The 25 best songs (so far) of 2020: Proof this year isn’t completely terrible

These are bad times. We get it. You’re socially distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, and so the only place you can self-isolate outside your home is your car. It sucks. We know.

Considering the arts and entertainment world has largely shut down over COVID-19, we’re probably not going to look back on 2020 as a high-water mark for pop culture. Then again, we have gotten nearly three months of new music out of it, and a lot of it’s really quite good.

There’s the prismatic ’70s psych-rock of Tame Impala and the post-apocalyptic pop of Grimes. The revivalist passion of Jay Electronica and Rod Wave, and the silken sensitivity of Jhene Aiko and Selena Gomez. The searing, soaring songwriting of singer-guitarists Jason Isbell, Margo Price and Katie Pruitt. Even Justin Bieber dropped a bop!

In the event you find yourself cruising empty streets with rolled-up windows in a desperate attempt to shed your cabin fever, we’ve put together a little Spotify playlist of 25 of the year’s best songs so far. It’s got a bit of everything, so shuffle around and find something new you like.

Hopefully you’ll come out the other side thinking 2020 has a few things going for it after all.

Here’s the list

Simmer, Hayley Williams

10K Hours, Jhene Aiko

Breathe Deeper, Tame Impala

Hit My Phone, Megan Thee Stallion feat. Kehlani

Pray 4 Love, Rod Wave

Flux Capacitor, Jay Electronica

‘Cosmic’.m4a, Denzel Curry

Rare, Selena Gomez

Lonely After, Yumi Zouma

Get Your Wish, Porter Robinson

Expectations, Katie Pruitt

Your Reply, Frances Quinlan

Tryin’ My Best, Los Angeles, Mandy Moore

River of Stars, Little Big Town

Delete Forever, Grimes

Be Afraid, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Something to Lose, DieAlps!

Twinkle Twinkle, Margo Price

Holding Out for the One, Tenille Townes

death bed, Powfu, beabadoobee

Fire, Waxahatchee

Comfortable, H.E.R.

Intentions, Justin Bieber

People, I’ve been sad, Christine and the Queens

everything I wanted, Georgia