best of mokis best of 2020 | FINAL update - AOTY/SOTY revealed !

[mokitsu]

1 hour ago, Madame X said:

btw, i checked out the voodoo song you recommended and stanned.  luv rnb like that.

 

wow i didn't know you were such a huge kpop stan tbh!  but the top 5 is good.  i dont know the #1. 

 

theres only one perfume genius song i liked this year, but i liked it a . lot.  didnt even know you could get that much out of his songs. lmao.  ungodly hour the song is yeah, the best on the album quite easily (and the albums pretty good).  i dunno if i'd call it an  outlier, but it does feel like it has more in common with their first album than this second.  

 

yes glad you listened and liked it! there's a dam-funk synthy rework on the album that i love as well. the whole project is really great tbh.

 

i started paying attention to other artists beyond red velvet in kpop this year   the other lists are more light on them though, since there weren't many western eps i cared for. i admit that mike can be a little metaphorical or whatever but i love jason bc it's one of his few songs that reads like a diary entry nn.

[austinsuxx]

i need to revisit perfume geniuses album

[madonnas]

16 minutes ago, mokitsu said:

yes glad you listened and liked it! there's a dam-funk synthy rework on the album that i love as well. the whole project is really great tbh.

 

i started paying attention to other artists beyond red velvet in kpop this year   the other lists are more light on them though, since there weren't many western eps i cared for. i admit that mike can be a little metaphorical or whatever but i love jason bc it's one of his few songs that reads like a diary entry nn.

oh yeah, i love getting into kpop was a great experience for me.  for me i usually just dgaf about the album cuts and only care about the singles, aside from a few exceptions, so thats why kpop does so well on songs but kinda flops on minis/albums.  its fine though, the minis usually are better.  do you like yukika? 

[mokitsu]

5 minutes ago, Madame X said:

oh yeah, i love getting into kpop was a great experience for me.  for me i usually just dgaf about the album cuts and only care about the singles, aside from a few exceptions, so thats why kpop does so well on songs but kinda flops on minis/albums.  its fine though, the minis usually are better.  do you like yukika? 

yep only some groups manage to pull together a good project besides the singles.red velvet and shinee have the best albums for me. LOVE yukika! she's on my albums and song list! took me a bit to get into soul lady, but yeah it's incredible and such an emotional listen for me tbh. she takes me places!

[madonnas]

Just now, mokitsu said:

yep only some groups manage to pull together a good project besides the singles.red velvet and shinee have the best albums for me. LOVE yukika! she's on my albums and song list! took me a bit to get into soul lady, but yeah it's incredible and such an emotional listen for me tbh. she takes me places!

im loving the city pop revival we're getting right now  finally, cuz i was just getting into the genre (like everybody and their mom but w/e)

 

you dont like f(x) and wonder girls albums?  but yeah those + rv/shinee probably have the best albums overall.  

[mokitsu]

1 minute ago, Madame X said:

im loving the city pop revival we're getting right now  finally, cuz i was just getting into the genre (like everybody and their mom but w/e)

 

you dont like f(x) and wonder girls albums?  but yeah those + rv/shinee probably have the best albums overall.  

yes! this is a cute yukika reject from a flop girl group  if youre interested

 

 

i dont really care for what ive listened from the wonder girls (reboot - i know its super acclaimed but i just couldnt get into it) and f(x) is hit and miss tbh, but their last 3 albums are mostly great with pink tape being the best

 

 

[madonnas]

1 minute ago, mokitsu said:

yes! this is a cute yukika reject from a flop girl group  if youre interested

 

 

i dont really care for what ive listened from the wonder girls (reboot - i know its super acclaimed but i just couldnt get into it) and f(x) is hit and miss tbh, but their last 3 albums are mostly great with pink tape being the best

 

 

you must not stan 80s ripoffs like i do then.  f(x) have 3 great albums imo, which is more than any other kpop group.

 

do you at least like sunmi - noir/siren?

 

and OMG, i remember brave girls, high heels was a a BANGER.  this is good af wtf.  does it sample something or is it just instantly catchy and enjoyable?

[mokitsu]

Just now, Madame X said:

you must not stan 80s ripoffs like i do then.  f(x) have 3 great albums imo, which is more than any other kpop group.

 

do you at least like sunmi - noir/siren?

 

and OMG, i remember brave girls, high heels was a a BANGER.  this is good af wtf.  does it sample something or is it just instantly catchy and enjoyable?

i like some, but its not my favorite thing ever and yeah sumni has been on my radar since the WARNING ep, i think she was like the only korean girl who i included in my shortlived 2018 best of. she needs to drop another one!

 

it reminds me of NEON a LOT, but i dont think it samples anything! there's also this project by a city pop producer that features some kpop girls that dropped last month. my favorite is the song with f(x)'s LUNA (always glad to see these hags dropping music)

 

 

[TheWayWeWere]

Ungodly Hour is ****ing masterpiece, should've been a big break for them!

OMG TEA on JoJo  I'm so surprised GTK is hated  it's one of my favorite records of the year

Bikini  was cute jam, but I liked Passion&Pain more actually  

 

I never liked Troye music, but IAD slays! 

[madonnas]

25 minutes ago, mokitsu said:

i like some, but its not my favorite thing ever and yeah sumni has been on my radar since the WARNING ep, i think she was like the only korean girl who i included in my shortlived 2018 best of. she needs to drop another one!

 

it reminds me of NEON a LOT, but i dont think it samples anything! there's also this project by a city pop producer that features some kpop girls that dropped last month. my favorite is the song with f(x)'s LUNA (always glad to see these hags dropping music)

 

 

WOWWWW i cannot believe i missed all of this amazing city pop revival.  this is so fukn good.  i might rig one of these songs in my list or at least HMs

 

gonna listen to the whole album.  i see it has a yukika collab too! 

[Hug]

Okay let's go Bikini Porn! Your description of the song maybe made me realize what I like about it. It does sound like it's leading to some demonic song, which is very much up my alley. a big trashy bop from trashy bop queen.

[Tom Vercetti]

I remember thinking the tove lo song was offbeat when I first heard it . Ungodly Hour is decent due to the production, but that's about it. 

Idk the #1 ep but checked the song and it's not bad. 

[hjelp]

troye supremacy

 

[Ava Max]

Tove Lo, Loona & Troye

[Sunderland 4ever]

It takes forever for the images to load. My lame Internet collection, I just can't.

[mokitsu]

13 minutes ago, Sunderland 4ever said:

It takes forever for the images to load. My lame Internet collection, I just can't.

mess i have the lists in the op in plain text if you ever need it

[Sunderland 4ever]

Thank you. I hadn't noticed that.

 

Off the last set, my favorite is "I Want You to Love Me". That's definitely one of my favorite tracks off Fiona Apple's record.

[Remmy]

Comeback is good, "i dont knowwww why jojo's album is so damn underrated and even hated!" Right though, it's a biT odd  Bikini Pòrn  Ungodly Hour yup, an excellent bop and likely/hopefully the next single  || IN A DREAM  Troye has been delivering ever since his WILD EP and apparently he's not stopping anytime soon.

[potent]

We stan Troye, In a Dream (song) is one of his best

Honestly not familiar with the others, I appreciate JoJo's artistic evolution but just couldn't pretend to be interested in her this year

[Ewan Chaos]

Ungodly Hour the SONG! I feel it's pretty underrated; good pick there even if I find the ALBUM overrated. 

[Legend E]

ungodly hour cute

 

[Lazuli]

oh so that's what jason is about, that's cute  

ungodly hour  

in a dream yas  

[ikiru]

bikini **** and troye but you forgot to mention kai's best song "nothing on me" in his review

[mokitsu]

good morning ladies x im starting the albums today so yeah they're not the GREAT ones yet but we'll get to them later

 

SONGS

 

 

this debut single just kinda fell on my lap in march and i've been hooked on it ever since. i'm a huge fan of uk garage/2-step, whatever you wanna call it, and this song hits all the marks. her heavy accent and raspy voice are gorgeous and the quick paced sing-rap approach works perfectly with the production. she has charisma for days and her second single "lazy love" with uk rising rap sensation ivorian doll is equally great if you like this one.

 

 

 

 

 

this one is a bit of a jaw-dropper isn't it? the closer of pabllo's latest album (that just got an alice glass remix, btw) is iconically epic from its first second,  with his vocals soaring into a trance/deconstructed club-like drop. the best part is when pabllo's high pitched scream gets torn apart and turned into the beat itself. wow what a moment.

 

 

 

 

 

gfriend are the latest main kpop girls to hop on the disco trend, and i have to say they did it better than most? their output this year has been more mature than ever and the witchy and nocturnal vibes they set with their previous releases isn't lost, even if the song is a complete pop banger. there's a sense of urgency and desperation in "mago" that i love and with its classy and sexy video it's one of the most memorable kpop singles of the year (a shame it flopped).

 

 

 

 

 

florence is one of my favorite artists, so obviously she's going to sneak in, even if it's with a leftover from her (frustratingly underrated) 2018 album "high as hope". "light of love" has a more uplifting and hopeful tone than the songs on the album, but it's still a bit melancholic and personal when she talks about her drug issues and family relationships. the marching band with the choir at the end could be a bit corny, but it works in the context of the song. this one always puts a smile on my face.    

 

 

 

 

 

i'll get into "after hours" later, but he really hit the jackpot with the opening track "alone again". this stream of consciousness song introduces the topics of the album, like abel feeling like a stranger in his own body, drug overdose and the recurring motif of vegas as an oasis but also the source of his substance abuse. the production here is stellar (surprised OPN didn't have a touch in this, given how similar it is to the "uncut gems" soundtrack) - it starts off very simple, with an atmospheric soundscape until a glimmering synth kicks in and it feels like you are flying across the atmosphere. when the drums kick in in the second part of the song it gets more dark and intense as he sings about "taking too much" and suffering an overdose at that moment.

 

[mokitsu]

 

cleo sol entered my radar with her guest spot in little simz's excellent 2019 single "selfish". her debut album doesn't have the same murky hip hop beats, but it does keep the same smooth and confessional vibes. it's the most soulful album i've heard this year, very homey and down to earth and it sounds like she's in some living room free-styling with a band playing and some backup singers helping with the harmonies. it's not something extremely revolutionary, but if you've been craving something along the lines of solange, erykah badu or d'angelo, she's perfect for you. in such a chaotic year, "rose in the dark" was a perfect listen everytime i needed something to calm me down and help me heal.
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i could care less about gfriend's output before 2020, but with their mini and this album, it's safe to say they're hitting a creative peak. "walpurgis night" is a bit of a confusing listen, with each song taking on a different genre and style (like i said previously, i expect more consistency and a more defined sound from albums), but when every song is good it's hard to knock it down. the first four songs are probably the most upbeat and diverse (let's see, there's a disco banger, an early 2000s pop rock song that could be in a sugababes album, a city pop track and an explosive synthpop track), in the middle there are three midtempo songs with r&b influences - and each one is sung by two different members, which is an interesting approach - and towards the end there are their last three singles and a gorgeous closer, which are the usual gfriend pop rock anime opener stuff (but good!). this just goes to show that "walpurgis night" is a messy album, and it's a miracle that it works - but it does!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

fittingly released on the day of the autumn equinox, fleet foxes' new album is such a calming and beautiful album. although i don't check for them much, i checked out their last album because of its wild praise and ended up hating it, so i was surprised when i found myself liking this one. the indie folk production here reminds me of the little i heard of their early work and some of beirut's best albums. it's a little bit too long to listen to in one sitting (sorry i have a low attention span) but it's always a dreamy and calming experience and i love listening to it in bed or when i'm working. i can't help but think about green pastures and cows listening to it though.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

i wasn't the biggest fan of mac before he passed away (except the dreamy "swimming", which i had fallen in love with) but his death obviously hit hard. i was excited when his estate announced the release of "circles", because it seemed to respect his creative process and his wishes and didn't feel thirsty to capitalize on a tragedy. and it checks out: it's one of the best posthumous albums i know. it's a heavy one - mac sounds checked out of life, both with his hazy numbly vocal delivery and with the introspective and deeply personal lyrics. jon brion also did an incredible job patching the album together and handling the production, which is atmospheric and dabbles on neo soul, alternative r&b and even some more structured synthy stuff like the excellent "blue world". a great and respectful project and a proper full stop to an amazing human's discography.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

i HATED poppy's bubbly, pop projects so i'm glad she fully embraced this metal vampire babygirl persona with "i disagree". admittedly, i listened to this a lot earlier in the year and haven't come back to it much, but it was my #1 for the longest. with this album i think we finally see poppy ripping off her android persona being honest with the lyrics - there's some underlying tension and subliminal digs at her former creative partner Titanic Sinclair. it masterfully combines genres that shouldn't go together and its ambition largely pays off - every track here is catchy and engaging with its constant shifts. poppy deserves a crown for releasing the first great album of the decade.

 

Spoiler