ARTISH Picks: Best Songs Of 2020 So Far
'Say My Name' oozes with the same sexy confidence that the Destiny Child song of the same name once had. Hyolyn shimmies and twerks on this reggae leaning, EDM banger, transmuting elegantly between English and Korean, maintaining a seductive attitude as her crystal vocals and choreographed renditions add more shimmer to this glossy pop record.
Japanese pop music may not have crossed over into the western mainstream as much as its Korean counterpart has, but it's symbiosis with anime is enough PR to reach those outside the shores of Japan who are worthy of enjoying it's brilliance. “Yoru ni Kakeru”, translated to 'Racing in the Night' climbed to the top of Japan's billboard hot 100 charts, and in an interview with the site, the Duo of YOASOBI revealed that their debut single was inspired by a short story titled "Thanatos no Yuuwaku" (Seduction of Thanatos), depicting a tale of fleeting romance. The true message of a song usually resonates through the music regardless of language barriers, and J-Pop bares a characteristic tendency towards inducing an evocative and illustrative atmosphere. From the fluid and delicate vocals, to crisp and well layered instruments, space and depth is added to this pacey and adventurous track, that maintains an air of optimism through rhythmic and colourful reflections. The duo is currently collaborating with monogatory.com, an online creative writing site, to produce an album of music inspired by stories submitted to the site.
Off Panamanian singer, Sech’s second studio album, 1 of 1, “Relacion”, a reggaeton fused bop reaches for substance as it relates to abuse and emotional trauma. The Latin pop star, sings of a woman who is now thriving after surviving a turbulent relationship. There’s a remix of this song somewhere on Beyonce’s internet featuring Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Rosalía and Farruko, but this original is a great place to start.
The rapper noname first came up in the 2010s, having been discovered in the Chicago’s slam poetry scene. This summer, amidst the pandemic and the George Floyd protest, noname released Song33 to address the general civil unrest and dismiss J. Cole. In “Song33” noname talks about the death of the 19-year old activist Olwatoyin Salau, the killing of George Floyd, the lynching of Robert Fuller, and also the killing of Victoria Sims. At length 1:09, it was a response to J. Cole’s “Snow on tha Bluff”. This internet says it’s a diss song, but it’s far from that, on the track, she dismissed J. Cole and focused on current events such as how black women are disproportionately targeted and oppressed, especially by the black men that are suppose to protect them.
Jaden Smith has the unique privilege and curse of having the entire world (or at least a sizeable population) observe your creative development. Coming from a family responsible for producing so much timeless content and growing up in the middle of the social media revolution has meant intense scrutiny (and at times ridicule) of his every venture. Despite this, Jaden remains determined to make his mark in music, and the single “Cabin Fever”, off his third studio album shows just how far he has come. “Cabin Fever” is a bubbly collage of synth-pop, folk and hip-hop textures, with airy choruses and dynamic vocals illustrating Jaden's imaginative and romantic yearnings. The music video features direct and symbolic liberalism, with 'Black Lives Matter' & 'No Justice, No Peace' signs displayed prominently in the opening scenes, as Jaden rides in a flashy coupe and dances in an equally colourful outfit. Smith may be critiqued for regularly assorting sounds, but his youth and enthusiasm ooze through this record for an infectious feel good bop. Like many of us, Jaden is locked inside, but can't help but daydream about the summertime, marshmallow clouds, and the brighter side of life.
Art has the magical power of heightening and easing emotions. Through imagery and context, creatives are able to draw powerful allusions that put the world in perspective, just as cleaver alliterations also show how similar, mundane or pointless life can be. Koffee's “Lockdown” does an excellent job at conveying this type of imagery, as she compares her love situation to that of the covid induced lockdown, but instead of setting a constrictive tone, she instead portrays her love as an obligation or duty, one she wholeheartedly embraces. Perhaps part of the genius behind Koffee's success is the relaxed and relatable demeanor her voice carries. This is supported by the laid back atmosphere of the accompanying music videorecorded in an in a studio setup in her living room, happily preparing a meal, before departing for a gathering with a few friends. Koffee is fierce superstar with the grace of the girl next door and we love watching her shine.
It makes sense that K-Pop’s hip-hop centric boyband, BTS have the first Korean album to ever top U.S Billboards 200 charts. The K-pop superstars have emerged as the product arm of Korea’s commercial scheme during our currently hip-hop dominated era. “UGH!” off their latest project demonstrates their international appeal as they delivered a rousing performance of rapping with dynamic flows over upbeat instrumentals that transcend cultural and language barriers.
Though Drake wasn’t the first rapper to blur the lines between rapping and singing, his role in the genre adopting a more flexible form cannot be understated. The Billboards success of songs like “One Dance” and “Hotline Bling” helped highlight hip-hop’s radio-friendly appeal, but despite the charm of his genre-blurring, Drake has also shown he’s not afraid to channel the genre’s more violent extremes with several diss records to his name. On “Toosie Slide”, he shows he can straddle both his aggressive bars with his pop sensibilities. You won’t hear a more radio-friendly song about killing your opps.
Tiwa Savage’s latest album, ‘Celia’ is her debut project since she left Mavin Records to sign with international label, Universal Music Group. The project reflects her cheerful attitude as one of the torchbearers for the globally trendy afropop genre. On “Glory”, one of the tape’s standout tracks, she showed off the genre’s omnivorous sonic palate as she experimented with the weightless ambiance of EDM to deliver her optimistic message for the transformative year we’ve all had.
Omah Lay's ascension this year has been nothing short of stratospheric. Following the success of his single 'You', he released his debut EP 'Get Layd' in April, and continued his run with the DJ Tunez hit, 'Pami'. Being featured alongside titans like Wizkid and Adekunle Gold bearing obvious credence to his talents. On 'Bad Influence', a standout off 'Get Layd', Omah Lay sheds light on the destructive power of his vices. "I'm rolling on a wheel now, I'm drinking Hennessey", he opens with stark imagery as he recounts the despair of a heartbreak. The pain and hopelessness is heightened by his passioned refrains as he copes through his vices. What sets this record apart is its articulation of cause and effect, as Omah Lay spirals as a result of a love gone sour, he reveals the physical cost as well, all of which culminates with him in an ambulance. A tragic romance brought to life by a stellar performance.
Karol G’s “Ay DiOs Mio!” is dedicated to Pueto-Rican trapper, Anuel AA, who she’s been in a relationship with for the last two years. The smooth tropical texture of the track is one instantly defining element. Combine that with Karol G’s sultry performance delivered entirely in spanish, and the result is the most exotic bubblegum pop songs, you’ll hear on dancefloors when clubs re-open again.
The unavoidable melancholy and reflection that comes with prolonged isolation can feed unhealthy mental states, ultimately causing us to question the meaning of everything. Opening with delicate guitar strums and an ominous horn section, “Wake Up” immediately imposes an atmosphere of gracious introspection, as Terri performs a hustlers anthem that is likely to inspire even the most cynical listeners. Through heartfelt and vibrant refrains, Terri draws attention to self-evident triumph, all a result of perseverance and starting your day with positive intentions, the early bird gets the biggest worm. With his calm yet colourful demeanor, Terri cleaverly wields real life metaphors to mock his critics as he sings: "They don't want me to Soco, shey na me wey killi Soco?". Terri bares testimony to the luxuries of life, porting from London to Lagos, as he revels in the spoils of hardwork and dedication.
2020 will be remembered as the year Bad Bunny showed the world one of the most progressive examples of how to redefine masculinity through music. “Yo Perreosola” has garnered a lot of attention for Bad Bunny’s cross-dressing, but the message at the heart of the track is just as iconic. “Yo Perreosola” loosely translates as “I am dancing alone”, with a premise on protecting women from potential assault and unwanted advances while partying in the club.
With the release of their debut project, Those Kids Next Door , Forevatired is etching a place in Nigerian hip-hop by sowing seeds of reverence deep in the culture. “Film Trick” one of the standouts from the album, features alté fairy, SOLIS, and alongside Forevatired frontliners, Pharoah along with Etienne. Together they craft a song about living magical, using Nollywood effects as a visual metaphor
By the time Pop Smoke got gunned down in early 2020, he had already released two mixtapes and was working on his debut studio album. The album came out in August and it featured several chart-topping artists. “The Enjoy Yourself” remix with Burna Boy did not appear on the album, but it is still one of the hottest songs of the summer. Pop Smoke’s original verse remains on the remix and Burna matches his vibe on the second verse while keeping the hook unchanged.
“They callin me toxic, cos these hoes and bitches hella obnoxious”, 19-year-old Kaash Paige sings in the opening moments of “London”. Unlike her Gen-Z contemporaries, who dabble in alt-R&B or alt-pop with a touch of sensitivity and emotional range (think Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa), Paige quite often throws caution in the wind. Her personality is so strong, even lyrics about her vulnerabilities often sound like brags; as objectively and as precisely as you would hear any good Drake ‘rap’ song. Only better, much better. “London” a trippy homage to the real life city, is an unapologetic number on excess and hedonism. But emotions also bleed into a bridge about alcohol and coping mechanisms for dealing with a bad case of lost love. It’s really harrowing music, when you think about it, but it sounds so fucking cool.
“Charades” is the lead single off drill rapper Headie One and producer Fred Again’s joint project GANG. Headie One who recently got an early release, after getting a six month sentence for knife possession back in January, discusses his connections to gang life, juxtaposed against his fast celebrity life as one of the best-selling rappers in the UK. “All I know is money and beef, don’t think I left it all in the past”, Headie One raps, on the bridge of what is probably one of the hardest hip-hop tracks you’ll hear this year.
It’s hard to tell what sound Rema will explore next because he has proven accomplished at making almost all the popular genres. The Mavin artist first broke out with his Afropop project, ‘Rema’ before following it up with an emo-trap EP, ‘Rema Freestyle’. But if there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that he likes women. They inspire his dancehall songs as well as his trap songs and on “Woman”, he made it crystal clear by declaring it boldly as he expanded his range to include the trendy Amapiano sound of South African house music.
Megan Thee Stallion is a savage. Her enthusiastic embrace of hip-hop’s braggadocious attitude allows her to perform cocky rap bars and provide the much needed female perspective to the rap game. On most of her songs, she's a scammer who views relationships as transactional, but we hear her dabble into a more intimate relationship on “B.I.T.C.H”. Here, she’s addressing an inept boyfriend while interpolating 2Pac’s “Rather Be A Nigga” to remind him of her savage trademark; “I’d rather be a b.i.t.c.h”.
Though Juice WURLD passed away from drug overdose at the very young age of 21, he was able to craft a unique sound in his short time here. His lyrics crystallized the world of battling anxiety while he incorporated modern rap production trends and remained committed to the guitar as an instrument for blending hip-hop with pop-punk and emo. He teamed up with Halsey for “Life’s a Mess”, one of the standout track from his posthumous album, ‘Legends Never Die’. The song demonstrates how he makes sad bangers with upbeat pop harmonies and bittersweet lyrics that remind us that “Sometimes, life is a mess”.
Not all The Weeknd fans appreciate his transformation from the mysterious figure lurking in seedy clubs introduced on his debut tape, ‘Trilogy’ to this funky 80s inspired post-Starboy disco maestro. The cult-like fanbase he amassed with the tape has constantly lamented his progression from making melancholic songs to making dance records. However, he’s able to appeal to fans’ moody sensibilities as he reminisces about his rise to acclaim on “Snowchild”, off his latest album. The narration of how he flipped his downcast reality into unapologetic hedonism on the stunning track is glamorous and it confirms that though his mood is liable to change, we can always count on The Weeknd to deliver devastatingly beautiful songs.
Through the chunk of Twice As Tall, Burna Boy is nearly untouchable. A path of clear musical growth is visibly drawn from his L.I.F.E debut, up till his Grammy nominated, African Giant, leading up to “23”, another “state of the union” summary of this particular moment in Burna Boy’s larger-than-life career. Similar to “Ye”, “23” thrives on ambiguity; the fine line between finding spiritual inner peace and accepting that life can be sometimes complicated. Burna is in complete zen mode gliding over production by French hip-hop producer, Skread, while dropping reflective conscious truths of his reality. After Twice As Tall dropped, he revealed via Instagram that he had been inspired to create “23” after watching Micheal Jordan’s award-winning Netflix mini-series, ‘The Last Dance’. Taking inspiration from one of the greatest athletes in human history, Burna is also convinced there’s greatness in his future. But he also sings of this realisation with the clarity of a man who has been humbled by the responsibility now projected on his role in uniting black cultures through music. If anyone ever needed context for his ambivalence on “Ye”, “23” waxes poetic about paranoia, spirituality and centredness, mindsets that may explain his decision to ride with the gyaldem in a G-Wagon or Bentley, instead of minding business that doesn’t pay him.
A lot has already been said about how Dua Lipa brought back the 80s and 90s with her new album, Future Nostalgia, a project that lives up to its premise, pre-packed with funk and disco elements. As award season rolls-up the corner, tracks like “Pretty Please” will be proof of Dua Lipa’s attempt at crafting an ageless pop classic. Much of Future Nostalgia is helmed on Dua’s unyielding motifs of control and her purposefully dead-pan delivery. On “Pretty Please”, she allows herself some vulnerability, opening with “Somewhere in the middle, I think I lied a little” before leading into a wistfully sultry song about sexual thirst.
On the 9th of January, Mac Miller’s “Good News” hit the internet and garnered more than 6 million views within 48 hours. Though Mac is no longer with us, the lyrics to the song gives us insight to what was going on in his mind. “Good News” is upbeat and euphoric, even though Mac’s lyrics echo a general tiredness of life and living. In the song, Mac talks about always feeling negative but always under the pressure to say that he’s good because that’s what the people around him want to hear. Some lyrics off “Good News” are especially emotional now, like when he sings, “Maybe I should just wake up” on a song that was released posthumously.
In the last eight years, a new Afro-electronic sound layered with minimalist traditional drums began stewing in the townships of South Africa. Spreading through primitive Bluetooth transfers, Whatsapp shares and viral Instagram videos. Locals used to call it iNumba during its early days, pioneered by the production of South African beatmakers like MFR Souls, Kabza De Small and JazziDisciple. Now the synth-led deep-house hybrid sound, has been re-branded as ‘Amapiano’ and many African music experts are already suggesting it could be the next big pop sound out of the continent. To prove the point of Amapiano’s growth, the genre is starting to benefit from the strength of pan-African collaborations like “Sponono”. “Sponono” is a dream collaboration off Kabza De Smallz’s latest project ‘I Am The King Of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust’. The piano-licked flirty song features vocals from three of Africa’s most prominent artists; Wizkid, Burna Boy and Cassper Nyovest. Yet the presence of these heavyweights doesn’t stop the deftness of Kabza’s intricate arrangement from shining through the composition. Though structurally set on wide grooves, Amapiano is an unusual style of dance music because its arrangement never peaks and rarely includes heavy bass drops. Coincidentally, contemporary Afropop itself has also slowed down over the last three years, stripping back the big effects and drums that characterised African music from the early to late 2000s for synth-led compositions inflected with jazz, highlife, afrobeat, reggae and electropop. With pioneers like underground legend Kabza De Small behind the boards, Amapiano offers a new twist to the evolution of Afropop. Time will make the difference, but we’re quite likely witnessing the humble beginnings for the takeover of Africa’s youngest genre.
Stream our picks for best songs of 2020 via Apple Music and Spotify: