KasioKas Posted December 26, 2020 Author Posted December 26, 2020 (edited) 10. Don't Take Me Home - Tori Kelly Lyrically briliant and vocally one of her best. It's simple yet powerful and brings it home in the final chorus. She hits very hgh notes in the end but the message is heartfelt. Begins as a love letter, ends as an attention demanding plead for more time and love. Beautiful and shoots right up to probably top 3 in her entire discography. 09. Missed A Spot - Dinah Jane Massive bop! The instrumental, the sexy lyrics issa vibe The SECOND verse's lyrics (!) going into a harmony pre-chorusand the nod to her other bop this year 'Lottery', yes ma'am this is a HIT. I really wish she wasn't problematic and she rode the success of 5H because this should be played in clubs. 08. pov - Ariana Grande So emotional and relateable. Lyrically one of the best on the album. It's gentle, and a palate cleanser from the other sex heavy songs. It's a perfect album closer and one of my favourites of the year. Particularly the lyrics "And if my eyes deceive me Won't let them stray too far away" that hints at her falling in love and moving on too fast, which she references many times in her discography, fits perfectly here in a song where she seeks love for herself and promises to stay true to her current love. It's beautiful and the best song on the album. 07. Bitter (feat. Kito) - FLETCHER The chorus is so infectious! She's savage on this song, particularly on the chorus, but t's still sexy and alluring. I love the double entendre of the lyric "I left a taste in your mouth, can she taste me now? I'm bitter" being the taste of her body and her bitter feelings. I also just love the big final chrous, and the tinge of envy and longing sprinkled throughout the anger in the lyrics. Again, recording this in front of your ex who the song is about because of quaratine?? I cannot imagine how awkward that must have been! 06. Sweet Melody - Little Mix High energy! Harmonies! High notes! GREAT lyrics and SASS! EXPLOSIVE final chorus This is the best Little Mix has done in a while and one of the best pop songs released this year!! It deserves to SMASH! It has no feeling of them holding back to cater to younger audiences, and the instrumental is a really great aid in building the hype before the chorus hits and the beat drops The music video was also The lyrics tell a cute story and the "du du du" in harmony throughout is a perfect inclusion 05. chocolate - Isabela Merced Bilingual BOP of the YEAR! If you haven't heard this yet you're missing out! When the beat switches and she goes "Bate, bate, bate, chocolate" B**CH 04. P*$$Y Fairy (OTW) - Jhené Aiko This is the sexiest song of 2020. It's so bad*ss. It's raw and vulgar, PLUS the accompanying deluxe track ft. her sister 'On the Way (feat. Mila J)' is just a continuation of this sex bop and even more unfiltered . I love the way she rides the instrumental and adds in harmony on the last pre-chorus and chorus. I always prefer brutally honest and sexy Jhene, because her voice fits the mood so well. She's nasty and isn't afraid to sing about it in a soothing, innocent sounding way. Spoiler 03. Say So - Doja Cat This is the song that really made me fall for Doja. The blend of singing/rapping is so well executed you might mistake it for a feature by another artist on the track. The disco vibe was a nice change in the sound of music at the beginning of the year and the accompanyine music video is chic. I'm really glad it became viral thanks to TikTok and went #1 with Nicki's help! Its Grammy noms are deseved. It still hasn't aged for me and is still my favourite song by her thus far. Spoiler 02. Physical - Dua Lipa I LOVE how high energy this is! It takes you on a ride from the very beginning and never dips in energy, it just grows to an explosive final chant, like the riot she wants to have! Dua executed this so well! Particularly the final pre-chorus and the stripped down instrumental leading with just claps before it's all brought back. I really wanna get physical and scream the lyrics with everyone in a club so badly Spoiler SOTY!!!!! Spoiler 01. Who's Gonna Save U Now? - Rina Sawayama It has high notes. A key change. Runs. An addictive bada** instrumental. A guitar solo. A massive earworm chorus. What more do you WANT!?? This is literally a perfect song. The lyrics and Rina's delivery is so sassy and FINAL and incorporating a choir to back her up on the final verses starting with "I tried (I tried), It made me lose my mind (My mind)" is PERFECT(!!), it affords Rina a chance to let someone else calm the mood of the song without her having to dip in her energy (anger) for the person she's singing too, while she visits occasionally through ad lib like "Hope you learned to live it better" and when they're done.. RINA resurfaces with a MASSIVE HIGH NOTE (Almost scream of anger) AND THE ENERGY RETURNS!!! BIIIIIIIIIIIII**HThe satisfaction I got when I first heard that key change! It filled my heart! It ups the quality of the track as a whole so much and is a perfect follow up to the high note! I look forward to it EVERY TIME now! The song just builds. I didn't think anything could top Dua's 'Physical' but when I heard this I was in awe, ESPECIALLY since the album as a whole never sits with one genre/sound and so you literally do not see this song coming AT. ALL. Rina's voice is incredible and she belts the entire final chorus in upper register and totally outperforms the energetic instrumental at this point, her voice is in full control, and then she RUNS in that upper register to top it all offbefore a final, almost breathless "Who's gonna save you now?".. Brilliant. This song is brilliant. It's the best song released this year. If I could hear this live I might just die right then and there. What a masterpiece. Thanks again for following! Edited December 26, 2020 by KasioKas
Moonlightbae Posted December 26, 2020 Posted December 26, 2020 (edited) you're serving taste so far with Little Mix, Tinashe, JoJo, Sam Smith, Ariana, Rina and Dua EDIT: just saw the new update. pov and Sweet Melody Edited December 26, 2020 by Moonlightbae
Remmy Posted December 26, 2020 Posted December 26, 2020 pov is nice, a solid ending to the album Say So is fine, never fell in love with it like many others did. Oh okay at this top 2 Would've been better if they swapped places BUT oh well, both are great choices. You spilled a lot in the WGSUN? writeup Physical is pretty much pop perfection and it's likely her best song so far. Nice Best Of overall! Hope to see ya back next year
Into The Void Posted December 26, 2020 Posted December 26, 2020 On 12/22/2020 at 1:16 PM, KasioKas said: 05. Future Nostalgia - Dua Lipa This was a surpsingly strong sophmore album from Dua, shorter but sweeter, leaning way more into up-tempo pop songs that aren't generic and mostly very addictive. For a few months it was my favourite album of the year because it was a joy to revisit as a guaranteed upbeat listen. Dua is beginning to cement herself as a notable and certified hit maker. She clearly has a good ear for really good pop music and delivers in live performances and music videos as well! She's found a way to please both the straights and gays and has already planted a foot in the US market as well as continuing to dominate the UK. She's easily the most interesting new pop girl since Ariana debuted in 2013/2014, and I now have high hopes for her.. that is until I heard the Future Nostalgia remixes.. Nevertheless, you don't expect superb vocal from her but her low tone is unique an easily identifiable, she knows how to pack on the energy (having no ballads and just releasing an album of mid/up tempos), and lyrically and production wise she never seem to falter. This was the best pop album released in 2020 and the grammy noms are very deserved. It's really hard to recommend tracks because 90% of the album is a party, with the only dud being 'Boys Will Be Boys', which was a familiar topic with poor execution. 'Physical' & 'Levitating' in particular are club bangers that are undeniably monster hits and I can't wait to hear live. Recommend: Physical // Levitating // Break My Heart 04. An Invitation to the Cookout - Terrell Grice Terrell is primarily a youtuber who invites extremely talented singers to sing 'Song Association' on his channel, he only invites talent, with varying accolades/popularity and is an extremely appealing personality, he's featured Jojo, Amber Riley, Tori Kelly, Cynthia Erivo, MNEK, Avery WIlson & many others. In 2019 he hosted a competition where unknown talents can play virtually by selecting songs of their choice, would be judged and viewers would vote weekly, the winner would be flown out to be on his channel for his usual interview/singing format. He surprised viewers by announcing an album in 2020!, featuring singers from previous interviews as well as competitors that fans loved listening too but got eliminated, including the winner Kim Cruse. The album is a well produced, vocally superior album, very heavily RnB and Gospel. It is an amalgamation of talented singers featuring a original and shortened covers of older RnB hits. The moment I heard this I fell in love. Vocally everyone is so talented and the original songs are really fun and well written. It does very much have the feel of a party of friends coming together and singing their best, and as a channel viewer who knows all of the singers, their pasts and struggles, it was really nice to see them all come together like this to release such a solid body of work. It's also a really great way of giving unknown talents a massive opportunity to be included in the music making process. It was extremely risky but really well executed by Terrell, who featured few background vocals and mainly took the helm of director/composer. If you enjoy great singing and RnB bops the first half is teriffic, and the latter half is more gospel leaning and slightly slower. Very good debut album from Terrell. Recommend: Nobody Else Gonna Get My Love // All // Creep TOP 3!! Reveal hidden contents positions - Ariana Grande This is in no way shape or form Ariana's best work. I think Ariana's fans feel the need to defend her to no end even if they know the truth themselves. That said, it is not a bad album, nor is it boring. Ariana attempted a risk but didn't fully execute it, assuming this was the RnB release fans had been asking for, because once again it keeps the familiar trap/pop beats/production of tracks done on the Thank U, Next album that became I dare say her biggest success. If she wasn't attempting a proper RnB release, this still feels a half-a**ed attempt, like dipping her toes into RnB but not diving in completely. It's familiar territory rather than fully delving into a new RnB sound. She doesn't have to fully change her sound every era, but honestly if some new songs sound like they could have fit on previous albums, it feels less fresh and new and exciting, especially if it feels that way for most of the album. What she does attempt though, I think she does extremely well; 'off the table' to 'love language' seem to be the real RnB-esque tracks while others are more pop leaning, but I suppose that can be subjective, I do feel like 'Just Like Magic' and 'Motive' walk the fine line. Had this been pure RnB though it would definitely stand out more, instead of listeners immediately calling it a 2.0 of Sweetener or Thank U, Next. Ariana needs to either work with different producers if she wants a new sound, or encourage her familiar producers to push themselves further. Vocally Ariana goes for softer vocals, choosing to remain in head voice and just rarely blessing us with a belt, however, the whistle notes are a plenty, appearing in the forefront on 3 tracks and an unknown number of background whistles on others. She reminds you of her superior range but chooses to take it easy. It's welcomed, because it's not necessary to be belting and hitting Bb4s and G5s on every album, though pop fans were disappointed.. Lyrically however, it's even more apparent that the album isn't an evolution . I had this criticism with 'Sweetener', the lyrics are not the best, they're not cringey but they're not sophisticated either. It's all simple. She's definitely getting better!, verses in alot of these songs are better than the choruses, but still it's not great. Lyrics like "I've been drinking coffee, And I've been eating healthy, Know I keep it squeaky, yeah" or "Down like six thirty (Mmm), Down like sunset (Down like sunset), Down like my foot on the gas, skrrt, skrrt" are trivial. Ariana seems to excel in songwriting only when portraying her more personal/vulnerable sides. (I see the irony here that one of these lyrics is about her most personal body part though lol) Best songs on the album are the ones not leaning on sex but have a pinch of personality, 'pov' is one of Ariana's best ballads of her career, it's honest and extremely relatable, she delivers the emotion and the instrumental in minimal, 'off the table' as I said in my top songs comments is a great 2nd collab from the pair that duet on the take of whether re-visiting an olf flame is wise or a waste of time, both artists compliment each other, and the lyrics "Can I still love you? Not yet healed or ready, Shouldn't be goin' too steady // I'll wait for you, Even though it always feels like I'll be number two to someone you can't hold anymore" again are brutally honest and incredibly sad given her past. 'my hair' and 'nasty' are on the lighter side in terms of topic but vocally are the two best tracks where she leaned more into showcasing her full range and having fun with it; the whistle chorus is IMMENSELY impressive, a feat very very few can replicate and deserves very high praise , and 'love language' is a standout sound reminicent of Justin Timberlake's take on RnB that's up-beat with snazzy production, i'd love to hear him feature on the track just for the hell of it. All in all a very enjoyable listen, Ariana will always grasp me when it comes to vocals and just her general style, she has a great ear and is becoming more involved in the writing and production of her own work, which is commendable, but I have to be honest, she's had better albums. It can be summarised as an extremely cohesive body of work but with a strong feeling of familiarity of previous efforts, mixed in with career defining moments. Recommend: pov // positions // my hair Reveal hidden contents Reveal hidden contents good to know + (Deluxe) - JoJo Jojo's album lyrically was one of my favourites of the year. My gosh the ballads were all extremely well written and the immense emotion she brings when she belts her feelings is so powerful that it commands attention on some songs. She reminds everyone who's listened to this album that she IS a threat to the pop girls of today, especially vocally, and that she isn't going anywhere. The album is very mature, a mix of sexy and strong ballads, and a much stronger effort than her previous album imo. Jojo gives you just a glimpse into how she acts in relationships, her regrets, her heartbreak, it's not too much, it's subtle enough that you can find something to relate too as you listen. The control she has of her voice is unmatched, I compare her very much to Tori Kelly in that sense. Jo is NEVER afraid to show you her full range, she hits lows and highs that are enviable to other girls in the industry. She's definitely here to acquire the success she was cheated of due to previous label issues and this was a terrific foot forward. The deluxe provides even more hits, 'What U Need' being a particular standout that's high energy and quitessential pop. Unlike others, every new song provided is great and almost as strong as the standard ones. The fact that this album is still on repeat and shows NO SIGNS of aging is amazing to me, I love every single song, there's one for every mood - seriously I hope she continues to work with these writers and continues to be bold in her vocal efforts because it's such a f*cking serve, keep feeding us Jo I love it *Also this was definitely the hardest to recommend songs for.. like seriously so good!!* Recommend: Lonely Hearts (feat. Demi Lovato) // Small Things // Don't Talk Me Down AOTY Reveal hidden contents Hide contents Hide contents B7 - Brandy My queen. Brandy has a sound that is so very unique. Her plethora of vocal stacking and harmonies and the most intricate of runs also elevate a song to heights of quality I desire so f*cking badly. Her ear for a good song and how she can make it better is unmatched. Victoria Monet once called adding adlibs and runs to a song as "colouring it in" and i've always loved that and damn can Brandy colour!! After EIGHT. PAINFUL. YEARS. of no new album, she has returned wth an apology on the first line of the first song "Sorry for my tardy, Long time, I was broken-hearted - Hearted and guarded". Brandy returns with the all too familiar sound, modernised for this era of RnB listeners accustomed to heavier beats and rap-centric voices. She adapts beautifully, singing and belting here, soothingly cooing there, and rap-singing elsewhere. Brandy's remarkable ability to blend old and new RnB is such a joy. She was smart to choose to work with current producers and tell her story to old and new audiences in a fresh way. Lyrically, this is another of my favourites of the year. Brandy doesn't hold back at brutally attacking her ex, defending herself, and finding new found love & respect for herself. Lyrics such as "You were a mute, a fluke with so many needs, A fraud, living with me and seed", "Ill intentional love distorted my reflection", "Guilt dealt me tragedy inside, Ate me alive I wanted to die" and "Aggregated, Agitated, I got an attitude problem, Let’s resolve it" are so honest, such a bird's eye view into her life, her struggles. The album is sad but hopeful, and when she changes it to upbeat for a breath of fresh air, it's so fun and light hearted! I love when an artist is able to showcase the complexities of their life through song in such a f**king compelling way!? This is an album you have to listen to multiple times, a few times to catch the deep lyrics, then to hear the way she EXPERTLY sings it to you, then to analyse the harmonies and adlibs interlaced within. I love RnB music and this is it at it's best. It might be a grower for some but for me it was an instant love. There are no duds, no skippable moments, but a plethora of addicting vocals and beautiful lyrics. This is an experienced artist at their best, after a much needed break from the public eye. I pray with everything that I have that she doesn't close the faucet again, and instead gives us more music more frequently, but until then, this will remain on repeat along with her older classics that have stood the test of time. Brandy is undeniably a superior musician. *Again VERY hard to recommend songs, it works much better as a cohesive album listen, give it some time.* Recommend: No Tomorrow // Rather Be // Bye Bipolar Yes taste at FN and good to know grew on me alot. Positions is growing on me. I only heard borderline from Brandy but ill check her out
ATRL Moderator Legend E Posted December 27, 2020 ATRL Moderator Posted December 27, 2020 surprised at the rina choice but i love it too physical is the only other song that deserves to be in the top 10
Kevin2803 Posted December 27, 2020 Posted December 27, 2020 Sweet Melody & Bitter in the singles top 10 Dinah Jane also getting a spot Good To Know, Future Nostalgia & Positions
GreatestLoveofAll Posted December 27, 2020 Posted December 27, 2020 POV and Physical whew yessss legend
Mark Rih Posted December 27, 2020 Posted December 27, 2020 Bitter is such a bop, Fletcher is underrated Physical #2 the power Say So #3 too whew. Pov top 10 surely an highlight from positions Great list overall! See you next year
Sunderland 4ever Posted December 27, 2020 Posted December 27, 2020 Great second track. Happy new year!
Mr. Loco Posted December 27, 2020 Posted December 27, 2020 Physical & Say so are really some great disco inspired bops, love to see them both get top 3
Pink Matter Posted December 27, 2020 Posted December 27, 2020 pov, P*$$Y Fairy, Say So, Physical, and Who's Gonna Save U Now? What a solid top 10 Great way to end your lists!
Mr. Blue_Shirt Posted December 28, 2020 Posted December 28, 2020 Let me catch up a bit ---- Spoiler Dead Horse, How You Like That, Love Me Land, Save Room for Us, Experience, Ungodly Hour, Dance (‘Til You Love Someone Else), Pretty, XS, Do It, Levitating, positions & Moments made it into the list We love pov and Sweet Melody acclaim Say So is a huge bop like pink cotton candy but too bad with the Dr. Puke involve. Physical is the huge bop of 2020 wbk Also i'm not expecting an album track to be #1. Who's Gonna Save U Now is really good. One of the big highlight from SAWAYAMA ----- Petals For Armor, Chilombo, Jaguar, Ungodly Hour, SAWAYAMA & Love Goes made it into the list Future Nostalgia ha acclaim Jojo's album kinda a letdown from me, mamybe i expect a lot from it but it still good. I haven't listen to Brandy yet, i've seen people kinda have mixed feelings about the album but maybe i should try it since this is her first album since 2012 --- I only been watching Harley quiin and The Good Place nnn But i'm really curious to see Fleabag and You since a lot of people are talking about it especially "You" on twitter
KasioKas Posted December 29, 2020 Author Posted December 29, 2020 On 12/26/2020 at 10:07 PM, Moonlightbae said: you're serving taste so far with Little Mix, Tinashe, JoJo, Sam Smith, Ariana, Rina and Dua EDIT: just saw the new update. pov and Sweet Melody Thanks sis I like your list too! On 12/26/2020 at 10:29 PM, Remmy said: pov is nice, a solid ending to the album Say So is fine, never fell in love with it like many others did. Oh okay at this top 2 Would've been better if they swapped places BUT oh well, both are great choices. You spilled a lot in the WGSUN? writeup Physical is pretty much pop perfection and it's likely her best song so far. Nice Best Of overall! Hope to see ya back next year I agree I don't Dua has topped Physical. I'm v.inteterested in what sound she'll go for with the next album Thanks can't wait to fight with you again next year! On 12/26/2020 at 11:08 PM, Insanity said: Yes taste at FN and good to know grew on me alot. Positions is growing on me. I only heard borderline from Brandy but ill check her out Yh Brandy's album is really good imo!! On 12/27/2020 at 2:00 AM, Legend E said: physical is the only other song that deserves to be in the top 10 wow @ this abysmall opinion On 12/27/2020 at 12:25 PM, Kevin2803 said: Sweet Melody & Bitter in the singles top 10 Dinah Jane also getting a spot Good To Know, Future Nostalgia & Positions bops on bops thanks for checking out my lists! On 12/27/2020 at 1:15 PM, GreatestLoveofAll said: POV and Physical whew yessss legend thanks for checking out my lists! On 12/27/2020 at 1:42 PM, dreamofyou said: THAT TOP 3 thanks for checking out my lists! On 12/27/2020 at 2:18 PM, Mark Rih said: Bitter is such a bop, Fletcher is underrated Physical #2 the power Say So #3 too whew. Pov top 10 surely an highlight from positions Great list overall! See you next year thanks for checking out my lists! see you next year too! On 12/27/2020 at 2:24 PM, Sunderland 4ever said: Great second track. Happy new year! thanks for checking out my lists! Happy new year! On 12/27/2020 at 6:38 PM, Mr. Loco said: Physical & Say so are really some great disco inspired bops, love to see them both get top 3 Thanks! & thanks for checking out my lists! On 12/27/2020 at 7:36 PM, Pink Matter said: pov, P*$$Y Fairy, Say So, Physical, and Who's Gonna Save U Now? What a solid top 10 Great way to end your lists! Thanks so much thanks for checking out my lists! On 12/28/2020 at 12:24 AM, Mr. Blue_Shirt said: Let me catch up a bit ---- Reveal hidden contents Dead Horse, How You Like That, Love Me Land, Save Room for Us, Experience, Ungodly Hour, Dance (‘Til You Love Someone Else), Pretty, XS, Do It, Levitating, positions & Moments made it into the list We love pov and Sweet Melody acclaim Say So is a huge bop like pink cotton candy but too bad with the Dr. Puke involve. Physical is the huge bop of 2020 wbk Also i'm not expecting an album track to be #1. Who's Gonna Save U Now is really good. One of the big highlight from SAWAYAMA ----- Petals For Armor, Chilombo, Jaguar, Ungodly Hour, SAWAYAMA & Love Goes made it into the list Future Nostalgia ha acclaim Jojo's album kinda a letdown from me, mamybe i expect a lot from it but it still good. I haven't listen to Brandy yet, i've seen people kinda have mixed feelings about the album but maybe i should try it since this is her first album since 2012 --- I only been watching Harley quiin and The Good Place nnn But i'm really curious to see Fleabag and You since a lot of people are talking about it especially "You" on twitter If you're into rnb you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least check of Brandy's album once. thanks for checking out my lists! 11 hours ago, Ava Max said: Say So, Physical, Who's Gonna Save U Now? YES thanks for checking out my lists! --------------------------------- OP updated with all shows, albums & songs
ATRL Moderator Legend E Posted December 30, 2020 ATRL Moderator Posted December 30, 2020 Quote wow @ this abysmall opinion flawless*
ATRL Administrator Lee!! Posted January 5, 2021 ATRL Administrator Posted January 5, 2021 Fleabag, Harley, The Good Place, Upload, Dead to me, The Boys
Wicked Posted January 5, 2021 Posted January 5, 2021 I need to finish Dead To Me, but I liked S1 a lot. The Boys was great, enjoyed Upload for what it was. The Good Place was so disappointing tho. Nice countdown, for music too.
MP2K Posted January 9, 2021 Posted January 9, 2021 Love the unapologetic love for Queen Bran And top 3 is great. Love WGSYN
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