Akini's Top 25 Artists of 2020: [#1!]

[JSparksFan]

And the final trio of my year-end lists, my top artists of 2020. No big surprises in terms of top contenders, considering the nominees for song and album of the year, but given that for the first time in more than a decade I elected to employ a new methodology to calculate the points for this particular list, the artist gong was definitely a more closely contested affair than any of my other year-end countdowns in 2020.

[Tansike]

Love them all, but I went with Lady Gaga. She had a stellar 2020, despite a messy era.

[king_oxymoron]

Gone with Ms Swift

[cheapthrills]

This didn't start off on the 24th as advertised

I'm not sure how you are ranking these because it's not like ranking songs and albums. I'm guessing how much play they got? August was your main play for Taylor apparently, but not so much the other tracks; Ari's solo stuff came pretty late; somehow, I don't think you'll have Dua at #1 for both artist and album. So flipping a coin and going with Gaga.

[JSparksFan]

Love them all, but I went with Lady Gaga. She had a stellar 2020, despite a messy era.

Let's see!

Gone with Ms Swift

She did get top song honours; can she get a second gong this year?

This didn't start off on the 24th as advertised

I'm not sure how you are ranking these because it's not like ranking songs and albums. I'm guessing how much play they got? August was your main play for Taylor apparently, but not so much the other tracks; Ari's solo stuff came pretty late; somehow, I don't think you'll have Dua at #1 for both artist and album. So flipping a coin and going with Gaga.

I was gonna update the thread title to 12/26, but was too lazy.

You're quite intelligent! Let's see, though.

As for the change in chart methodology, I probably should have mentioned it in the OP, but I've actually changed the way I factor in each metric. Historically, I gave 100 points to my no. 1 song, 99 points to the no. 2, and so on. Similarly, I gave 100 points to my no. 1 album, 96 points to my no. 2, and so on. Then I would throw in the spin count figure for the act that year as a raw 1/1 point match, so if Act X got 500 plays, that translated to 500 spins. In hindsight, that was madness because it meant that someone with 201 plays could theoretically finish ahead of an act with the top song and album of the year (granted, you'd think I'd need to play that artist at least once, but you get my point).

So corrective measures have been employed and I'm weighting song/album year-end performance more and spin count less. Now, the top song gets you 200 points, the no. 2 song 198 points, and so on. And the top album gets you 500 points, the no. 2 album 480 points, and so on. And play counts have been divided by four so 400 spins gets you 100 points now. When I worked this out for the current year, I got rankings that felt more reflective of the year and I think I'll keep it moving forward. Before, the spin count measure seriously favoured established acts and I think the past decade I've had new acts finishing down the list as they really couldn't compete with the entire discographies of my favourites (you'll remember that I spent a good bit of the year counting down my top songs and albums of the decade so the likes of Gaga and T-Swizzle had abnormally high 'recurrent' spins, and I'm random enough to have "Just Dance" as my most-played Gaga song in a year where she released new music).

I don't mind posting this preview - it came down to a fairly new act versus a well-established act and they finished within 20 points of each other! That's the level of closeness that felt right, so let's see which one of these talented ladies prevails!

[JSparksFan]

25. The Weeknd - 215 pts.

Down four places this year despite releasing his hotly anticipated 'After Hours' LP, the Weeknd had a bit of a down year for me, despite his insane Hot 100 consistency and success. I found 'After Hours' so languid that the album didn't even feature in my year-end wrap-up. His saving grace in 2020 were the remixes he did for "In Your Eyes", which drove that song to an impressive finish in my year-end songs countdown and gave him the distinction of having the highest-ranking track by a male lead. Overall, though, in a year where the men in music were particularly weak, he's beaten by two guys in this artists list, one of whom is to come in this same set.

Last Year's Rank: 21
No. of Plays: 156
Year-end Songs: In Your Eyes [#13]

24. Toni Braxton - 228 pts.

Some way off from her no. 17 finish in 2018, Toni Braxton returned in 2020 serving very much what she's been serving for most of her career - decent R&B music with those trademark husky vocals. I do hope for her next record she works with some new producers who can really push her sound to a more exciting place. She's way too talented to be delivering the same album over and over (and over).

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 184
Year-end Songs: Saturday Night [#100]
Year-end Albums: Spell My Name [#17]

23. Tones and I - 229 pts.

Fuelled by the insanely catchy and ubiquitous "Dance Monkey", Tones and I joined the alt-wave gang of young stars with her critical view of certain stitches within society's culture fabric. It didn't feature in my year-end songs countdown, but I was also really happy with her "Ur So F**king Cool" release. It's got lyrics that are easy for me to co-sign.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 180
Year-end Songs: Dance Monkey [#9]

22. The Chicks - 327 pts.

Much like they were in my albums countdown, the recently renamed threesome, the Chicks, are the sole country act in this year's artists countdown. Their "March March" contribution to the BLM playlists was one of my favourite songs addressing that issue that so violently and publicly re-reared its head in 2020.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 188
Year-end Songs: Texas Man [#59]; Everybody Loves You [#66]
Year-end Albums: Gaslighter [#20]

21. DaBaby - 331 pts.

At one point, it looked like DaBaby might make my year-end lists for the first time through his chart-topping smash "Rockstar", but as that lost steam with me and finished within my bubbling under hits of the year, his lead "Nasty" anthem and featured "Cry Baby" ended up lifting him higher than "Rockstar" was ever projected to. Another track to note from DaBaby is "Go", where he switches up his flow to a much more rapid-fire assault than we're accustomed to hearing. I really appreciated that switch. I also appreciate his face and his entire physique, but that's totally irrelevant to his musicality, of course.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 148
Year-end Songs: Nasty [#14]; Cry Baby [#41]

[cheapthrills]

I mean, physicality certainly doesn't hurt - that's probably half the reason I keep up on what Trey Songz is doing

There we re several country artists that broke through on my list this year, but I have to say, the Chicks had the most pointed releases. Releasing a song called Gaslighter in a Trump Era is a moment, and March March was a song I enjoyed as well - probably the 2nd most played artist by me, after The Weeknd from this list. Maybe I should hold myself accountable for being sick of Blinding Lights

[Tansike]

25. The Weeknd
22. The Chicks

Good start into this with The Weeknd. Never expected 2020 to be his biggest year so far when he already had two big eras in the past, but he really brought it this year and 2021 may be just the same with Super Bowl etc.
The Chicks did a strong comeback this year, really enjoyed them!

[JSparksFan]

I mean, physicality certainly doesn't hurt - that's probably half the reason I keep up on what Trey Songz is doing

There we re several country artists that broke through on my list this year, but I have to say, the Chicks had the most pointed releases. Releasing a song called Gaslighter in a Trump Era is a moment, and March March was a song I enjoyed as well - probably the 2nd most played artist by me, after The Weeknd from this list. Maybe I should hold myself accountable for being sick of Blinding Lights

It does make his bedroom anthems that more appealing.

I just checked and "Blinding Lights" is my second most-played song from the Weeknd, behind "Pray for Me", so I guess we all did our little parts in making it the behemoth it became.

25. The Weeknd
22. The Chicks

Good start into this with The Weeknd. Never expected 2020 to be his biggest year so far when he already had two big eras in the past, but he really brought it this year and 2021 may be just the same with Super Bowl etc.
The Chicks did a strong comeback this year, really enjoyed them!

Ah, the same two standouts as CT's!

I'd really forgotten that he's the SuperBowl Halftime Show performer. It's interesting that that's still happening within the pandemic. In all honesty, I'll scream if the SuperBowl takes "Blinding Lights" back to #1 in the US.

[JSparksFan]

20. RuPaul's Drag Race S12 Cast - 350 pts.

With arguably the strongest cast of queens ever assembled for a regular RPDR season, the S12 cast had a split premiere that featured two incredible musical numbers and that was more than enough to ensure the RuPaul effect was strong for a second countdown season.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 240
Year-end Songs: You Don't Know Me [#2]; I'm That Bitch [#55]

19. Paloma Faith - 357 pts.

'Infinite Things' marked the first Paloma Faith record I ever explored in full and it was definitely a solid body of work, which sent three songs into my main countdown pool at the very competitive eleventh hour stage of the year in music. Like Tansike and several other UKMixers, I'm crossing my fingers that she releases "Monster" and it becomes a sizeable hit for her in 2021.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 76
Year-end Songs: Monster [#84]; Better Than This [#86]; Supernatural [#94]
Year-end Albums: Infinite Things [#13]

18. Doja Cat - 358 pts.

One of the big revelations of the year for me, Doja Cat brought her unique flair to the female emcee arena and was rewarded with one of the year's biggest hits and not one, but two verses from the rap queen herself, Madame Onika. I'm definitely excited to see what she can do for era no. 2.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 360
Year-end Songs: Say So [#3]; Rules [#95]
Year-end Albums: Hot Pink [#23]

17. Brandy - 395 pts.

After an eight-year-long wait, Brandy finally returned to the music scene in 2020 with 'B7' and though I was so excited to hear her distinct voice and self-layered recorded vocals, I was a bit disappointed with the songwriting on most of the album. Interestingly enough, "Baby Mama" was one of the LP's standouts in that regard, but she can do better and I hope she doesn't take as long a break next time and returns with something that evidences that.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 260
Year-end Songs: Borderline [#25]; No Tomorrow [#30]; Baby Mama [#83]

16. Katy Perry - 422 pts.

When people ask me about myself and I try to come up with a quick and short self-descriptor, I typically say I'm a stubborn optimist, but with her 'Smile' era, I'd say Katy had me beat in that department this year. For two eras in a row, I feel like she's been underappreciated and maybe at this stage of her career there's no rectifying that, but I hope she continues to soldier on despite the commercial and critical speedbumps. I mean, this is the lady that blessed us with "Roulette" and "Teenage Dream" last decade - there just has to be more pop magic in her well!

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 280
Year-end Songs: Not the End of the World [#32]; Resilient [#74]
Year-end Albums: Smile [#18]

[cheapthrills]

In all honesty, I'll scream if the SuperBowl takes "Blinding Lights" back to #1 in the US.

OMG

[cheapthrills]

Oooh, such a mix of eras in that last three- Brandy, Katy, and Doja. Ah, Katy - her album was just ok for me, but Doja was really strong for me this year. I am looking forward to seeing what more she will do. I feel like of the successful emcees out there, she comes closest to the spirit of Nicki to me.

[JSparksFan]

OMG

You know the GP are good for it.

Oooh, such a mix of eras in that last three- Brandy, Katy, and Doja. Ah, Katy - her album was just ok for me, but Doja was really strong for me this year. I am looking forward to seeing what more she will do. I feel like of the successful emcees out there, she comes closest to the spirit of Nicki to me.

I definitely get where you're coming from, but skill-level-wise, I think Meg is the closest to Nicki, though apparently those two are no longer on good terms!

[JSparksFan]

15. Alicia Keys - 457 pts.

A good way off from her 2016 no. 7 peak, Alicia Keys had a decent year, with a fresh set of piano-driven soul/R&B gems to add her to her enviable collection. I do think the early releases weren't reflective of the overall quality of her album and that hurt her play count as there was little to no enthusiasm for me to listen to the album and I ended up getting it to relatively late.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 156
Year-end Songs: Authors of Forever [#50]; Good Job [#65]; Perfect Way to Die [#79]
Year-end Albums: Alicia [#16]

14. Chloe x Halle - 514 pts.

A breakthrough year for the sister-R&B duo from Georgia, Chloe x Halle won over new fans with their best work to date. The ladies have such a contemporary take on R&B and though their lyrics are fairly reflective of their younger ages, the quality of the material is such that it's really accessible to anyone. I'm definitely looking forward to bigger and better things from them.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 312
Year-end Songs: Ungodly Hour [#27]; Do It [#97]
Year-end Albums: Ungodly Hour [#12]

13. Adam Lambert - 590 pts.

COVID-19 hurt everyone, but somehow it looks like it hurt the male acts more because they did not bring it this year. Adam is their top rep of 2020, though, and he did a solid job with his best work since his 'Trespassing' era.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 304
Year-end Songs: Roses [#20]; Ready to Run [#35]
Year-end Albums: Velvet [#15]

12. Miley Cyrus - 593 pts.

Miley joined the 2020 party late, but still managed to make a big impression on me in the eleventh hour. 'Plastic Hearts' is really such a massive improvement upon its predecessor record and I'm really happy she's settled into a sound that works so well for her. I'm looking forward to spending the early months of 2021 getting into "Golden G String" some more because I was not expecting such an incredible reflective ballad from her.

Last Year's Rank: 21
No. of Plays: 212
Year-end Songs: Golden G String [#39]; Midnight Sky [#77]; Angels Like You [#92]; Plastic Hearts [#96]
Year-end Albums: Plastic Hearts [#9]

11. Little Mix - 793 pts.

Similar to AK, I didn't connect with the early Little Mix singles and was a few weeks late on "Sweet Melody", so that stunner didn't have much room or time to spread its wings. Their album was also released super late as far as that 11/30 cutoff is concerned, but made a big enough early impression to have as many as five of its tracks feature. It was definitely disappointing to learn that Jesy was leaving and the best new girl group of the last 10 years would be moving forward as a three-piece, but I'm definitely still excited to see what they do in the future.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 204
Year-end Songs: Sweet Melody [#7]; Confetti [#71]; If You Want My Love [#78]; Happiness [#88]; Break Up Song [#90]
Year-end Albums: Confetti [#6]

[king_oxymoron]

Aw, Little Mix had a year where they deserve top ten I think! But I am not you.

[cheapthrills]

I kind of fell off the Alicia bandwagon - I didn't check out her album much at all - like you, I just found the music kind of blah. I did like Perfect Way To Die, but it's depressing nature is not really the kind of song I was going to put on repeat.

I've decided I should give Miley a chance - it can be my UKMix new year resolution

Adam looks so hot in every pic you've posted.

Obv my favorite entry is Chloe x Halle!

[Tansike]

20. RuPaul's Drag Race S12 Cast - 350 pts.
19. Paloma Faith - 357 pts.
18. Doja Cat - 358 pts.
16. Katy Perry - 422 pts.

15. Alicia Keys - 457 pts.
14. Chloe x Halle - 514 pts.
13. Adam Lambert - 590 pts.
12. Miley Cyrus - 593 pts.
11. Little Mix - 793 pts.

Loving those from the last two updates <3

Always nice to see some RuPaul of course. Paloma had a great album this year, Doja Cat surely one of the biggest newcomers. Katy's year was solid, but I still think this was probably her "weakest" year career wise. Alicia and Chloe x Halle brought us some R&B highlights, Adam and Miley pulled great "comebacks" and Little Mix released their (IMO) best album to date

[JSparksFan]

Aw, Little Mix had a year where they deserve top ten I think! But I am not you.

They were fewer than 10 points away from top 10, so it was close! Had Confetti had another week with me, they would've made it.

I kind of fell off the Alicia bandwagon - I didn't check out her album much at all - like you, I just found the music kind of blah. I did like Perfect Way To Die, but it's depressing nature is not really the kind of song I was going to put on repeat.

I've decided I should give Miley a chance - it can be my UKMix new year resolution

Adam looks so hot in every pic you've posted.

Obv my favorite entry is Chloe x Halle!

Yes, definitely give Miley a chance!

[JSparksFan]

20. RuPaul's Drag Race S12 Cast - 350 pts.
19. Paloma Faith - 357 pts.
18. Doja Cat - 358 pts.
16. Katy Perry - 422 pts.

15. Alicia Keys - 457 pts.
14. Chloe x Halle - 514 pts.
13. Adam Lambert - 590 pts.
12. Miley Cyrus - 593 pts.
11. Little Mix - 793 pts.

Loving those from the last two updates <3

Always nice to see some RuPaul of course. Paloma had a great album this year, Doja Cat surely one of the biggest newcomers. Katy's year was solid, but I still think this was probably her "weakest" year career wise. Alicia and Chloe x Halle brought us some R&B highlights, Adam and Miley pulled great "comebacks" and Little Mix released their (IMO) best album to date

Definitely agree on that last point!

[JSparksFan]

10. Jessie Ware - 800 pts.

2020 saw Jessie Ware achieve her career-biggest year for me by a huge margin - I actually played her more in 2020 than all previous years combined! It was the disco-tinged soul-pop that did it for me. That lane was wide open this year and Jessie zoomed liberally and classily through.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 288
Year-end Songs: What's Your Pleasure? [#12]; The Kill [#29]; Spotlight [#48]
Year-end Albums: What's Your Pleasure? [#11]

09. Ariana Grande - 881 pts.

My champion of 2018 and 2019, Ari would've achieved an unprecedented feat had she secured a third consecutive year as queen, but this year, she steps down to give way to a new ascendant! Fun fact - for the third consecutive year, "Breathin" is my most-played Ari track.

Last Year's Rank: 1
No. of Plays: 788
Year-end Songs: Safety Net [#19]; Motive [#40]; 34+35 [#82]
Year-end Albums: Positions [#8]

08. Teyana Taylor - 911 pts.

Teyana Taylor's been around for north of a decade in the industry, but it was only in 2020 that I sat down and properly explored one of her releases and 'The Album' certainly exceeded my expectations. R&amp;B had a strong year and for me she was the leader of the pack there.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 508
Year-end Songs: We Got Love [#6]; Concrete [#24]; Friends [#56]; Lose Each Other [#60]; Still [#87]
Year-end Albums: The Album [#14]

07. Ava Max - 1,017 pts.

She spent two calendar years teasing her debut record and while such a prolonged 'engagement' period tends to lead to an unsatisfying release, Ava Max proved that the extra time was well spent, delivering one of the finest pop records I've heard in years. I think she's got a bright future and I'm perched to see what she does next.

Last Year's Rank: 19
No. of Plays: 316
Year-end Songs: Salt [#18]; Who's Laughing Now [#36]; Kings & Queens [#44]; Take You to Hell [#57]
Year-end Albums: Heaven & Hell [#4]

06. Kylie Minogue - 1,130 pts.

Following 2018's foray into country-influenced pop, Kylie U-turned to her wheelhouse in 2020 with a rave-worthy album stocked with high-quality uptempo disco bops. It always warms my heart when legends within the industry can still keep their work fresh and compete with the younger, more prominent names and Madame Minogue achieved just that this year.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 316
Year-end Songs: Where Does the DJ Go? [#8]; Say Something [#16]; Last Chance [#63]; Dance Floor Darling [#64]; Celebrate You [#80]
Year-end Albums: Disco [#5]

[JSparksFan]

05. Rina Sawayama - 1,182 pts.

The year's most impressive discovery for me, the genius of Rina Sawayama's songwriting, the creativity of her visuals, the diversity of her sound, and the breadth of her references made her music stand out from the pack. I got into her relatively late, but she's found a keen fan in me henceforth.

Last Year's Rank: NE
No. of Plays: 232
Year-end Songs: XS [#11]; Love Me 4 Me [#38]; Chosen Family [#42]; Who's Gonna Save U Now? [#43]; Snakeskin [#49]
Year-end Albums: Sawayama [#2]

04. Megan Thee Stallion - 1,220 pts.

The finest rapper we've had since Nicki Minaj - note how that comment is without a female qualifier - Megan quelled my fears after releasing a rather poor EP in 'Suga', following that lukewarm release with her proper 'Good News' debut, which was far more representative of her skills as an emcee. Interestingly enough, my post-countdown reflections have shown that the most replayable song Megan did all year was actually her mid-tempo bop "Outside", which comfortably ends the year as her solo release with the highest spin count (with more than 30% of her solo spins, in fact). I think she can put out an even more lethal record if she includes more mellow moments like that one. Fingers crossed that her best years are still ahead of her - she's such an exciting talent!

Last Year's Rank: 17
No. of Plays: 376
Year-end Songs: Nasty [#14]; WAP [#15]; Cry Baby [#41]; Don't Stop [#45]; Outside [#68]; Girls in the Hood [#75]; Sugar Baby [#76]
Year-end Albums: Good News [#7]

03. Taylor Swift - 1,243 pts.

Down a single place this year, the artist who so firmly secured song of the year honours continues an insanely impressive streak on my year-end artists countdown. The new ranking methodology hurt her this year - she would've been the runaway winner had I rolled forward previous years' formula - but no. 3 is fair for what she did this year. 'Folklore' was a great experimental release and showcased her willingness to explore and her adeptness at excelling within the folk realm, but I still think the core of who she is rests within country-pop. Hopefully, we'll get a release from her within the next three years bringing back that sound.

Last Year's Rank: 2
No. of Plays: 1,644
Year-end Songs: August [#1]; The Last Great American Dynasty [#28]; My Tears Ricochet [#34]; Hoax [#85]
Year-end Albums: Folklore [#10]

[cheapthrills]

What a fab group of ladies in your top 10 - I thought Ari might take a tumble, though I'm curious if her collabs this year helped keep her afloat in the top 10? Would she made the top 10 on her album alone?

Teyana at #8 - thank youf or introducing me to her

Considering the number of songs in the top 100 for Ava, I expected to see her in the top five, which is a mild surprise, though she came pretty close to that.

Did Evermore figure at all into Taylor's ranking? Wondering if she had released that a month sooner if it would have assured her #1.

[king_oxymoron]

Good to see Rina represented so highly, and Kylie has had a great year too!

[JSparksFan]

What a fab group of ladies in your top 10 - I thought Ari might take a tumble, though I'm curious if her collabs this year helped keep her afloat in the top 10? Would she made the top 10 on her album alone?

Great question. Her collabs absolutely did not help. None of them actually made my year-end songs countdown so they didn't give her any points through that, all of the spins for "Rain on Me" were credited to Gaga since I view Ari as the featured act there, and "Stuck with U" only managed 17 spins and four points wouldn't have made a difference.

Teyana at #8 - thank youf or introducing me to her

My pleasure!

Considering the number of songs in the top 100 for Ava, I expected to see her in the top five, which is a mild surprise, though she came pretty close to that.

Ava actually 'only' placed four tracks in my top 100 songs countdown, whereas all the other ladies (save for Taylor, who also had four) placed at least five. Megan had as many as seven.

Did Evermore figure at all into Taylor's ranking? Wondering if she had released that a month sooner if it would have assured her #1.

When Taylor released Evermore after I'd already started my year-end countdowns, I elected to defer the album to 2021 so everything related to the album will be assessed for 2021. I haven't even heard anything from the album yet! Knowing how much I generally appreciate Taylor's music, it would've been a slam dunk for her this year had she released a month sooner, though that would've felt like 'cheating'.

Good to see Rina represented so highly, and Kylie has had a great year too!

Both ladies were behind some of the year's brightest highlights for me!

[JSparksFan]

02. Lady Gaga - 1,439 pts.

A mere 20 points from glory, the pop savant got the year off to a shaky start with two sub-par/average forerunner singles in "Stupid Love" and "Rain on Me", but when I finally landed on Planet Chromatica, I was happy with its surroundings, despite the turbulent travel to get there. Paul made a very interesting comment about Gaga's music this era - how it's fun and well enough produced that you can just dance along to it, but how the below-surface lyrical messaging is meaty enough for you to have some rather healthy helpings of substantive material, too. Visually, Gaga also excelled in 2020, with three of the year's finest and most colourful videos. It was a fantastic year for Mother Monster and I have every confidence we'll get more awesome moments from her as the decade unfolds.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 1,084
Year-end Songs: Babylon [#5]; Alice [#21]; 911 [#26]; Sine from Above [#47]; Sour Candy [#52]
Year-end Albums: Chromatica [#2]

01. Dua Lipa - 1,459 pts.

Donning an outfit change from the OP to more appropriately accept her crown, Dua Lipa made good on my 2017 forecast for her, found her sound, and proved dangerous enough to dark horse her way past the twin titans who finished among my top 5 favourite acts of the 2010s to take a well-deserved crown. Potential is one thing, realising it is an entirely different beast and Dua Lipa set the standard early this year, one that none of the other ladies were able to meet. She did it with fresh, retro-inspired, bouncy, production; clever, intelligent, and timely lyrics; fun and playful visuals; and that thick trademark low register that commands attention so completely. I remember early on in the pandemic shutdowns 'Future Nostalgia' dropped and dancing in my living room to "Physical" and "Levitating" thinking how great it would be when sometime later (the same year) I'd be able to go to my favourite local club and feel the throbbing energy of a crowd moving to the pulsating beats. That hope wouldn't materialise for 2020, but I view it as having been banked for the inevitable safe reopening. Music definitely helped me to sew together the loosening strands of my sanity and I'm so thankful to Dua for being such a beacon of joy in an historically unprecedented tumultuous year. Can she ever top her 2020? Only time will tell, but I'm very much on-board the Lipa Express to see what exciting destinations are in store. A warm welcome to the big leagues, Madame Lipa.

Last Year's Rank: RE
No. of Plays: 700
Year-end Songs: Physical [#4]; Levitating [#10]; Boys Will Be Boys [#17]; Break My Heart [#31]; Good in Bed [#51]
Year-end Albums: Future Nostalgia [#1]