2020 has been an interesting year in music, with the COVID-19 pandemic postponing not only the live tours of many musicians but also the release dates of their upcoming albums.
Despite the circumstances, we’ve been treated to a wealth of incredible albums this year, such as the brilliant and unexpected folklore from the one and only Taylor Swift (which reached our coveted no.1 position in our top album list) all the way to the fast-paced fun of rockers IDLES‘ release Ultra Mono.
There are so many albums that didn’t quite make the cut for our ‘Top Albums of 2020‘ list, so we thought it would be good to give some love to these by sharing some of our honorable mentions below…
Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia
2020 saw the release of British pop goddess Dua Lipa‘s second studio album, Future Nostalgia. The album remained atop of the UK charts for four consecutive weeks, making it a stand out release for the singer, even prompting the release of the remix album Club Future Nostalgia just months later.
Future Nostalgia boats some of the biggest tracks of the year, and had the clubbing scene not been suddenly paused by the global pandemic, we’d have been hearing these tracks back to back on the dancefloor – I’m sure of it. Top tracks such as ‘Don’t Start Now’, ‘Physical’ and ‘Break My Herat’ were released as album singles to an eager fanbase dying for more exciting tunes from Dua Lipa.
Future Nostalgia is available to listen to now via Warner Records UK. Check out the music video for the single ‘Physical’ below.
Twin Atlantic – POWER
Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic love to change up their style for each new album, and their latest album which was released at the start of 2020 followed this pattern with force. POWER shows not only the strength of frontman Sam McTrusty’s smooth tones but also the talent of the band in terms of experimentation with studio production in the rock scene.
As writer Vicky Greer states in her review of the album; “the new album from Twin Atlantic lives up to its name, mixing rock and electronic music to create something original.” With singles such as the rhythmically quirky ‘Barcelona’, the tense opening track ‘Oh! Euphoria!’ and the impactful ‘Ultraviolet Truth’, POWER brings Twin Atlantic into the merging world of rock and pop through its almost club-like sound.
POWER is available to listen to now via Universal Music. Check out the music video for the single ‘Barcelona’ below.
Stand Atlantic – Pink Elephant
Hopping onto the pop-punk scene in 2012 but only later gaining prominence, Australian rockers Stand Atlantic have been smashing it as supports to popular bands such as Neck Deep and New Found Glory.
As our writer, Charlotte Brennan states in her review of the brilliant Stand Atlantic album Pink Elephant, which was released only a few months back; “Pink Elephant is the perfect modern pop-punk album, featuring more electronic influences yet keeping the traditional pop fuelled hooks and roaring riffs that are a staple of the genre.” Lead single ‘Hate Me (Sometimes)’ and deeper cuts ‘DWYW’ and ‘Soap’ are tracks that helm the brilliance of the band’s latest LP and prove their worth in the pop-punk scene with ease.
Pink Elephant is available to listen to now via Hopeless Records. Check out the music video for the single ‘Hate Me (Sometimes)’ below.
Rina Sawayama – SAWAYAMA
The Japanese-British singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama released her debut album SAWAYAMA earlier this year to great critical acclaim. With tracks that display both her stunning voice and brilliant writing style, such as the hit single ‘Dynasty’, Sawayama has become a strong name in the electropop world in the last year.
Writer Sam Pegg’s review of the album concluded Sawayama as “a force of unrivaled glory” and the album as one which “blends both English and Japanese musical elements with fierce feminism, captivating lyrics, and catchy tunes; culminating in one of the best debut albums of any artist’s career.” SAWAYAMA holds strong as one of the best of the year, even if it didn’t make our top 10!
SAWAYAMA is available to listen to now via Dirty Hit. Check out the single ‘Dynasty’ below.
Gerry Cinnamon – The Bonny
We’re a big fan of musical-Scots here at The Edge clearly, as Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Cinnamon makes his way onto our honorable mentions of 2020 with his latest release, the captivating album The Bonny.
It’s quite crazy to think that even though Cinnamon has become such a household name over recent years, supporting the likes of Liam Gallagher on his UK tour in 2019, that the legendary musician only had one album to his name before the release of The Bonny – the 2017 debut Erratic Cinematic. With tracks such as the sentimental ‘Head in the Clouds’, the fast-paced jig ‘Where We’re Going’, and the lead single ‘Canter’, The Bonny displays the heart and soul of Gerry Cinnamon through each and every note.
The Bonny is available to listen to now via Little Runaway Records. Check out the lyric video for the single ‘Canter’ below.
Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure?
Jessie Ware has always been known for producing stunning music since her debut on the scene in 2012 with the album Devotion. Her recent release, and fourth studio album, What’s Your Pleasure? reached number 3 in the UK album charts and was received as one of her strongest yet!
What’s Your Pleasure? features some beautiful tracks including the title track ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’, funky tune ‘Step Into My Life’, and track ‘The Kill’ which feels reminiscent of her old popular track ‘Wildest Moments’. There have been some interesting remixes of the album’s title track, but none manage to match the original and that’s always a strength.
What’s Your Pleasure? is available to listen to now via Universal Music. Check out the music video for the single ‘Step Into My Life’ below.
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Boltcutters
Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and all-around brilliant lyricist Fiona Apple released her fifth studio album Fetch the Boltcutters early in 2020 to great critical acclaim. The album is quirky and perfectly fitting to Apple’s unconventional style.
The strongest tracks from the album include piano-heavy ‘I Want You To Love Me’, the conversational ‘Under the Table’, and the almost musical style title track ‘Fetch the Boltcutters’. Fetch the Boltcutters has already made it onto so many ‘Top 10’ lists of 2020, so it would almost be rude to not give the stellar album an honorable mention, so Fiona Apple deserves just that.
Fetch the Boltcutters is available to listen to now via Epic Records. Check out the single ‘I Want You To Love Me’ below.
