Photo courtesy of The Daily Utah Chronicle
While 2020 was an inactive year for events and festivities, quarantine playlists flourished due to all of the new releases. Pop music was a standout genre, resulting in a plethora of new tunes for fans.
Here are the top five albums that helped many Gen Z pop music fans get through this tragic year:
- “Kid Krow” – Conan Gray
Conan Gray publicized “Kid Krow” on March 20, and since its release was during the height of quarantine boredom, it was no surprise that TikTok quickly popularized the singles. “Maniac” and “Heather” from the debut album went viral overnight, and they both hold over 200 million streams, proving that Gray’s “Lorde and Taylor Swift inspired” collection reigned success.
- “folklore” – Taylor Swift
Speaking of, Taylor Swift’s “folklore,” her eighth studio album, surprised fans this summer with its unexpected sudden release. Not only were fans shocked that Swift launched two albums within a year’s time frame, but the sound of “folklore” is like no other record from the former country singer: we expected radio pop, but instead we were given mellow ballads that caught everyone in their feels.
- “In a Dream” – Troye Sivan
Australian pop singer Troye Sivan is known for his EPs that define new eras in his career, and “In a Dream” marks the second generation of his sound. Like the title suggests, the six song collection includes dreamy lyrics and synthesized beats.
Since its debut in August, Sivan has worked on remixing and mastering several of the tracks. A new rendition of the second single “Easy,” which will feature Kacey Musgraves and Mark Ronson, is set to be released this Thursday, Dec. 10.
- “Future Nostalgia” – Dua Lipa
If there’s anyone that had a positive year for their career, it’s Dua Lipa. After releasing “Future Nostalgia” on March 27, Lipa’s success skyrocketed and she soon became a household name. Her lead single, “Don’t Start Now,” now holds over a billion streams.
The album as a whole will make anyone dance in their seat, so when the Grammys announced that Lipa was nominated for top awards for this album, it was expected because it is deserved.
- “Positions” – Ariana Grande
Finally, there is no denying that Ariana Grande has made yet another smash album when she released “Positions” this October. Even with minimal promotion, the singer’s sixth studio album broke records and topped the charts with its R&B inspired sound.
The sexually explicit lyrics made the music videos for singles “positions” and “34+35” even more jaw dropping, as fans couldn’t help but to recreate the viral transitions and dances. Grande truly knew how to finish off 2020 with a bang.
With these impressive releases, maybe 2020 wasn’t a completely useless year. In fact, with Lorde, Ashnikko and FKA twigs all confirmed to be releasing albums in 2021, we may be living in one of the most iconic eras in pop music history.
ddeange1@ramapo.edu
