Kyraâs Top Albums of 2020 đ§
Despite a tragically hectic year, some of my favorite artists managed to release some phenomenal projects in 2020. Here are my top picks (in no particular order):
Girl Eats SunâHope Tala ⢠R&B
Talaâs third EP is a picnic on a Spring eveningâbreezy and warm. I absolutely adored her first two projects, so itâs been a joy hearing how sheâs continued to develop her unique style. On Girl Eats Sun, she masterfully serenades you through the different phases of love from dizzying happiness to aching longing. The little things are what elevate this project, from the strings on the wistful Easy to Love Me to Skyâs high-pitched, flowy vocals on the chorus of Mulholland, and Iâd be remiss if I didnât mention my special appreciation for when Talaâs pitch dips and sheâs in that pleasant moment between rapping and singingâhello verse two of All My Girls Like to Fight. Despite the title, Talaâs latest project brings the sunshine out for me every time I listen.
Ungodly HourâChloe x Halle ⢠R&B
If you somehow managed to miss Chloe x Halle being the darlings of R&B this year, then please allow me to be your introduction to one of 2020âs few must-listen albums of the year. Thereâs no other way to describe Ungodly Hour than as a treat for R&B fans: from the variety of tempos (thereâs the breathtakingly beautiful ballad Wonder What She Thinks of Me as well as the certified party bop Do It), to the timely range of topics from relationships to self-love (the lyric âI had to learn to love me latelyâ felt especially pertinent in a year without the usual social distractions); the album takes you on a ride. And of course, the whole time youâre wrapped in the surreal pleasure of their talent for unique harmonizations. If youâve yet to queue this project on your streaming account, do it.
Holy CowâAll Cows Eat Grass ⢠Electronic
Now hereâs a group Iâve missed! ACEG projects always excel at layering dreamy synths with smooth beats, and Holy Cow fits right into the herd. One of their slower projects, tracks like Fly and Pillow Talk would easily fit into a summertime playlist with their simple, fun melodies. Thereâs also great storytelling in the lyrics of this project from the palpable excitement of the VIP section of a nightclub on About Us to the visceral shock of hearing âthank youâ in response to âI love youâ in a complicated relationship on Pretty Ladiesâouch. There are so many melodic gems on this 35-minute project; welcome to the pasture.
Ice Cream ClonesâROMderful ⢠R&B
I must admit I was late to the party that is ROMderfulâs music. I first encountered ROM last year via Twitter where he would post short clips of miniature duplicates of himself playing the various instruments of the track; the full videos can often be viewed on his YouTube channel. Since then, Iâve been enjoying the pleasant rabbit hole that is his Soundcloud (heâs had releases on Soulection) and production credits (heâs worked with artists like DUCKWRTH and Rayana Jay). A talented multi-instrumentalist, ROMâs music is full of fun sounds and soulful melodies, and his social media presence is just as joyful (his current Twitter name is ROMderTHICC). This project is full of very short tracks with infectious hooks. Itâs a quick listen, but one Iâve returned to often.
Rumble PackâButton ⢠R&B
Button is the collaborative union of Allen Love and Bobby Earthâone of my absolute favorite independent R&B artists, and the reason I gave this project a listen. Iâm very glad I did. Rumble Pack is brilliantly bizarre: funky synths, blazing features, all interspersed with random gaming commentary. Fans of The Jet Age of Tomorrow (Pyramid Vritra and the Internetâs Matt Martians) and ROMderful (who has a Rumble Pack feature) will surely appreciate the groovy eccentricity of this one. Thanks to this fun, soulful project, Iâve decided I may be a video game fan after all.
Cosmic LipsâMomocurly ⢠Smooth Jazz
If the phrase âeasy, breezy, beautifulâ were an album, this would be it! Momocurly is Japanese pianist and vocalist Momo Otani and French guitarist Christophe Pannekoucke. Together the two crafted an exquisitely mellow medley of melodies. Cosmic Lips is everything I enjoy in jazz: relaxing, mid-tempo and smooth. Otaniâs voice is unique, high and light, and she glides over the tracks like Pannekouckeâs guitar. This project transports, itâs otherworldly.
with HER - EPâCrush ⢠K*R&B
Because I believe Crush is one of the most talented R&B crooners making music right now, I was completely unsurprised to find that his latest project is smooth and soulful. Only five tracks, itâs a short one, and the concept is incredibly cuteâeach track is a duet with a different woman vocalist comprising a project of unique love ballads. The different vocalists mean each track has a unique sound and lyrically the project is full of heart-warming quotables and seductive one-liners. with HER is a project to fall in love to.
DPR ARCHIVESâDPR Live, DPR Ian, & DPR Cream ⢠K*Rap/K*R&B
Ahh DPR, the eye candy that makes ear candy. DPR, initialism for Dream Perfect Regime, a South Korea-based art collective, blessed fans with this collection of both new and previously released tracks from DPR Live, DPR Ian, and DPR Cream. Though they collaborate extensively, each artist has a distinct sound that diversifies the collection overallâwhere I would call DPR Ian a pop artist, Iâd call DPR Live a Rap/R&B artist, and then thereâs DPR Cream whose contributions are purely instrumentals ranging from smooth and R&B-tinged to piano solos. For fans or those dipping their toes in for the first time, the ARCHIVES offer much to enjoy. (Also watch some DPR videos if you havenât yet, both the men and the art are exceedingly visually pleasing.)
Peace Is Not a DreamâSenpu & ROMderful ⢠R&B
And ROM makes another appearance! This time on a collaborative projectâhe has quite a few and Iâve enjoyed them all so far. Senpu, who I am less familiar with, contributes production and vocals to this project. Unlike Ice Cream Clones, these tracks feel more fully fledged out, with a verse or two in addition to the chorus. Between the memorable melodies and vocal harmonizations this project is certainly dreamy.
Rare ChangesâMayer Hawthorne ⢠Soul
If you know anything about me, you know Hawthorne is one of my favorite blue-eyed soul artists, and Rare Changes is a lovely retro addition to his catalog. This album is from the seventies, Iâm convinced: from the mid-tempo disco grooves to the doo-wop style background vocals. Rare Changes demonstrates Hawthorneâs adeptness at balancing nostalgia with the best parts of modern music, queue this one for a mellow night of slow dancing and slow sipping.
Honorable Mentions (thereâs some bops here, but overall the project didnât move me):
It Is What It IsâThundercat ⢠Funk
Whimsical & free-flowing as is his style; lyrically musing & haunting, the last track is an absolute clincher to the project.
The Slow RushâTame Impala ⢠Alternative
If age-ripened weariness had a soundtrack you could bop to at a festival; Breathe Deeper instantly brings a smile to my face.
ShabrangâSevdaliza ⢠Alternative
Sevdaliza is one of the few artists who consistently leaves me breathlessâher art is daring, thought-provoking, and absurdly beautiful. Shabrang is no different in its presentation and lyricism, though it is musically more traditional than I might expect.
Sin MiedoâKali Uchis ⢠Reggaeton
I already think Spanish is a beautiful language but Kali just makes it even more so. Iâm not the biggest fan of reggaeton (Iâm sorry to say it starts to sound repetitive to me after awhile) but the slower songs on this project are lovely: R&B melodies with her breathy, unique vocals. I definitely enjoyed the listen!
SLINGBAUM ONEâSlingbaum ⢠Experimental Jazz
Voyage-19âBilal x HighBreedMusic ⢠Experimental Jazz
For fans of experimental jazz, get into SLINGBAUM ONE and Voyage-19, both projects are odd in the best sense: more about vibes and transitions than the traditionally cohesive albumâI bought both and Iâm still enjoying exploring them.
SAWAYAMAâRina Sawayama ⢠Pop
Future NostalgiaâDua Lipa ⢠Pop
Pure pop is not my usual fare, but SAWAYAMA, a fun, dance project is truly specialâit is genre melting and Rinaâs strong voice transforms to expertly complement each new vibe. Also, PLEASE watch the video for XS, it was one of the few things that energized me this year. And then thereâs Future Nostalgia, a fun disco-inspired project. Only a couple of the bass lines & melodies caught my ear, but the visual/aesthetic roll out was spectacular.
The AlbumâTeyana Taylor ⢠R&B
This was my first time sitting down to try a full Taylor project, and while I overall found the tracks repetitive, The Album has some bass lines I enjoyed and Taylorâs voice is beautiful.