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

[Macchi]

I share your sentiments with Juro Que ! I really hope she gives us more of this in 2021 ( I wouldn't mind a couple of con alturas though )

Jhene definitely did her album dirty for streaming... theres a really good album among the mess of a tracklist

[Mr. Loco]

Rain on me is Gaga's best song since Shallow... I expected a little more from the collabo tho 

[1998tweety]

ROM really is that bitch huh? I wasn't sure how to feel about Godga collabing with Ari (mediocre output + blackfishing made me worry), but lowkey she served too. One of my most played songs of the year and for good reason. The Commes Des Garcons remix wasn't really it for me, much prefer the original. I gotta relisten to the Dagny album, I remember the singles were excellent but don't remember the deep cuts too well dd. Kpop girlies won this year too, Apink and GFRIEND are kinda on a roll methinks. 

[Remmy]

Rain On Me Definitely a banger, especially the last chorus. I remember when the snippet leaked & it was JUST that part, and I was actually a bit disappointed on my first 2 listens because I expected it all to sound like that || how i'm feeling now didn't impress me overall but there's several strong tracks, some of those being anthems + claws Strangers / Lovers, Dagny delivered  Tension is lovely mmm

[KasioKas]

On 12/6/2020 at 2:33 PM, mokitsu said:

SONGS:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"ungodly hour" is what happens when some of the most talented siblings in the industry combine forces. an outlier in its parent album, this song is both funky and sleek, with a cold and distant feel that matches the song's themes of basically telling a man to **** off and heal somewhere else. it really takes someone as talented as chloe and halle to pull this off, because their vocals and harmonies elevate this song to a higher plane of existence. they showed they can take on radio pop and do it better than most girls.

 

 

 

i dont knowwww why jojo's album is so damn underrated and even hated! there weren't a lot of great r&b albums this year, but i feel like she had one of the most "classic" ones. but we'll get to that later. "comeback" is my favorite song on "good to know", and her most explicitly sexual song. the beat is nasty, her vocals soar through it and well, she's talking her ****. stream the t*ry lanez free version!

 

Love both tracks! Quite low I think 

On 12/8/2020 at 1:19 PM, mokitsu said:

 

 

after paramore's leading lady, hayley williams, announced her solo debut expectations were high and, without any hint at the album's sound, everyone was perched to hear what genre she was going to tackle. is it gonna be rock? is she attempting a main pop girl moment? turns out she drew a page from radiohead and st vincent's book and delivered an art pop album that, despite having its dancey moments, is mostly mellow and introspective, existing as a meditation into hayley's trauma and depression, as well as her divorce in 2017. while she wears her influences on her sleeve and that can be a turn off to some, her honest lyrics and dynamic production make this debut album a win for me.

favorite songs: why we ever, crystal clear, leave it alone

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Really enjoyed this album, thoroughly

7 hours ago, mokitsu said:

SONGS

 

 

i don't care for gaga's music one bit but i gotta give the woman her flowers when i think she deserves it. and "rain on me" is quite easily her best song in yeaaaaaaars. this song is pure catharsis, coming from two women who have been through hell and back recently - but despite the personal struggles that inspired this, it's an universal anthem about overcoming addiction and triumphing in the face of adversity. and who can't relate to that, especially this year? i love the garage house production, that feels sleek and polished (unlike the rest of the album). and i know a lot of people say it aged, but i only listen to it every now and then so it's still quite good to me.

 

everybody knows rina's standout track "comme des garçons" - a sleek, house braggadocious bop that belongs to paris fashion week runways. while the song didn't click for me when it was first released as a single, for some reason the brabo remix with pabllo vittar did. it's pretty much the same song with a little more oomph and life that i felt the original lacked. there's a small pots and pans moment in the chorus that i love, and of course pabllo adds a little more flavor to it even if she's in it for 5 seconds. i love the original too now so if you hate this just pretend it's the OG in its place.

 

I also don't listen to Gaga but this was a very fun pop song! CDG is GREAT but I haven't heard this remix

7 hours ago, mokitsu said:

ALBUMS

 

 

after some days in this section it's clear the girls aren't too fond of "chilombo". it definitely suffers from an overty long runtime (29 songs and 92 minutes) and a messy tracklist / sequencing. i think another of its weaknesses is it being stylistically all over the place - her previous album "trip" (which i loved) was also lenghty but it was grounded by an overarching story and a defined concept, as well as a cohesive sound. here, we have some songs that expand that sound (like "surrender" and "one way street"), but it sounds more frankeinstein'd when it comes to genres and cohesion that the rest of her projects. that's not to say that "chilombo" is a 180 for jhené - it still has her trademark qualities, like the mellow crystal energy driven songs and the introspective tracks that sometimes sound like freestyles. while this album feels more scatterbrained and maybe looking for a wider mainstream appeal than her previous, it's still fundamentally jhené and i enjoy every song and the album experience.

favorite songs: one way st., triggered, on the way

Loved this personally, it's high on my list and didn't consider cohesion an issue imo

[JGibson]

Rain On Me 

[hjelp]

Gaga... we're not gonna talk about that. The 1975 were disappointing after those singles  

[Legend E]

rain on me cute

 

i listened to strangers/lovers (only the EP) and it was quite bland

[Sunderland 4ever]

Petals For Armor was an underwhelming album for my taste. That might have been because I expected an After Laughter 2.0, which was a really good record.

Edited December 10, 2020 by Sunderland 4ever

[mokitsu]

Spoiler

 

18 hours ago, TheWayWeWere said:

ROM  pop perfection

Rina I liked solo version more  

 

Chilombo is amazing   she gets better with every album  

Kerosene from Yves album is a BANGER  

HIFN is amazing project  I don't get the hate for it ..

i liked trip wayyy more, but chilombo is a strong project.

18 hours ago, BlackoutZone said:

Great pics for songs again though as you've said I will pretend CDG is solo  

Rain On Me is definitely nice, but I don't feel is as much as mot of... the world (?), bridge is a bit annoying to me and I think Ariana shines more on the track than Gaga (absolutely love her outro and wish it was a bit more in the song in some form)

 

 Period tho  Glad it made your list, scandipop is so pleasant and inoffensive

the rain on me tsunami bridge is awful i forgot to mention it kii

18 hours ago, bestfiction said:

Midnight Sky is amazing 

Kii everything RV released this year went under the radar for me, South Korea better acknowledge their own Madead though

Loving the Leaning On You praise, it's such a gorgeous endearing moment on WIM3

 

The Goddess of Rarity stanning  people are really doing too much on the album and I think she should push it harder with minimalistic bass-driven songs like Boyfriend. 

Petals for Armor a snooze but cute MASSEDUCTION demos hihi

well milky way and naughty are the only songs worth your time tbh

17 hours ago, Valtersen said:

ROM  an acclaimed hit

yes gaga yes TABS

17 hours ago, bestfiction said:

oh, the new update already nn

 

I think Ariana outshines Fad on ROM because her lyrics/delivery feel much more relatable. but Fad is a terrible lyricist so no surprise here

Juro Que and Dumdurum are cute bops

 

jhene aiko sucks yup. but I guess she has a certain appeal

The 1975 album was such a chore to go through but there are some 8-10 decent tracks. I think they're just trying to be eclectic and artsy simply for the sake of being eclectic and artsy

hifn is 100% an improvement over Charli

 

yeah i wish i didnt have to hear gaga's howls. but its a good song so w/e

17 hours ago, Slate said:

ROM, juro que, CDG  

 

i absolutely loved hifn, agree that the stream of consciousness style to it really works

 

i need more flamenco bops from GODalía now

17 hours ago, Navyofbadgals said:

Well Ehm.. I guess they are all albums and songs yes

no dua no bagels acclaim i guess

17 hours ago, Psycho said:

Didn't expect Gaga praise from you

Pabllo remix was trash

Apple and Duhmdurum both classics

Strangers / Lovers and HIFN

lady gaga is the best singer ever

 

17 hours ago, Enigmanotta said:

ROM, CDG solo , Apple, hifn

stan sis

 

17 hours ago, Post Malone said:

ROM so low on EVERYone's lists

 

ummmmm at least it's here (as an OGH)

16 hours ago, Blue Rose said:

Comme Des Garçons and Chilombo

yup yup 

Rain On Me and 1975 *I was rooting for you gif*

 

16 hours ago, dangerousalex said:

ROM and Chilombo 

 

16 hours ago, TalkThatRihanna said:

Talent on Me did THAT

stan!

 

15 hours ago, Macchi said:

I share your sentiments with Juro Que ! I really hope she gives us more of this in 2021 ( I wouldn't mind a couple of con alturas though )

Jhene definitely did her album dirty for streaming... theres a really good album among the mess of a tracklist

as long as she keeps the blinding lights remixes OUT

 

14 hours ago, Mr. Loco said:

Rain on me is Gaga's best song since Shallow... I expected a little more from the collabo tho 

shallow was a cute girl too, they both stomp on her 2011-2016material

 

12 hours ago, 1998tweety said:

ROM really is that bitch huh? I wasn't sure how to feel about Godga collabing with Ari (mediocre output + blackfishing made me worry), but lowkey she served too. One of my most played songs of the year and for good reason. The Commes Des Garcons remix wasn't really it for me, much prefer the original. I gotta relisten to the Dagny album, I remember the singles were excellent but don't remember the deep cuts too well dd. Kpop girlies won this year too, Apink and GFRIEND are kinda on a roll methinks. 

not blackfishing but yeah italatina queens snapped

 

11 hours ago, Remmy said:

Rain On Me Definitely a banger, especially the last chorus. I remember when the snippet leaked & it was JUST that part, and I was actually a bit disappointed on my first 2 listens because I expected it all to sound like that || how i'm feeling now didn't impress me overall but there's several strong tracks, some of those being anthems + claws Strangers / Lovers, Dagny delivered  Tension is lovely mmm

i thought ROM fell flat first times i listened but it grew

11 hours ago, KasioKas said:

Love both tracks! Quite low I think 

Really enjoyed this album, thoroughly

I also don't listen to Gaga but this was a very fun pop song! CDG is GREAT but I haven't heard this remix

Loved this personally, it's high on my list and didn't consider cohesion an issue imo

im glad somebody else liked PFA through and through!

10 hours ago, JGibson said:

Rain On Me 

a bop

 

7 hours ago, hjelp said:

Gaga... we're not gonna talk about that. The 1975 were disappointing after those singles  

listen to my playlists

 

5 hours ago, Legend E said:

rain on me cute

 

i listened to strangers/lovers (only the EP) and it was quite bland

i didnt like the ep when it dropped but i guess it works better as an album

 

2 hours ago, Sunderland 4ever said:

Petals For Armor was an underwhelming album for my taste. That might have been because I expected an After Laughter 2.0, which was a really good record.

yeah i dont think people expected this album, and i saw that the whole rollout left a bad taste in ppl's mouths

 

 

 

 

[mokitsu]

SONGS

 

 

i wouldn't say it saved my life, but "circle the drain" came out at exactly the right moment for me. have you ever been so confused with your emotions and you couldn't really make out what you feel, or even if those feelings are valid? this song is the most weirdly relatable description of depression to me, down to the mold in the brain. the poppy, 90s rock instrumentation and more casual tone in the lyrics give this extra layers of depth for me.

 

 

 

 

 

taemin's BEST song this year, and i won't listen to "criminal" stans. "idea" wastes no time, starting with a handclap loop and a sparkly synth that might make you think you're in for a hip hop song with a sound that's all too common in today's kpop boygroups. but no! after an apt "you are my messiah" the production drops into a bass heavy wordless chorus with epic strings and the apocalyptic feel doesn't let go until the very end. taemin could've relied on his sex appeal like kai to sell, but instead chose a more artistic and cinematic approach to his music and i have to commend him for that.

 

 

 

 

 

amber mark came into the scene as an alternative r&b and neo soul girl, wearing the sade influences on her sleeve (and covering their songs). "generous" steps away from that artsy, soulful box to show another side of amber: the modern, sexy girl who just wants to smoke a blunt and ride her man all night long. her signature smoky deep voice shines in this track, as she sounds uniquely sensual as she describes a perfect night in with her lover over hi hats and a gorgeous, hypnotic string sample. it might be a little more generic than her previous material, but it's still undoubtedly great. i do recommend the music video version of this song, that extends it by a minute (!).

 

 

 

 

 

"need your love" demands your attention from the first second. the initial drum beat give an indication to the urgent, desperate nature of the song - well, at least its verses. when it goes to the chorus it slows down at lets you focus on the lyrics alaina is actually singing: "i need your love... like i need a bolt of lightning" wait what? turns out this isn't about the seemingly perfect and lovely marriage that the two members of tennis are in, but about a toxic relationship the singer can't escape. it gives the song a new meaning, and even the constant tempo changes can reflect the mental state of someone in that situation. even though it's an angry song, it feels like alaina is releasing her demons and allowing herself to be happy again.

 

 

 

 

 

romy came out of nowhere with "lifetime" and slayed the **** out of me. recorded in lockdown while missing human interaction, this song feels like a release of that anxiety and frustration of only seeing your friends through your phone screen over an euphoric synthpop beat that could very well be a gift from robyn or lorde.

[mokitsu]

ALBUMS

 

 

everybody loves a comeback, especially when it's by such an icon as respected and liked as kylie. miss minogue has mostly been a trend chasing artist, let's be honest, but her ear for hits, top notch producers and unique sex kitten voice always gave her an edge, especially because she doesn't take herself too seriously and just allows herself to have fun in her music, even if that means that you have to read between the lines to get a glimpse at her personal life. so when the current trend is disco revival - something she excelled at 20 years ago - and kylie announces an album, what else can we expect but pop perfection?  even if its not as daring and forward thinking as her best albums, "disco" is undoubtedly one of the best ones. kylie knows the uniqueness and intensity of dancefloor romances, and that passion and fun is perfectly translated to this album that literally only slows down for ten seconds during the intro of the ABBA-esque "where does the dj go?". an hour of constantly great bops.

 

 

 

 

 

i liked lapsley's 2016 debut album back in the day, but "through water" is a major step up and a great expansion of the sound she presented on the former. her icy and atmospheric synth-driven soundscape reminds me of james blake's earlier work, but with much more life and soul than he ever had. her gorgoeus androgynous vocals guide us through ten songs that are loosely based around global warming and its effects, and a parallel relationship that's also falling apart and bursting at the seams. lapsley's 2016 song "station" inspired billie eilish's debut "ocean eyes" and you can definitely draw a comparison between their spacey electronic ballads, but lapsley's expressive vocals and sharp songwriting make her songs a clear winner for me - and this album one of the best of the year.

 

 

 

 

 

disclosure's comeback was imminent, let's be real. even if their second album left a bad taste in critic's mouths, they never stopped producing quality records for other people and even their standalone releases were good. and "energy", their third one, is a worthy follow up to "settle": a constantly fun, euphoric 40 minute experience with their trademark uk garage sound and house sound being amped up to new heights. even the slower, more soulful cuts employ some sort of underlying tension and disclosureisms to make this a truly cohesive record. and even if it ditched the truly commercial pop of "caracal", those sensibilities are still here to create killer hooks. just like "disco", the aptly titled "energy" is an ode to the dancefloors - just more sweaty and dirty ones.

 

 

 

 

 

is it bad that i like "dedicated side b" more than the actual album? while the final one had some of her best songs ("no drug like me" and "everything he needs" come to mind), it also had tons, and i do mean tons, of lackluster filler and songs that just never really hit the mark. "side b" balances the doe-eyed, romantic and energetic synthpop of dedicated with a more mature, midtempo side of carly that we got to see in tracks like "all that" and "warm blood". there's also some room for experimentation with indie pop in the obviously jack antonoff produced "let's sort the whole thing out" and the hazy "california". all in all, i think it's a great record and pretty much what "dedicated" should have been.

 

 

 

 

 

caucasian r&b done right! i admit i dragged alina baraz quite a bit this year, but i got into her album and never looked back. while it's true that this doesn't reinvent the wheel - it's pretty much in the same wave of chill r&b as jhené aiko and sabrina claudio are - and isn't as lyrically introspective as her peers, relying more on melodies and vocal delivery / vocal samples to establish a vibe, it does capture successfully a feeling of sensuality and warmness with a tinge of melancholy across its tracks. it's a long album at 52 minutes but it's interesting enough to keep my attention and they go by in an instant. while "it was divine" may feel more style than substance, that said style is perfected and executed brilliantly, so i can't really complain. hopefully this is a start to a great discography.

[Navyofbadgals]

Disco a cute moment yes x bop after bop

[Lazuli]

circle the drain and lifetime  two songs that definitely slayed my year a lot

disco, dedicated side b  

[K$Ellie]

IKEA kinda bad, I thought it was inch resting on first listen but after like 5 plays I was already tired of it

 

 

Lapsley... well  Disco was a great effort, my first Kylie album too  Side B had bops here and there

It Was Divine whew  I found it a lot better than girls like Jhene, the production is just

Apple and Dumhdurum ahhhh, amazing choices  ROM is fine I guess and Comess a bop x

[Sunderland 4ever]

This is a strooooong set, let me tell you. Circle The Drain sounds like a track that was hidden in a cave since the 90s. The melody in her voice at the end of the chorus is my favorite part. Need Your Love is another great track. Probably my second off their album. Tennis really outdid themselves this year.

[Psycho]

Idea messy bop

Lifetime classic

 

DSB above Disco

[TheWayWeWere]

Need Your Love is epic   I never knew about them before this year, I'm so glad I find them  

Disco  one of her best albums for sure

yas for Through Water  so nice to see Lapsley on someone's lists   Station is one of my favorites from Debut  

[BlackoutZone]

Ahh still haven't heard Tennis album, but NYL is great IDEA cute, but yeah Criminal outsold

Lifetime bops, but hopefully it's just the beginning and not cute stand alone

 

So glad DISCO made it, camp Kylie best Kylie

[Supervillain]

Idea is excellent Glad to see It Was Divine here as you kept switching on it but seems like you enjoyed it in the and so I'm happy to see that, Alina deserves more recognition. Disco was a classic and Dedicated Side B is a cute collection of outtakes, could have been better though. 

[prézli]

Yes Kylie, yes Carly, yes TASTE

[geodancefreak]

Wow I'm actually shocked you were disappointed with Cape God. It's one of my fav albums this year. DSICO should have also been higher 

Other than that, here for all the Gaga entries 

[Alex]

it was divine WAYYYYYY too low why why why

 

[madonnas]

i did not pay any attention to amber rose this year tbh.  kinda regret it, but she just kept on giving droplets and idk why but that makes me lose interest.

 

disco is my fave on this set  tbh, DSB and Energy wont make my list but i appreciate some of what they had to offer.

 

im upset that i am late to the romy party because wow, the song is exactly what i want nowadays.  taemin/circle the drain are good songs as well.

[mokitsu]

2 minutes ago, dangerousalex said:

it was divine WAYYYYYY too low why why why

 

i told you you'd collapse