Beachside Press's Favourite Albums of 2020
By Jazzy Joseph '20, Will San Jose '22, and Antara Singh-Ghai '22
2020 seems like a decade unto itself, but it's really only been a few months since 2019. It was an amazing year for music, regardless of what type you like. Personally, I discovered loads of new artists: I finally, actually, got into riot grrrl, listened to the same three albums by the Wombats 300 more times, and fell in love (for the second time) with Mindless Self Indulgence. Everyone on Beachside had a similar experience, so here are our favorite albums of 2019, in no particular order:
Jazzy Joseph '20
IGOR by Tyler, the Creator
"This album has beautiful music production. You can tell that Tyler gained a lot of inspiration from other genres such as soul and funk. This album is especially important to rap because I feel as if we're in that period of rap music where people think there is only one way to create rap music, and if it doesn't fit this criteria, then it isn't rap. However, Igor proves that isn't true and in a strange way, challenges that idea. Also, the transitions to each song are incredibly smooth."
Cuz I Love You by Lizzo
"Is she a rapper or a pop singer? I still don't know. But what I do know is that Lizzo is an incredibly versatile and talented artist, and I'm very proud of all the accomplishments she has made in 2019 and in 2020 so far. With that being said, this album was a mixture of party songs, love songs, and female empowerment songs. It is genuinely a great body of work to sit down and listen to."
Fever by Megan Thee Stallion
"This is a strange one, but trust me, this is such a fun album. I love Megan Thee Stallion and I think she's such a talented rapper. If you're looking for someone with good flow and great bars, I would listen to her. This album is very... provocative, to put it lightly. But I think it's fun and a very hyped album."
Will San Jose '22
Free Spirit by Khalid
"I’ve always liked Khalid’s music—this latest album was no exception. The beats he’s using are as good as ever, and I like the mood he went for here."
Antara Singh-Ghai '22
Nothing Great About Britain by slowthai
This is by far my second favorite rap album after Cashmere by the Swet Shop Boys--and I wrote my admissions essay to GFA about one of the members, so that's saying a lot. slowthai somehow manages to be both beautifully genuine and joking at the same time, going from a scared little boy on "Missing" (best song on the album, in my opinion) to brutally, bitingly sarcastic on the eponymous track to... something (but something good!) on "Doorman." He's so energetic and on rhythm the entire time, and the music itself is incredible. I literally only listened to this exclusively the month after it came out, and I don't do that often. This album is a political statement, yes, but it's also really good musically, and I say this as someone not into rap in the slightest. As for the politics--well, great pun in the title, and, I mean, is there a better way to annoy everyone at the same time? It doubles as a really good look into British society that most of us outside of the UK don't see in a way that reminds me of "Bedtime for Democracy" by the Dead Kennedys. slowthai's controversial, but he became famous because of his music, and this album is proof."
Interrobang by Bayside
I've already written an article about this album, but I'll never run out of ways to compliment it. The guitar solos are incredible, as they always are, just like Anthony Raneri's vocals. Bayside's been doing small variations on the same themes for 20 years, but consistency isn't always bad, and they've gotten better at it each time. Interrobang proves that.
How Do You Love? by The Regrettes
Honestly kind of a toss-up between this and I Sold My Soul to the Devil When I Was 12 by GRLwood, but I'll go with the much less controversial and lighter of the two. HDYL? is much less consistent than I Sold My Soul, but it makes up for it. Its weaker tracks are easily made up for by standouts like "Pumpkin," "Coloring Book," and "Fog." The guitar licks on this album are great, as are Lydia Night's vocals. Overall, a great album to put on for road trips or going to the beach.