MBHS’s Top Albums of 2020

By Cordelia Reilly

Due to Covid-19 there has been less frequent filming for movies and TV shows, but music production was able to make it through the year relatively unscathed. In 2020, around 50 large and highly anticipated albums have been dropped, not to mention the smaller and more unexpected projects. As MBHS students kept up with their favorite artists and their newest projects, what were the most loved and listened to albums of 2020 at MBHS?

1. Circles- Mac Miller

Circles is Mac Miller’s sixth studio album, released in January of 2020 and was worked on by him in 2017 before his passing. 

Genre: Hip-Hop

2. Alfredo- Freddie Gibbs/ The Alchemist 

Alfredo is a collaborative album between producer The Alchemist and American rapper Freddie Gibbs. Alfredo was released through Gibbs’ own record label ESGN.

Genre: Rap/Hip-Hop

3. Folklore- Taylor Swift

Folklore was a surprise album released in July 2020, 11 months after her album Lover making it her eighth Album and was followed up by the sister album Evermore In December. 

Genre: Indie-folk 

 4. After Hours- The Weekend

After Hours was primarily produced by The Weekend and has no features on the standard version. The Weekend confirmed that this album has a lot of stylistic differences from his 2016 album Starboy .

Genre: R&B/dream pop

5. Positions- Ariana Grande

Positions continues Grandes themes of R&B and trap-pop sounds in Sweetener and Thank U, Next. Positions also features The Weekend, Ty Dolla Sign and Doja Cat.

Genre: Pop/R&B

6. The Slow Rush- Tame Impala

The Slow Rush follows up the 2015 Album Currents and 2019 singles “Borderline” and “Patience.” The album reached many top 10 record charts and resurfaced the sound of Psychedelic pop to many of those charts.

Genre: Psychedelic pop/Prog rock

7. It Is What It Is- Thundercat

It Is What It Is was executively produced alongside Flying Lotus and features artist like Louis Cole, Steve Lacy, Childish Gambino, Ty Dolla Sign, BadBadNotGood, and Zack Fox. It also samples vocals from Mac Miller in which the Album is dedicated to.

Genre: Jazz Fusion/Hip-Hop/Jazztronica

8. Miss Anthropocene- Grimes

Miss Anthropocene is Grimes last album under the record label 4AD, which they have been signed to since 2012. This album also features a darker sound than their previous album Art Angels and features themes of the geological age of earth.

Genre: Dance- Electronic 

9. Punisher- Phoebe Bridgers 

Punisher is Phoebe Bridgers second studio album following her debut Stranger in the Alps. Bridgers’ emo-folk lyricism is described as somber, full of heart, and deeply personal. Punisher also features about a dozen other artists in the recording process. 

Genre: Emo-folk/Indie rock 

10. SAWAYAMA- Rina Sawayama

SAWAYAMA is Rina Sawayama’s debut studio album from an independent label Dirty Hit. The album is heavily influenced by 2000s mainstream pop, nu metal, rock, dance-pop and other genres.

Genre: Electropop/Various

These are the top 10 most liked and listened to albums of 2020 among MBHS students. The music scene at MBHS is very diverse, stretching from Jazz fusion (Thundercat) to western-emo/indie- folk (Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift). These albums kept so many students occupied and engaged in music, helping them through Covid-19 and having them excited for more great albums in 2021!