10 Pop Hits That Made 2020 A Little Bit Better

2020 was a heck of a year for most people, truth be told it was unlike anything any of us had ever seen, for many people it was a year of solitude, uncertainty, and longing. For me it was the year I finished school, the year I started this blog, and the year I told my family that I’m a lesbian. While many found solidarity in the idea that everyone was also, to varying degrees, affected by the same force. Still, there were times when we had nowhere to turn but music. Today I’m sharing a playlist with you of 10 red hot bops that made 2020 a little bit better.

Number 10. Oh My God - Alec Benjamin

Single Released: February 13, 2020

Album Release: These Two Windows - May 29, 2020

Peak Position: #26 US Adult Pop Songs

While it would be tempting to favorably compare Alec Benjamin to other more established artists like Mike Posner, there is something uniquely soulful about Benjamin that somehow defies specific comparison. With “Oh My God” he artfully captures a feeling that many people would wind up face to face with less than a year later. Admittedly in February few of us had any real concept of where we would be (and where we wouldn't be) by the holidays, obviously, Phoenix native Alec Benjamin had no idea either, yet lines like these couldn’t be more poignant as we look back on a year that changed the world:

“Oh my god, I can't remember

Who I was just last December

What have I done, how did I get here?”

- "Oh My God"

That said, this IS NOT a song about the pandemic and even as the coming-of-age reflection it was penned as, it is possibly one of the more underrated tracks of 2020, barely managing to make an impact on mainstream charts and its parent album These Two Windows didn’t fare too much better finding its peak position at #15 in Scotland and landing #75 on the Billboard 200.

However, if the legacy of other singer-songwriters like Ed Sheeran are any indication, Benjamin could expect greater success with future efforts, and I for one hope to hear alot more from him

Number 9. What A Man Gotta Do - Jonas Brothers

Single Released: January 17, 2020

Album Release: TBA / GUITAR PICKS EP October 3, 2020

Peak Position: #4 Scotland / #14 US Mainstream Top 40

Oh how far these 3 boys have come! In this magnificently produced Bo-Diddley-esque bop, they are looking to settle down and start a family...or something like that. While it is said to be the lead single for their upcoming 6th album, fans are yet to have so much as a name for that album much less a release date. Given the state of 2020 perhaps a bit of a delay is understandable, and at least, they weren’t completely silent all year, October 3rd brought us the GUITAR PICKS EP and October 30th they dropped their 3rd Christmas song “I Need You Christmas”. All and all it wasn’t a totally Jonas-less year and “What A Man Gotta Do” is such a fun track that you can’t really be mad.

Number 8. The Bones - Maren Morris

Single Released: May 20, 2019

Album Release: GIRL - March 8, 2019

Peak Position: # 1 US Adult Top 40 / #13 US Mainstream Top 40

My first exposure to Marren Morris was through her 2018 collaboration, “The Middle” with Zedd and Grey. Admittedly after that, the rest of her catalogue was a bit of a shock but this uptempo pop-country artist is no lightweight and as country music continues to evolve I think we will find artists like her defining the future of the industry. Much like many of us in 2020 this song truly put its money where its mouth was proving that “if the bones are good the rest don’t matter", by making a slow gruelling climb to the top. “The Bones” was originally released as a promotional single on February 22, 2019, and went relatively undetected, on May 20, 2019 it made its first appearance on A/C stations after it was decided that it would actually be the second single for the album GIRL, released 2 months earlier. Still, the song struggled to gain traction, then on October 4th another version was released featuring Hozier, a great version but still, nothing that really caused people to take notice…then when it seemed like the moment had passed “The Bones” surged up the charts in 2020, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching #1 on Billboard’s US Country Airplay, US Hot Country, US Adult Top 40, US Adult Contemporary, and Canada Country charts. Needless to say this song really came from behind in a year when we desperately needed all the good music we could get. “The Bones” would go on to finish the year at #2 on Billboard’s US Hot Country Songs (behind the #4 another entry on today’s list).

Number 7. Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

Single Released: 15 May 2020

Album Release: Fine Line - 13 December 2019

Peak Position: #1 in 7 countries including the US Mainstream Top 40

What easily struck me as one of the most random songs of 2020, fans first encountered this track as a promotional single in November of 2019 however, after Fine Line dropped on December 13th, it was chosen as the album’s 4th single and re-released on May 15 2020, it would go on to top the charts in 7 countries and landed in the top 10 in another 13. While “Adore You” (the album’s 2nd single) is also one heck of a strong track, I believe “Watermelon Sugar” is the track that we will routinely see pop up in flashback reels.

Number 6. How Do You Sleep? - Sam Smith

Single Released: 19 July 2019

Album Release: Love Goes - 30 October 2020

Peak Position: #1 in Lebanon / #9 US Mainstream Top 40

While not technically a single for it’s parent album Love Goes, “How Do You Sleep” was released 2 months before it and quickly dominated radio stations and streaming services around the world. The song, which is 1 part R&B, 1 part house, and 2 parts pop, is a vulnerable documentation of the inevitable breakdown of a relationship and the emotions that follow.

"Oh no, how did I manage to lose me?

I am not this desperate, not this crazy

There's no way I'm sticking around to find out

I won't lose like that, I won't lose myself"

"How Do You Sleep"

Smith’s vocal delivery is passionate and cements their position among contemporaries like Lewis Capaldi and Harry Styles. Musically this song is such an absolute vibe, starting out in a dreamy chill-trap/house atmosphere before escalating and finally blooming into an easy beat that flirts effortlessly with the synth and string driven soundscape. A great deal of credit is owed to Ilya Salmanzadeh for creating the bedding where Smith would eventually lay their buttery smooth vocals. Together they created a track that fit perfectly into the musical landscape of 2020 while also setting itself apart elegantly from the competition.

Number 5. Circles - Post Malone

Single Released: September 3, 2019

Album Release: Hollywood's Bleeding - September 6, 2019

Peak Position: #1 in 6 countries including the US Mainstream Top 40

If you were near a radio in late 2019 you undoubtedly became well acquainted with this song. However the sense of living on a treadmill, or just going around in circles, would become a poignant and relatable sensation for many people in 2020 and that is likely why it endured well into the year, seeing considerable radio play even today. Another potential factor to the staying power of this track is the fact that even people who aren’t devoted Post Malone fans can find something relatable in not just the lyrics but also Malone’s meaningful and passionate delivery. The song was produced by Malone and features a core arrangement that focuses around a drummer, bassist, and a mellow and soothing acoustic riff. This simplicity adds a certain sense of vulnerability to the track that perfectly accents the narrative of stale frustration with circumstance.

Number 4. I Hope - Gabby Barrett

Single Released: July 29, 2019

Album Release: Goldmine June 19, 2020

Peak Position: #1 US Hot Country Songs / #3 Billboard Hot 100

Approximately once a decade a truly great breakup/revenge song comes along, and over the years there have been some good ones: “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'”, “A Lesson in Leavin'”, “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?”, and of course, “Before He Cheats”. With “I Hope” Gabby Barrett unapologetically adds herself to that list of women who have had enough.

"I hope she comes along and wrecks every one of your plans

I hope you spend your last dime to put a rock on her hand

I hope she's wilder than your wildest dreams

She's everything you're ever gonna need

And then I hope she cheats

Like you did on me"

- "I Hope"

The song went 3 X platinum and was nominated for the Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year, if this was where the story ended it would be fine. Unfortunately after the song’s release, renown singer-songwriter-producer Charlie Puth reached out to Barrett via Instagram proposing a remix, the resulting track was poppier, charted better, and became the cross-over hit of 2020. However, in my opinion, this is arguably one of the worst executed collaborations in recent memory. *Engage Rant* Puth is a celebrated and talented producer (I actually like alot of his other work) so obviously the touches he made to make the backing track more pop-driven than country are good enough, I’m on board to that extent. The real sin is the decision for Puth to contribute vocals, apart from being entirely too loud in the mix, his contribution completely undermines the power of the original song, this may prove to be an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it.

While the remix ultimately performed better or on par with the original, on some big year-end charts like Billboard’s US Hot Country Songs, the original, sans Puth, completed the year at #1. Given that this was the lead single from her debut album, it all but guarantees that Barrett is someone to watch very very closely in the years to come.

Number 3. Post Malone - Sam Feldt feat. RANI

Single Released: May 24, 2019

Album Release: Magnets EP - May 24, 2019

Peak Position: #4 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs / #32 US Mainstream Top 40

This absolute bop is an ode to rapper Post Malone and was produced by Sam Feldt with RANI on vocals, back home the pair reached #5 on the Dutch Top 40 and #16 on the Netherlands’ Single Top 100, it has also netted over 375 million streams on Spotify. Apart from crowning Post Malone the king of the good time, this track is a pretty straight forward party anthem but Sam Feldt’s production of this tropical house jam elevates it to a place that makes it almost irresistible, and likely lead to its sustained radio play through much of 2020. While I think “Post Malone'' will be quickly forgotten over the coming years I think it did its job admirably by bringing us alot of toe-tapping and head-bobbing throughout the second half of 2019 and the first half of 2020.

Number 2. Ava Max - Sweet But Psycho

Single Released: August 17, 2018

Album Release: Heaven & Hell - September 18, 2020

Peak Position: #1 in 24 countries / #1 US Dance Club Songs / #3 US Mainstream Top 40

Despite being an absolute banger, “Sweet But Psycho” failed to generate any massive commercial interest right out of the gate. In fact, many people probably don’t even realize that it originally came out in 2018 as the lead single for Ava Max’s album Heaven and Hell, probably because it was followed by another 7 singles before the album finally dropped in September of 2020. The entire time it was building up steam, with radio stations giving it alot of time in early 2020 to set the stage for the album release, this renewed interest made “Sweet but Psycho” a cornerstone of 2020. Vocally Ava Max BRINGS IT, if there is any doubt in your mind I urge you to check out the acoustic version that dropped back in 2018. Sonically, world-famous hitmaker Cirkut, was at the helm of this elaborate production which sees her voice pitch-altered and overlaid with stock horror screams during sections of the chorus. While the song has 5 credited writers Max was solely responsible for the lyrical content stating that the song is about several experiences she had being gaslighted by men in her life, and not about genuine mental illness. This infectiously catchy track is evidence that Ava Max may very well be capable of producing a notable catalogue well beyond her debut album.

Number 1. Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo)

Single Released: June 11, 2020

Album Release: N/A

Peak Position: #1 in 17 countries Including US Mainstream Top 40

Let’s face it, it literally isn’t 2020 without, “Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat)”, this ...thing...this absolute force...this tragically short, woefully addictive track chewed up 2020 and spit it out, but the legacy of this song is fascinating. Please check out my other 2020 recap list “9 Hottest Non-Album Singles of 2020” to read more about that, in short, this song came about through the determination of a punchy high school student, some big power moves, and a superstar who was so captivated by an EDM track that he risked everything rom-com style to prove that he could make it a better song than anyone else. Seriously, it’s a crazy story.

This song is certainly built from its share of blood, sweat, and tears, but there is no denying that we are so much better for having it!

*****

Non-Charting-Honorable-Mention

Lost Angeles - The Aces

Single Released: April 9, 2020

Album Release: Under My Influence - July 17, 2020

Peak Position: N/A

At the end of the day what we have here obviously is another freakin’ song about L.A. and while for some people the idea is more than a little tiresome - I am not one of those people. when I order pizza I know it’s gonna be similar to the last pizza I ordered, some simple elements are going to be the same but I’m not going to roll my eyes and go “oh great more bread and cheese” every time someone suggests it, there are great tunes bout L.A. and some pretty vapid ones too.

this song is a rocker and in a year of heavy hearts and a seemingly endless stream of bad news, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, even if you don’t live in L.A. the potential to crank this song close your eyes imagining a land of palm trees and debauchery is plentiful.

Beyond the general vibe points that this song gets for its setting, it ultimately tells the tale of a young woman falling in and out of love with the atmosphere of LA. As the song opens our protagonist is driving down sunset blvd with the sun beating down on her; she is happy and optimistic looking toward the future, but a short time later we find her battling with her romanticized vision of the city and the harsh realities of her new home as she talks about feeling panic and the ways she’s been hurt since moving there. In the end, it is a breakup song to a city which is masterfully personified in the song's lyrics. Penned by all 4 members of the band along with Mike Green and Simon Wilcox, it is a tight 3:11 that feels much shorter when you’re on the receiving end. While favoring a poppier sensibility over aggressive rock, “Lost Angeles” still manages to brandish a healthy amount of edginess that makes it better suited for shouting along to in your car than being a straight banger for the clubs, and despite the musical landscape of 2020, maybe this is the best kind of track for a year when we are supposed to be alone and just a touch angsty.

Check out the entire playlist, uninterrupted, below: