectly here.
Some Honorable Mentions:
- Adrianne Lenker: “not a lot, just forever”
- BAMBARA: “Serafina”
- BLACKPINK: “How You Like That”
- Blu & Exile: “The Feeling” (ft. Jacinto Rhines)
- Bonny Light Horseman: “Bonny Light Horseman”
- Carla J. Easton: “WEIRDO” (ft. Honeyblood)
- Dope Body: “Sour Apple”
- Dua Lipa: “Levitating”
- Everything Everything: “Violent Sun”
- Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist: “God Is Perfect”
- Imperial Triumphant: “Alphaville”
- Laura Marling: “Held Down”
- Little Simz: “might bang, might not”
- Loathe: “Is It Really You?”
- Moor Jewelry: “Look Alive”
- Nadine Shah: “Club Cougar”
- Natalia Lafourcade: “Una Vida”
- Oneohtrix Point Never: “No Nightmares” (feat. The Weeknd)
- Oranssi Pazuzu: “Uusi teknokratia”
- Soccer Mommy: “yellow is the color of her eyes”
- Squid: “Sludge”
- The Osedax: “Offen”
- TOPS: “I Feel Alive”
- U.S. Girls: “4 American Dollars”
- Zeal & Ardor: “Tuskegee”
Listen to the full playlist below.
