By Mason Rosse
Over quarantine, I have had a lot of time to listen to music, and a lot of music has been released. With everyone stuck inside, we have seen artists release tons of new music. So, here is a list of the music that is keeping me sane during the quarantine. Here are my top 3 R&B/Hip Hop albums and singles of 2020.
My Top 3 Favorite Albums From 2020 So Far:
1. After Hours by The Weeknd
This is a great album. It has 80s influence in the production but also has a perfected dark atmosphere. My favorite song from the album is Faith. The song is sonically pleasing and the lyrics are on par, however, this is not the only thing that makes this song great. It’s great to chill out to, and the outro is incredible.
2. Eternal Atake/Luv is Rage 2 by Lil Uzi
This album captures what Uzi does best. His futuristic production and audio effects come straight from space, and his lyrics are on par with every other album he has released. I don’t have a definitive favorite on this album, but You Better Move is definitely one of the top because it’s just plainly a hype song.
3. Blame it on Baby by Dababy.
The only just way to describe this album is that it is like every other album Dababy has released, except with singing. Dababy’s style is clear, upbeat vocals over a simple beat, and he almost always raps about money, crime, and love interests. This album has an interesting new side of Dababy, one where he reflects on his past and shows some of his feelings. I don’t have a definitive favorite song because it came out very recently, but the album is good upon first listen.
Honorable Mentions: Tory Laynes, 22Gz album
Top 3 Favorite Singles From 2020 So Far:
1. Frank Ocean’s “Dear April”
This acoustic song is very calming, enrapturing the alternative rap style that Ocean is so good at with a calm guitar in the background.
2. Sleepy Hallow’s “Deep End Freestyle”
This is a great song – no wonder Sleepy Hallow is blowing up from it. The beat is great with unique sampling, and Sleepy Hallow brings what he always does. Per usual he has a clear delivery over a drill beat and the subject matter is the same as always.
3. Polo G “DND”
When people say that Polo G never releases a bad song, this song holds true here. It’s overall a good song and there’s no other way to explain it. He has an uplifting melody for the chorus and the rapping in the verses is overall very good.
Honorable mentions: Fivio Forgien, Sheff G’, Kid Cudi, Nav/Gunna, Lil Skies, Smooth’L.