Choccy's 20 Songs in 2020
In a year of many disappointments, crisis after crisis, the only shining beacon was I was able to listen to more music this year than any other year in my life. Here are the best songs IMO. |
| 21 |  | Joji
Nectar
HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
Bring Me The Horizon - 1x1
Poppy - Concrete
Thomas Azier - Concrete
Honey Harper - Tomorrow Never Comes
Joji - Upgrade / Gimme Love
Bicep - Atlas (good enough to make this, but album release this year) |
| 20 |  | The Avalanches
We Will Always Love You
Title Track
Though by far better as part of the full album, it’s hard to deny the beauty of such a well-balanced track with particular mention to the blissful vocals and twinkly arpeggio chimes. |
| 19 |  | The Weeknd
After Hours
Title Track
Best track atmosphere on the album and a huge bop. |
| 18 |  | Arca
KiCk i
Machote
A little low due to not knowing how to finish but nonetheless a smooth, poetic and sexy r&b inspired jam. |
| 17 |  | Haken
Virus
Canary Yellow
Groovy, fun lil song with a massive, massive chorus that does well to not overstay its welcome. |
| 16 |  | Charli XCX
How I'm Feeling Now
Visions
Love me a good piece of techno Charli. |
| 15 |  | A. G. Cook
Apple
Jumper
I've listened to this song so much, it's so addictive someone help me pls. |
| 14 |  | Sunken
Livslede
Delirium
Some dark, brooding and really breathtaking black metal which grips you into its meditative atmosphere. Less is more is this track summed up. |
| 13 |  | Thomas Azier
Love, Disorderly
Hold On Tight
It's just really fun to listen to. |
| 12 |  | 100 Gecs
1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues
Ringtone (Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, Kero Kero Bonito remix)
Even more fun to listen to. The jarring switch between Rico Nasty and Sarah Bonito is one of the best musical moments of the year. |
| 11 |  | Everything Everything
RE-ANIMATOR
Violent Sun
One of their best tracks flat out with its infectious energy. |
| 10 |  | Poppy
I Disagree
Don't Go Outside
Perhaps the perfect song to round off an album that lends itself to many styles. A slow burner that ends on a genius reprise of some of the previous tracks. IMO, the definition of ‘satisfying’. |
| 9 |  | Burden of Life
The Makeshift Conqueror
Geistesblitz
If you think you hate prog metal for its noodling wankery, give this is a track. One of the most well balanced, concise and fun prog metal songs I’ve heard in years and made me question my relationship with the genre. |
| 8 |  | The Ocean
Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic
Jurassic / Cretaceous
Huge, huge song. All the best parts of The Ocean jumbled up into one 13 min epic with some much needed improvements to the quieter, slower sections I think they don’t always do so well from their past material. |
| 7 |  | Icarus (UK)
Unfold
Joy
Biggest electronic jam heard all year. I miss moving around to a beat in dark, loud rooms. |
| 6 | | Charli XCX
How I'm Feeling Now
Forever
Catchy and endearing enough to be fun, memorable and sweet but messy and A.G. Cook enough to be interesting and oozing atmosphere. Out of all the tracks on such a well acclaimed album this year, this felt like it had the most heart in it. The vocal sample breakdown and ending are incredible moments. |
| 5 |  | Katie Pruitt
Expectations
Wishful Thinking
Katie Pruitt has been a surprise one for me this year, as if to nearly carry the power of her music through her vocal abilities alone. I adore the smaller, more nuanced elements to her music. How this song takes its time to build up, the subtle vocal inflexions and its beautifully crafted atmosphere. It bleeds character, emotion and heart in the best of ways. |
| 4 | | Haken
Virus
Carousel
A band I usually criticise for being cheesy is still cheesy but in this case nails a superb balance of cheesy prog vocals and interesting passages. Favourite metal song of the year and almost addictive in how fun it is but it’s the simple parts that are most effective in bringing all aspects together. Special nod to the first chorus with its fun, speedy drumming and the tremolo guitar section in the end. Behemoth of a track. |
| 3 |  | Honey Harper
Starmaker
Strawberry Lite
Almost hymnal and immediately transports me back to church, ready to bathe in light, glory and something bigger than me. What a musical experience is as blissful as it is smooth. The man couldn’t have put it better himself with closing lyrics of ‘tonight’s divine’ and I feel lighter already. Also my most listened song of the year according to Spotify. |
| 2 | | The Weeknd
After Hours
Blinding Lights
There’s something to be said about a song that was released in early 2020 yet is still has potent as it was all those months ago. Even an hour long repeat didn’t make me sick of this. Possibly a perfect pop song and even better in the context the album.ing Lights |
| 1 | | Katie Pruitt
Expectations
Out of the Blue
You’re minding your own business, maybe on a bus or a train and then a thought pops up, and someone you haven’t thought of in months… maybe years and just for a while, you remember everything about that person and what they meant to you. This song that encapsulates that blissful, beautiful and painful nostalgia in a hypnotic, hazy dream. All those small details of memories and the emotion that was present during and after. However, all this is made perfect with Pruitt’s powerful and soulful performance, bringing out the joy, pain and wistfulness of those memories. Her passionate croons towards the end of the song are among my favourite musical experiences of the year and are almost chilling in how soulful they are. Could not recommend it more. |
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