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