PLAYLIST: Best of 2020 + Albums Favs
We couldn’t finish out the year without highlighting some of our favorite tracks of the year. This has obviously been a tough year for everyone but we like to think that music got us through most of it. Here’s our last playlist of 2020 and scroll down for a little bonus content to see what some of our favorite albums of this year were.
With 100 founding members, and over 1000 Photo Ladies part of our community, we all have a huge variety of musical tastes, and we plan to showcase them each month through our upcoming playlists. Full playlist below, along with some Photo Lady blurbs behind the choices.
“Since I spent most of 2020 alone, this has been a bit of a theme song for me and one that I play when I’m feeling a little extra lonely. And it reminds me that things will be OK. ”
“Taylor Momsen’s voice on this song is so beyond good. Ive always been impressed by what a great singer and songwriter she is but this song really showcases her range. I’m very excited for the new album Death By Rock and Roll to be released.”
“A musical response to Max Porter's novel with the same name. This is a beautiful and mesmerizing EP that provides a sonic journey into the state of grief and explores the worlds beyond it. Worth a listen ( on repeat ) for a cathartic experience or just to be felt understood”. - Claudia Innes | @Jarethsgirl // Submission: Will White - BlancGrief Is The Thing Feathers - EP
“This has been my favorite song this entire year, I just want to sing so loudly and dance when it comes on. Although this song is about feeling ready within yourself to let new people in after a break up, the song is so catchy and upbeat and still makes me excited and happy when I listen to it.” - Amanda Huerta | @PandaH___ // Submission: Hayley Williams - “Pure Love”
“This song was on constant repeat since June, it's infectious beat and Pharrell's voice made this a total bop. Trust me, its a feel good song.” - Victoria Ford | @sneakshotphotography // Submission: Buju Banton feat. Pharrell Williams - “Cherry Pie”
“Mara changed my year. I was in and out of a pretty intense relationship in the beginning of 2020 and that was when the song was released - I fell in and out of love to the song. It feels half like a sad song and half like a dance track and I’m so grateful for that so that my relationship with it can evolve. You have to reclaim songs for yourself even if they remind you of certain memories. Mara hits home so hard for me and I hope people can associate memories with it.” - Carter Howe | @carterkhowe // Submission: Jack Garratt - “Mara”
“So shiny and nostalgic, it will make you forget 2020 ever happened.” - Sasha | @sashamaesephotography // Submission: Dummy - “Angel's Gear”
“MisterWives released their triumphant third LP this year, culminating with the titular “SUPERBLOOM”—a song about having hit rock bottom and surviving to see the other side, and having self-love to congratulate yourself for all you’ve been through. Let’s just say this song has greatly helped me get through 2020 and I’m sure has caused annoyance to my downstairs neighbors for how crazily I dance along to it every. single. time.”
“I was so excited to get a new Strokes album in 2020, and it came at the perfect time. The album was released on one of the first nice days we had in the middle of quarantine, and I remember driving around with my windows open blasting this album and just being so happy for the first time in months. The opening track will always remind me of the true happiness I felt in that moment. ”
“This track completely changed when reworked with strings! It sounds like a dramatic movie scene of a funeral and I love it.” - Sophia Ragomo | @sophiaragomo // Submission: Phoebe Bridgers - “Kyoto"
“I’ve become a sucker for pop music this year. I’ve been loving the LANY Mama’s Boy album. ‘bad news’ was a standout track for me. It’s a perfect rundown of what dating someone in music is like. I always love the way Paul Klein (and ultimately Sasha Sloan) are able to write honest pop music that can be upbeat and heartbreaking at the same time.” -Carolyn Lederach | @cled1024 | Submission: LANY - ‘bad news’
“If anyone ever asks me for a music recommendation, I always say PARCELS. Based in Berlin, these Australian legends are incredibly disciplined musicians. The song Gamesofluck is technically from 2017; HOWEVER, the guys released a live album this year that included a slight revamp of the original studio track. It’s groovy and it always hits the spot. Take a sonically pleasing cruise and listen to this song and this entire live album if you get a chance.” - Jen Machuca | IG: @jen_machuca // Submission: Parcels - “Gamesofluck- from Hansa Studios, Berlin”
“Chris' EP was an absolute delight to have this year but THIS song slaps! Love the opening of beautiful Italian verses accompanied by some great dance music. Can we also please mention that the music video is perfection?!” - Kris Lori | @kris_lori // Submission: Christine and the Queens - “La Vita Nuova” ft. Caroline Polachek
“Open Mike Eagle had a bad year. His television show with comedian Baron Vaughn, ("The New Negroes") was cancelled by Comedy Central. His marriage also ended. The song from his 2020 album "Anime, Trauma and Divorce" called "The Black Mirror Episode" places the blame on an episode of the television show created by Charlie Brooker. The circumstances that generated the song is pretty awful but I dare you to try to not sing "The Black Mirror Episode ruined my marriage" and not try to guess which episode it was (he'll never tell).” - Edwina Hay | @arenotphotos // Submission: Open Mike Eagle- “The Black Mirror Episode”
“Really this could be any song off of Fiona Apple’s brilliant ‘Fetch the Bolt Cutters,’ which is my pick for Album of the Year. I’ve had a moment with each of these powerhouse songs since its release, and their underlying strength and grit have fortified me with resolve in what has been a very difficult year. ”
“When I first heard Murderer, it was in the car, it was late. We were driving over 8 hours and it had just been a really rough day. When I heard this song, I honestly just felt okay, but in a weird, this song is pretty disturbing and crazy, in a really cool way. The lead singer of Hippo Campus, Lupin’s side project is a lot more electronic and different, balancing different key and time signatures, ultimately earning my #1 song of the year.”
Bonus content…Our Favorite Albums of 2020!
Movements - No Good Left To Give
“It’s safe to say that 2020 has thrown the music industry into a whirlwind. Tours got cancelled and thousands of people were forced into unemployment, but our favorite artists still delivered despite the setbacks. My favorite album release of 2020 is Movements’ No Good Left To Give. The Californian band has always provided its listeners with thoughtful and expressive lyrics. My personal favorite off of the album is “Moonlight Lines.” The track embodies feelings of desire for physical connection while still offering an energetic vibe. Transparency in a time where the entire world is vulnerable means more than ever.”
Orion Sun - Hold Space For Me
“I may be a little bias as Orion Sun is a Philly artist...but I truly have come to love this album this year. ‘Hold Space For Me’ is just a super poetic and cohesive album for me and I really love it. Something that goes into a favorite album for me is a cohesiveness that you enjoy throughout, it has ups and downs but everything flows perfectly. It’s the perfect album to find some peace in. ”
Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
“The more I read about, listen to, or watch Dua Lipa, the more I fall in love with her. Future Nostalgia is a charming follow up to Dua’s debut album back in 2017, and embodies all the danceable beats and relatable lyrics you didn’t know you needed just as 2020 began to fall apart. Dua experiments with disco, funk and basic pop beats that create the radio hit ‘Don’t Start Now’, and channels classic 80s synths in the Olivia Newton-John-inspired ‘Physical’. This album has lifted my spirits during such strange times, and will hold a special place in my heart. ”
The Strokes - The New Abnormal
“In a year of uncertainty, music became a guiding light for people around the world. No matter what happened in their lives (see: Global Pandemic, historic unemployment numbers), their favorite artist was there to help. Enter: The Strokes. Their latest album, The New Abnormal allowed listeners to remember the days of outdoor music festivals, getting smashed into someone you’ve never met in a hazy smoke-filled music venue and driving along the beach at night. The standout track, “Bad Decisions,” encapsulated every bit of The Strokes signature sound with a roaring drumbeat and Julia Casablancas’ voice bringing nostalgia to every piece of their sound. With tour plans for most of the world still in flux, The New Abnormal is clearly representative of the world we live in, not normal.”