This year has been one of the most draining, tumultuous, progressive and important years of my life, if not of all time. From a fatal pandemic which has taken the lives of over 200 thousand people in the United States alone, a polarizing and historic election, spending 8 months within the four walls of my home and starting my senior year of high school in the midst of it all, 2020 has not been easy.
Events were missed, inspiration came and went, families and friendships had to suffer the difficulties of distance… on top of it all, I obviously had the same struggles as every teenager and incoming senior (college applications are no joke). Ending my junior year on my laptop wasn’t fun, missing out on first semester senior activities and traditions was even worse... Seeing my friends give up on quarantining put me in a resentful state of mind fueled by my sheer frustration from being trapped at home because I knew that staying home and social distancing was and is the right thing to do.
Long story short, 2020 sucked. Still, I look back at what has happened this year, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Obviously I wish that we hadn't lost so many people to the virus, but I guess I wouldn't change my growth as a person. Without getting too political, this year was a renaissance in itself; with revolutions in the name of justice taking place and communities coming together to stand for what they believe in, this year was truly the year of freedom of speech, expression and protest.
That idea, the one of our freedoms being at the frontlines of this year, reminds me of one of my favorite sayings (a song lyric, actually). It reads: “comfortable silence is so overrated”. 2020 and the activists which were born and led a movement that proved that staying silent in order to accommodate other people and what they want isn’t just overrated, it’s hurtful. 2020 made staying silent in isolation, a crime (ironic, right? You'd think being alone would equate to more silence, but the loneliness I'm sure we've all felt led to a voice so loud it was deafening). 2020 succeeded in making our voices the forefront of a movement.
Now, back to the whole point of this post.
During quarantine, I realized that the one thing we never lost was music. We lost sports, we lost late night television, we lost David Dobrik's weekly vlogs... all the little things that sparked joy had suddenly entered lockdown alongside us. Yet, when everything was dormant, music remained alive as ever. It was a grandiose moment of realization for me… acknowledging that music would be the one thing that never leaves me, even when the world is falling apart. The 2020 music scene changed my perception of music as a whole.
I've always known that I need music the way I need air. It runs through me, as cliché as that may sound. Music turned out to be the only worthwhile outlet I had during this time and it's presence has saved my mental health, and given me something to look forward to… Every Friday at midnight I’d have a new single, or a new album to run back, and it made everything a little less scary, and a lot more comfortable. The music released this year transcended previous works for me, no matter the quality of it, because it became the center of attention for a while and distracted me from the harsh reality of what was going on outside for a little bit. I'm sure I'm not the only person who felt this way either.
That is yet another thing 2020 gave us: generation defining music. It gave us genre defying albums and delivered some of my favorite modern age songs. 2020 was unapologetically torturous in every aspect but the creative one. Isolation-era music is a new genre in itself, with artists challenging themselves in promoting and producing music that was written around what could arguably be the most catastrophic and traumatic universal event of the 21st century.
So, in classic Nanna Perez fashion… here goes, more music talk! Here are my 4 of my favorite releases this year and why.
RINA SAWAYAMA
SAWAYAMA
Rina Sawayama’s debut album is a pop-rock diary that screams culture, family, and love while also sharing feelings of rage, apathy, and an intense need to care for others and yourself. It’s a worthy reminder of 2000s Christina Aguilera pop classics and the Evanescence rock I love to hate, all while giving a long awaited introduction to the English-Japanese singer. Metal influences melting with Y2K pop and raging guitar solos equate to a perfectly produced album (my pick for best production of the year, actually). Tracks like “Comme Des Garcons” and “XS” are reminiscent of Britney Spears and the 80s Vogue dancehall scene (and 1980s pop music in general). There are so many culture packed references in every sense, from her Japanese origins in “Akasaka Sad” to growing up as a child of the 1990s in the videogame synth pop sounding “Paradisin’”. The album’s theme of self-acceptance shines through in tracks like “Love Me 4 Me”, which tackles the notion of a person (in this case Rina herself) being easy to love… completely erasing the idea that a person could be hard to love. “Bad Friend” is the best kind of break-up anthem because it doesn’t blame the other person, it brings up the fact that sometimes we are responsible for our mistakes… all while highlighting that friend breakups are the worst kind. Altogether, Sawayama is definitely an album I’ll be listening to for the foreseeable future; it is a thoughtful and fun debut album that embraces all genres (seriously, all genres!) while remaining cohesive, and somehow mastering the production of each track to a point that it’s almost laughable how little to no error is committed in the project.
My favorite songs on the album are “Tokyo Love Hotel”, “Bad Friend” and “Love Me 4 Me”.
THE WEEKND
AFTER HOURS
It’s not unexpected that Abel Tesfaye’s most recent studio album is in my top 5. The Weeknd is easily one of the most influential R&B artists of the 21st century (then again, I’m probably biased… he’s my favorite), who with his critically acclaimed Trilogy opened up doors for artists like Giveon and Brent Faiyaz to reach the success they have, as well as sparking a renaissance of bringing R&B back to the forefront of the top charts in the 2010s. His ability to touch topics like love, nihilism, pleasure, anger, and lust successfully within an hour is admirable to say the least. His smooth voice soothes while the instrumentation makes you want to dance and fight someone (all while falling in love). It’s almost oxymoronic in that way. It sparks this idea of self-loathing as Abel paints himself as a villain, which never fades even after the pop sounds try to disguise the reality of the character he’s created. Something I mentioned when I was talking about Sawayama was that constant presence of 1980s pop music, which I believe has defined the music scene in 2020. Tracks like “Blinding Lights”, “In Your Eyes”, and “Save Your Tears” embrace the glamour of 80s pop, helping the resurgence of it. My favorite aspect of After Hours is The Weeknd’s ability to show his growth from the tortured addict he was in his first few albums to this new persona who still struggles with accepting his worth, but is still trying. In my opinion, there are no skips on the record. Overall, it’s thoughtful, fun, and dances - not walks - across a fine line between devastation and devotion.
My favorite tracks are “Scared to Live”, “Escape From LA” and “Save Your Tears”.
P.S. The Grammys snubbed this album of any nominations. An accolade or a title doesn't equate to quality, and it does not define anyone or anything.
An award is meaningless in the eyes of someone who loves and respects you.
BAD BUNNY
YHLQMDLG
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny has been one of Latin music’s biggest faces for the last few years, and his sophomore album solidifies his place as the main character in the story of Latin music. YHLQMDLG embraces the natural flow of the creative process, living up the title of the album, which translates to “I do whatever I want”. His flow is fun, casual, and focused throughout the project, which sets it apart and above his previous album, X100pre. It’s danceable and it’s an album that has a track for everything. From dance club songs like “Vete”, “Safaera”, and “Yo Perreo Sola” to mellow driving songs like “Ignorantes” and “<3”, YHLQMDLG is universal. It proves that you don’t need to understand what an artist is saying to enjoy the music, and when it comes to Bad Bunny's sophomore album, the production quality helps in that sense. The album is nearly seamless from a production standpoint, and it’s ability to cross genres easily and effectively is impressive because it seems like it was done effortlessly. The rock influenced “Hablamos Mañana[’s]” production alone speaks for the album and forgives practically any error committed in Bad Bunny’s debut project. My favorite part of the album is that it’s dedicational in nature but progressive in form. It pays homage to the island of Puerto Rico with its indirect and direct references to the local culture. In the closing track “<3”, Benito name drops Miguel Coto (a renowned Boricua boxer) as a lowkey appreciation for the island by way of a celebrated figure. In track 18, “P FKN R”, he puts on his neo-nationalist persona and exhibits a glamorous sense of pride in his home island, dropping lines (translated) like “This is Puerto Rico, a place of respect” and the titular phrase that reads “I’m from Puerto f**king Rico”. The album oozes confidence and truly establishes Bad Bunny for what he is: a star.
My favorite tracks are “La Dificil”, "Solia", and “Una Vez”.
TAYLOR SWIFT
FOLKLORE
The reigning queen of genre switching strikes again in her eighth studio album, and it’s the alternative indie record I never knew I needed. I’ve been a closeted Swiftie my whole life (which is extremely awkward since I’m also a devout Kanye West music fan) and folklore is what pulled me out of the faux shadow of embarrassment that came with liking Taylor Swift music. By the way, if anyone is still on the Taylor hate train… it’s time to hop off of it (internalized misogyny isn’t cute). I could go on and on about the lyrical genialness of Taylor Swift in this record, but they speak for themselves. This album is the product of quarantine, written between March and June, and it is her best work from a lyrical standpoint. My favorite lyrics include: “I got wasted like all my potential” on “this is me trying”, “You drew stars around my scars” on “cardigan”, and “If I'm dead to you why are you at the wake” on “my tears ricochet”. It’s mature, clever, and intelligent. Songs like “peace” cover the difficulty of maintaining a relationship in the public eye, all while recognizing that in this case, her fame has made it difficult to legitimize her feelings. The intelligence of folklore shines in the cinematic storyline, which follows an imagined love triangle between three high schoolers: Betty, James, and Augustine, who remained nameless until recently. Another example of the clever nature of the album is the entirety of “the last great american dynasty”, where Swift tells the story of Rebekah West Harkness, the infamous previous owner of Swift’s Rhode Island home. The story of the heiress is presented in a way so creative and exciting that it braces listeners for the emotional turmoil that follows in every song. The album is proof that the former country princess and current pop star can do whatever she wants because the magic of Taylor Swift isn’t necessarily in instrumentation, it’s in her storytelling. folklore is an album I could genuinely talk about for hours, and never truly get bored of listening to. It’s deep, it’s fresh, it’s devastating and it’s perfect for every feeling that 2020 has handed us.
My favorite songs on the album are “peace”, “august”, “my tears ricochet”, and “cardigan”.
I could go on for hours and hours about the releases this year... the artists that defined it and the tracks that shaped 2020 deserve all the respect in the world, but I chose my favorites in terms of preference to listen to. Fiona Apple's Fetch the Bolt Cutters, Mac Millers Circles, Freddie Gibb's Alfredo, Miley Cyrus' Plastic Hearts, and Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon III: The Chosen are just some of the other projects that made my 2020 what it is.
Music never left us this year, and if great music came out during a year so relentlessly traumatic, it'll never stop.
long live soundwaves