best of GreatestLoveofAll's 2020 Top Albums Finale: Top 5 Revealed!!

[Legend E]

okay wow an underdog stan! the lyrics are pretty basic but i don't mind that? a bop tbh!

midnight sky yas

[GreatestLoveofAll]

Thank you all for the comments! I said I was going to post again today and so coming up, the top three songs this year and my HM for albums. Im real excited tbh though my taste is basic compared to some of you guys.

 

Top Songs of 2020: The Final Three

 

3. 

Spoiler

3. Rain On Me- Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande

 

 

It took me all I had to not put this #1 and as I am typing this tribute up, I'm still fighting with the fact that it's only #3. I was not actually aware of this until the week before- all I saw on ATRL was ROM ROM and I just brushed it off.

 

Then it came out.

 

If there was ever a song that came out the wrong year for so many reasons, it was this. This is what the gays LIVE for. A pop/EDM banger with lyrics of struggling but making it through anyway. This was to be the club banger of 2020, to define Pride Month almost. Yet despite it not doing what I should have done, one can say it coming out this year was just at the right time. When we all are stranded at home, unable to be social and have fun and conduct our normal lives- especially this summer- Rain On Me acted like an energy release, something to cry buckets to yet throw your arms around in a season of painful but necessary letting go. I personally found this to be something I didn't know I needed and I applaud both ladies for a more than exceptional song. 

 

 

 

2.

Spoiler

2. Stop This Flame- Celeste

 

 

I first heard this song in a Netflix documentary called They Gotta Have Us at some point this summer. The chorus was playing and I felt so much pride as it was a documentary on black actors in the film industry and how they preserved through hardships and made some of the greatest movies and landed huge roles. I was intrigued by who exactly was this person and who was making jazz-influenced R&B in 2020? Turns out this queen was and I am ever so grateful I found this song. She calls, runs, rasps her way through this bouncy tune about keeping the love between her and her partner alive despite them having issues and the production, conviction, and soul Celeste puts in it... I may be not so keen on modern R&B so this claim isn't to be taken with 100 percent truth, but I don't know anyone who is being this good these days. 

 

And the number one song of 2020 for ME, was...

 

1.

Spoiler

1. Boys!- Bronze Avery

 

(once again, I apologize for the huge picture)

 

This is it. This is my #1 song of 2020 and I am not ashamed. A perfect, fun poppy bop about the male species, and despite them being trifling 90% of the time, just how irresistible they are to him (and me) took the cake for me. I have been following Avery's music for a bit now and while I don't love every song he puts out, he never fails to deliver quality- especially sonically. And Boys! might just be his best offer yet. ATRL doesn't stan the gays which is sad because some love to push obscure pop girls to the forefront yet seem to pass over the exact artists who are speaking from their perspective for the most part. Also, an openly black male making pop music? That's what I call progress and it feels and sounds amazing. 

 

There you go folks! I'm not gonna be surprised if you don't know the top two, but I think they are stellar songs so check them out sometime! I'll post my HM for albums later. 

[JGibson]

Rain On Me 

[Legend E]

ROM is cute but top 3? 

[Ava Max]

Rain On Me

[D/X]

Rain On Me

I guess that it would be interesting to see if things would be different for ROM if the pandemic never happened. Perhaps a club banger that could be more appreciated than it was with everyone at home. 

[PrinceMichaelFan]

Whitney jumped into Gaga's voice on Rain on Me

[Into The Void]

On 12/21/2020 at 4:56 PM, GreatestLoveofAll said:

 

22. "Kings & Queens"- Ava Max

20. "Fever"- Dua Lipa & Angele

15. "In Your Eyes"- The Weeknd

14. "React"- The Pussycat Dolls

13. "positions"- Ariana Grande

12. "Forgive Me"- Chole x Halle

11. "Intentions"- Justin Bieber ft. Quavo

[Reverse Warholian]

On 12/27/2020 at 7:39 PM, Legend E said:

okay wow an underdog stan! the lyrics are pretty basic but i don't mind that? a bop tbh!

 

It's kinda cute ngl. 

[GreatestLoveofAll]

On 12/27/2020 at 7:39 PM, Legend E said:

okay wow an underdog stan! the lyrics are pretty basic but i don't mind that? a bop tbh!

midnight sky yas

 

11 hours ago, ReverseWarholian said:

It's kinda cute ngl. 

Im pretty basic so I thought they did what they came to do

 

11 hours ago, Insanity said:

This pop perfection taste

 

On 12/28/2020 at 10:35 AM, JGibson said:

Rain On Me 

 

12 hours ago, PrinceMichaelFan said:

Whitney jumped into Gaga's voice on Rain on Me

I kinda did didnt it? 

13 hours ago, D/X said:

Rain On Me

I guess that it would be interesting to see if things would be different for ROM if the pandemic never happened. Perhaps a club banger that could be more appreciated than it was with everyone at home. 

 

On 12/28/2020 at 11:35 PM, Ava Max said:

Rain On Me

This ROM ACCLAIM 

[Legend E]

19 hours ago, ReverseWarholian said:

It's kinda cute ngl. 

tbh the entire album kinda slays  very underrated here

[Bubble Tea]

"Rain on Me" is obviously that song. Ari x Gaga the power pop couple.

 

[GreatestLoveofAll]

Top Albums of 2020: Honorable Mentions!!!

Time for some basic and controversial rankings and dismissals! Thanks once again for commenting 

 

20. The Gift- Carrie Underwood (really religious leaning and somber but it's Carrie and she sounds brilliant as ever.)

19. Dreamland- Glass Animals (way more fun than I expected tbh)

18. Frozen 2 soundtrack (definitely lived up to it's hype. Show Yourself is the best song)

17. Small Town Boy- Duncan Laurence (full of sad ballads)

16. Rare- Selena Gomez (the growth from Revival is clear as she sounds a bit more focused here)

15. Golden Hour- Kygo (Dance/electronic music has really grown on me and he did a remix with some of my faves so)

14. Rainbow Boy- Keiynan Lonsdale (who knew the soft spoken love interest from Love, Simon had such attitude? Im excited to see his career go and this album was a treat)

13. B7- Brandy (a few users are gonna come at me for this, im so sorry)

12. Evermore (a nice follow up, kinda not really into but i just need to give it a few more listens. Lyricism though carries it this high)

11. Fine Line (its only not top 10 because its a 2019 album and I wanna give space to 2020 releases)

[Legend E]

rare awful babes, evermore meh  

 

fine line  

[D/X]

Selena Gomez did release a couple of good tracks with Rare, so I'll give it that.

 

[GreatestLoveofAll]

On to the next batch! After this we have one more than this flop countdown is done!

 

 

Top Albums of 2020: 10-6

 

10. Love Goes- Sam Smith

 

 

Sam's first album after coming out as non-binary did not disappoint. Continuing the path of moody/love-searching lyrics paired with bouncy dance-pop beats, the British crooner really went beyond many's expectations and ventured beyond the last two album styles. Sure, half way they revert back suddenly and it feels a bit too much like The Thrill of It All, but its all forgiven when Kids Again comes on. And sure, those bonus tracks being added feel tacky and a bit out of place at least for me, but its still Sam and I love them all enough to still enjoy the album. 

Favorite tracks: "Dance ('Till You Love Someone Else)", "So Serious", "Kids Again"

 

9. Good News- Megan Thee Stallion

 

 

Making a solid debut album is truly the first major task any artist has and in my head, kind of is the reason so many artist these days can be out for three, four years without one as crafting it take times let alone having it connect with the audience. Full of sexy melodies, bad-bitch vibes and quick, sharp one liners that have been the captions of all many's instagram post, Megan served all she had with the rhyming ability she'd been honing for years. I never really listen to hip-hop/rap like that, but the new girls are really stomping out her and Megan is leading the pack as she should.

Favorites: "Shots Fired", "Dont Stop", "Do It on the Tip"

 

8. Velvet- Adam Lambert

 

 

I had been waiting for an album from the vocal beast for a hot minute now and I was under the impression that his gig with Queen which has been going strong for some five years now (since his last album) was never going to end. So it was the joy when last year he dropped his lead single "New Eyes" which was to come on his new album. I was hooked- the rock/soul sound was something I never really got into but with the flexible voice of Adam, I fell in love. I found myself listening to the album over and over again and while i stopped for a bit, when I was crafting this list I revisited this masterpiece and found myself bopping once again. There aren't many uptempos really beside the title track (which never leaves my head) but the dominant, swooping charismatic voice of Adam which is able to really transform and shift into any attitude and mood he is trying to portray made this truly a moment in the music of 2020 and deserved more recognition for it. I really hope he continues a rock-influenced path musically- he has the chops and the once in a generation talent for it. 

Favorites: "Overglow", "Loverboy", "New Eyes"

 

 

7.  Folklore- Taylor Swift

 

 

I saw a comment one of my favorite users on here said in regards to Taylor's music that I really liked and far more eloquently described how I feel about this album in particular: "She's great with words. She knows how to sell a story." All throughout the duration of the audiobook really Swift is doing what she does best: painting, drawing, bringing to life a scene, a town, characters, a world with her lyricism and fairytale spirit. There is a newfound boldness and this time, not jjst from her words, but voice too. When she says "I'm on some new ****" on the infinitely catchy (in retrospect for me) "the 1", she sounds like she actually talking about or two someone. The emotion the she can wring out of every song, even if she cant serve Whitney vocals was very admirable here and as time goes on, this album's impact will really be felt through music in the future. And I cant even be mad- cause she's Taylor Swift.

Favorites: "The 1", "Mad Woman", "Exile"

 

 

6. Wilted- Paris Jackson

 

 

I am very surprised at the lack of attention this has gotten from ATRL. Usually new pop girls with moody albums and slightly weird  but unique aesthetics is the bread and butter of some of you- I should see "Paris Jackson>>>> Michael and Janet. Why?" threads by now tbh. I get her father is a controversial figure on this site, but I wouldn't hurt to give his only daughter and currently only musical successor among his children. Yet, for many reasons one can assume, she chose not to venture into the familiar R&B and pop/dance sounds that made her family (including her best-selling father and aunt) world famous. No instead Paris takes a much more under the radar approach both sonically and lyrically on her debut album. Its largely indie pop and while she isn't terribly depressed, there is a melancholy, sort of calming atmosphere to it all. A very interesting listen and you guys might very well be impressed. 

Favorite: "collide", "freight train", "another spring"

[nasa]

the taste 

[GreatestLoveofAll]

Top Albums of 2020: The Finale

This is it you guys! Thank you to everyone who participated in this- every comment was welcomed and I even if you didn't comment but just stopped by and looked, I still wanna thank you. This was really fun and now with only a few days left, I think it's best I get this done today. Here are my top five albums of the year 2020.

 

5. Ungodly Hour- Chloe x Halle

 

 

Well ofc I'd have the best R&B album of the last few years sans Homecoming on my list and even as I type this up, I'm tempted to up it to the top three. I was more than impressed by the musical creativity of these two- they arent much older than me but seem to have the melodic juices flowing so freely s if they were 10 plus years down the road. From beginning to end, all you experience is a flawless, slick record that really stands alone among all the other albums of its caliber imo. From the harmonies, to the production, to the swagger that they exude in the fearless bops to the vulnerability of the less bombastic ones, I can confidently say they were my best musical discovery of 2020 and I cant wait for what else they have to provide for those who have taste. 

Favorites: "Forgive Me", "Tipsy", "Do It"

 

 

4. DISCO- Kylie Minogue

 

 

At this point we all know how this top 3 is going to look like.

I know this isn't good, but I tend to judge things by its cover and first appearance unless its from my fave and I'll take me time to simmer in it. I had began to get into Kylie back in 2018 when she dropped her total bop and one of the best songs of all time "Dancing" which when you understand the meaning, makes my emotional ass cry while dancing to it. I began to go back in her discography (which I haven't finished cause she has a billion albums) and so when she announced Disco, I knew I was in for a treat. Tbh "Say Something" didn't really move me much though ofc I still did a cute head nod to it cause its Kylie she alway serves from what I've heard. "Magic" kicked up the interest a lot but with so many other albums coming out too and the holiday music taking over, I kind of dropped it and did not return until the album came out. Sonically, I feel as if Kylie hasn't sounded much different from her other 21st century albums but its a lot fresher, sharper and she really sounds like she's having fun on these tracks. Nothing is sad, or depressed- you could only image what the international clubs would have been doing with this pop/disco perfection. 

Favorites: "Real Groove", "Where Does the DJ Go?", "Dance Floor Darling"

 

 

3. Future Nostalgia- Dua Lipa

 

 

Yes ma'am, yes sir this is #3. For some this is sacrilege considering what my top 2 are and for some (which exceptional taste and understanding ofc dahling) they will get why. But of course by NO means does that mean this album is bad- I just connected to the other two faster. When Dua dropped DSN, I wasn't really impressed so to say. Not that it was bad- it was pop excellence the moment it arrived. But once, I was paying more attention to other songs and music releases around that time. "Physical" was great too, I loved it and felt it was very reminiscent of the 80s but it was "Break My Heart" when it came out in March, that really had me hooked on the album. Beginning with a slick banger that had a very carefree breeze to it and all the way to the ninth song was hit after hit- they are so melodic, so catchy and so unique in their space in pop music that any of them could be top 10 global smashes. It was refreshing to see a relative short album be so compact and classic from the get go- a problem most albums these days have. The last two songs on the original tracklist are a bit like duds, but only in comparison to the last nine which were all 10/10s. "Good in Bed" isnt half bad and "Boys Will Boys"... well it has good intentions but lets just say that adding the instant French classic "Fever" alongside one of her best features in the DaBaby version of "Levitating" made this a top tier album for the decade. We will look back on this moment with pride when its all said and done tbh. 

Favorite: "Cool", "Love Again", "Hallucinate"

 

 

2. Chromatica- Lady Gaga

 

 

It really really hurts to not put this at #1. Like in my mind this and the winner will always be tied but for the sake of ranking, I decided to pick with the less controversial choice. I used to be a OGH when I was still under the influence of my church, but when I accepted the inner gay, there was no holding back and Gaga became the soundtrack of much of my middle/high school years both new and old. I wont get into my whole history with her, but when Chromatica was announced and was going to be dance-Gaga again, I was ready. "Stupid Love" wasn't bad as a lead and honestly, I didn't care TOO much for it, but as a huge fan (i'm close to investing in a stan card soon) I took what she gave and sat with it until May when she finally remembered she was supposed to drop an album and "Rain on Me" and Chromatica came a week after each other with a 1-2 punch. Overall the albums themes of pain both physical and emotional, mental anguish and illness, vulnerability and reclaiming your narrative felt so real and accessible to me and I know people find the production as the biggest baggage pulling it down, I think the messages and sound fit perfectly to create the TRUE quarantine club album of the year and it wasn't even Gaga's intentions. The duds ("1000 Doves and "Stupid Love") are miniscule to the overall greatness of this album to me. My number one played album of the year did that. 

Favorites: "Rain on Me" (w/Ariana Grande), "Replay","Free Woman"

 

 

 

And the #1 album of the wretched year of 2020 is....

 

#1.

Spoiler

1. Plastic Hearts- Miley Cyrus

 

 

When you talk about an album that you can't get enough of. That hits every single time you play it and when you do, you play it front to back, in order, to feel the same way you felt when you first heard the chords, vocals, and words of each song. Miley's anticipated seventh (!) studio album Plastic Hearts was it for me. This was a flawless record- nothing felt sloppy, out of place, weird and even the weakest song in my opinion "Never Be Me" never fails to touch my soul when it finally comes on (though I can never recognize it when it comes on welp). There is a story with each song, whether Miley is seething, crying, mourning or simply rocking off and taking us all on a sonic journey (like with "Night Crawling" aka the best album track of the year) you feel as if you are watching her act in a far more mature and somehow much more serious role than she's ever been in in her near 15 years in the spotlight- and she's only 27. I miss cohesive bodies of work and by my surprise, Miley was the one to do it. Bravo, queen.

Favorites: "Night Crawing" (ft. Billy Idol), "Angels Like You", "Golden G String"

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Legend E]

lol no jessie

 

folklore is cute but I wish we would stop pretending taylor is this flawless songwriter when me! and shake it off exist in her discography. some tracks on folklore (invisible string) too. she snaps sometimes though  

 

disco and future nostalgia  should've been the top 2