Best music of 2020... so far

Does anyone have an explanation for 2020? Anyone?

Yeah, neither do I.

In other years I've tried to say something wry and bleak but ultimately hopeful about the current state of affairs, but I really don't have anything. The best I can do is this: support Black Lives Matter and remember that your actions affect other people (so maybe wear a fucking mask, yeah?).

In other words, take Dr. Dreyfuss' advice from The Apartment: " Be a mensch! You know what that means? A human being."

Here's my list of 25 favorite albums from the first six months of the year, followed by 50 songs.

Albums

1. The New Abnormal – The Strokes 

2. Dedicated Side B – Carly Rae Jepsen 

3. SOUTHSIDE – Sam Hunt

4. Notes On A Conditional Form – The 1975

5. Alfredo – Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist 

6. Everything – Kota the Friend 

7. how i’m feeling now – Charli XCX 

8. It Is What It Is – Thundercat 

9. The Album – Teyana Taylor 

10. Rough and Rowdy Ways – Bob Dylan

11. Truth or Consequences – Yumi Zouma

12. Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa 

13. Local Honey – Brian Fallon 

14. Women In Music Pt. III – HAIM 

15. After Hours – The Weeknd 

16. It Was Good Until It Wasn’t – Kehlani

17. Introduction, Presence – Nation of Language 

18. The Slow Rush – Tame Impala

19. Printer’s Devil – Ratboys 

20. It Was Divine – Alina Baraz

21. Cold Water – Medhane 

22. Everything Is Beautiful – Princess Nokia 

23. RTJ4 – Run The Jewels 

24. Modus Vivendi – 070 Shake 

25. Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman

Songs

1. "Murder Most Fowl" – Rough and Rowdy Ways – Bob Dylan

2. "People, I’ve been sad" – La vita nuova – EP – Christine and the Queens

3. "Young Once" – SOUTHSIDE – Sam Hunt

4. "Hard Feelings" – Local Honey – Brian Fallon

5. "Texas Sun" – Texas Sun – EP – Khruangbin and Leon Bridges

6. "party 4 u" – how i’m feeling now – Charli XCX

7. "Circles" – Circles – Mac Miller

8. "Tomorrow’s Dust" – The Slow Rush – Tame Impala 

9. "Don’t’ Stop… Demo" – Single – Oasis

10. "Something to Rap About" feat. Tyler, The Creator – Alfredo – Freddie Gibbs and The Alchemist

11. "JU$T" feat. Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha – RTJ4 – Run The Jewels 

12. "Inside Friend" feat. John Mayer – Single – Leon Bridges 

13. "Fast Car" – Single – Black Pumas

14. "God Whispered Your Name" – Single – Keith Urban

15. "Martin " – Making a Door Less Open – Car Seat Headrest

16. "The Wall and I" – Introduction, Presence – Nation of Language

17. "Dear April" (Side A – Acoustic) – Single – Frank Ocean

18. "Southwark" – Truth or Consequences – Yumi Zouma

19. "Sweeter" feat. Terrace Martin – Single – Leon Bridges

20. "Cool" – Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa

21. "Stumble On My Way" – Pick Me Up off the Floor – Norah Jones

22. "Misunderstood" (Live in New Orleans) – Painted (Deluxe Edition) – Lucky Daye

23. "Endamame" – Single – Zacari

24. "Time Flies" – Dark Lane Demo Tapes – Drake

25. "Pretty Lady" – Single – Tash Sultana

26. "SAVAGE ANTHEM" – PARTYMOBILE – PARTYNEXTDOOR

27. "Bad Behaviour" – Single – Elli Ingram

28. "To Me" – It Was Divine – Alina Baraz

29. "Hate The Club" (feat. Masego) – It Was Good Until It Wasn’t – Kehlani

30. "King Prospero" – World As a Waiting Room – White Denim

31. "Rapper Weed" feat. Boogie – Single – SiR

32. "You Amaze Me" – Devotion – Margaret Glaspy

33. "Shawn vs. Flair" – Pray for Paris – Westside Gunn

34. "Fake Love" feat. Elcamino – No One Mourns the Wicked – Big Ghost Ltd and Conway the Machine

35. "Lockdown" – Single – Anderson .Paak

36. "Something Comforting" – Single – Porter Robinson

37. "Universal Soldier" – A Written Testimony – Jay Electronica

38. "sadder badder cooler" – Sunshine Kitty (Paw Prints Edition) – Tove Lo

39. "Dangerookipawaa Freestyle” – Single – Ab-Soul

40. "Magic Hour " – Chilombo – Jhené Aiko

41. "In A Good Way" – Single – Faye Webster

42. "Fall_Window" – Forever – Starchild and The New Romantic

43. "Strobe Lights" feat. Gallant – Produced By: Adrian Younge – Adrian Younge

44. "In the World" feat. Nick Hakim – Single – Lance Skiiiwalker

45. "Whiskey Regrets" – Single – Rationale & TS Graye

46. "More Than My Hometown" – Single – Morgan Wallen

47. "Stick That In Your Country Song" – Single – Eric Church

48. "Murphy’s Law" – Single – Róisín Murphy

49. "Headlights" – I Was Born Swimming – Squirrel Flower

50. "Chapter 319" – Chapter 319 – EP – clipping.

Missing from playlist:
50. "Chapter 319" – Chapter 319 – EP – clipping.

Favourite things I heard in June 2018

Albums
1. Come Tomorrow - Dave Matthews Band

2. Redemption - Jay Rock
3. Scorpion - Drake
4. The Future and The Past - Natalie Prass
5. Lush -Snail Mail

6. No Shame - Lily Allen
7. EVERYTHING IS LOVE - Beyonce and Jay-Z
8. Password - Dawes
9. K.T.S.E. - Teyana Taylor
10. ye - Kanye West

Songs
1. "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)" - The Continuum Project - Lindsay Ell
2. "Here On Out" - Come Tomorrow - Dave Matthews Band
3. "Short Court Style" - The Future and The Past - Natalie Prass
4. "Give Yourself a Try" - Single - The 1975
5. "Reborn" - KIDS SEE GHOSTS - KIDS SEE GHOSTS
6. "'Wow Freestyle" feat. Kendrick Lamar - Redemption - Jay Rock
7. "Sandra's Rose" - Scorpion - Drake
8. "Move Me" feat. Octavian - Single - Mura Masa
9. "Time Flies Either Way" - Passwords - Dawes
10. "Heat Wave" - Lush - Snail Mail

Favourite things I heard in April 2018

Albums
1. Crop Circle - Nines

2. On the Train Ride Home - The Paper Kites
3. CARE FOR ME - Saba
4. Dirty Computer - Janelle Monae
5. Joyride - Tinashe

6. In the Rainbow Rain - Okkervil River
7. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Comes - Wye Oak
8. Vide Noir - Lord Huron
9. For Now - DMA's
10. Critical Equation - Dr. Dog

Songs
1. "Nice for What" - Single - Drake
2. "OTW" - Single - Khalid, 6LACK & Ty Dolla $ign
3. "Between the Houses" - On the Train Ride Home - The Paper Kites 
4. "When the Night Is Over" - Vide Noir - Lord Huron
5. "I Like That" - Dirty Computer - Janelle Monae
6. "'LOGOUT" feat. Chance The Rapper - CARE FOR ME - Saba
7. "Prior Things" - Bark Your Head Off, Dog - Hop Along
8. "He Don't Want It" - Joyride - Tinashe
9. "Kevin's Heart" - KOD - J. Cole
10. "No Tears Left to Cry" - Single - Ariana Grande

Best music of 2017...so far

It's hard to believe 2017 is halfway over already.

In many ways, the first six months of the year have flown by, but in others, it feels like ages have passed since Jan. 1. So far 2017 has been an unsettling and unsettled year, and that has led to strange new reality, where terrorists target pop music audiences, and leaders snipe at each other over social media instead of working together.

Although most of the albums released in the first half of the year were written before the 2016 election and its successive uproar, the best music of the year manages to reflect the anxiety and search for hope so many are experiencing.

And there's been a lot of great music released in the past six months. So much that you'd be forgiven for missing some of the year's best just trying to keep up with it all. But I'm here to help with my list of 10 best albums you might've missed in the first half of the year. 

Best albums of the year so far (arranged alphabetically)

1. Prisoner – Ryan Adams 

2. Number 1 Angel – Charli XCX 

3. City of No Reply – Amber Coffman 

4. Tourist in This Town – Allison Crutchfield

5. More Life – Drake 

6. Pure Comedy – Father John Misty 

7. We All Want the Same Things – Craig Finn 

8. Crack-Up – Fleet Foxes 

9. The Far Field – Future Islands 

10. The Nashville Sound – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 

11. Near to the Wild Heart of Life – Japandroids 

12. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar 

13. Melodrama – Lorde 

14. The Search for Everything – John Mayer 

15. After the Party – The Menzingers 

16. City Music – Kevin Morby

17. Goths – The Mountain Goats 

18. One Foot Out – Nines

19. No Shape – Perfume Genius 

20. Process – Sampha 

21. Big Fish Theory – Vince Staples 

22. From A Room: Volume 1 – Chris Stapleton 

23. Ctrl - SZA

24. Drunk - Thundercat

25. The World's Best America Band – White Reaper