[Shaun]

#30 - "Plastic Hearts" by Miley Cyrus
It's hard to think of a popstar who had more dramatic fluctuations in quality of output during the 2010s than Cyrus; so it was a huge relief when 'Midnight Sky' came along and stole the show in a year that was already stacked with The Weeknd, Dua and Gaga. The album that followed wasn't perhaps choc-full of treats as good as its lead single, but it wasn't exactly full of filler, either. Maybe that elusive covers album might've gone down better, though. Time will tell!


#29 - "Eternal Atake" by Lil Uzi Vert
At over an hour, 'Eternal Atake' can slightly outstay its welcome - especially when there are such duds as You Better Move or Chrome Heart Tags, but there are few people doing interesting things with trap and towards the end of 2019, 'Futsal Shuffle 2020' really ushered in an album that's rich with experimentation.


#28 - "Color Theory" by Soccer Mommy
Whilst by no means a sound that's going to shake the world to its core, or usher in a new genre - indeed it's quite taped to classic indie rock - there was something still refreshing about 'Color Theory'. I spent a good chunk of the year ingesting music like Beabadobee, and this is very much a maturer, American hue of the same fabric.


#27 - "KiCk i" by Arca
The Venezuelan transwoman has been subtly changing the shape of music production over the past decade with a rich catalogue of collaborations including Bjork, Kanye West, FKA twigs, and Frank Ocean - but her fourth studio album was probably my favourite yet. I've had trouble getting into her in the past, because her music is so avant-garde and overwhelming, but maybe the work from SOPHIE, Rosalia and Shygirl helped my weaker, accessible sensibilities.


#26 - "Energy" by Disclosure
It really doesn't feel like eight years have passed since they emerged and shook up the UK charts with their debut record. The hiatus that wasn't really a hiatus meant that this came around a lot sooner than one might have thought, and thank god - because their knack for roping in superstars for unexpected features and surprise hits hasn't faded. Kelis, slowthai, Khalid and Common are on hand, among others, this time around - and the end result is a record that isn't short of its title word.


#25 - "Disco" by Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue is not exactly someone that I would say is an albums artist. All of her iconic eras have passed with excellent singles that're usually followed up with a ton of filler; even 'Aphrodite', 'Body Language' and 'Light Years' had plenty of hits and then not much else. So I didn't really go into this expecting anything with longevity. Maybe it was the multiple lockdowns, but I'm struggling to name a dud track here; in lieu of one, is a vibrant, joyous album and a marvellous upgrade on that country nonsense she was attempting a few years ago.


#24 - "Women In Music Pt. III" by HAIM
Anything produced by Ariel Rechtshaid ends up being right up my alley; the man has a Midas touch with me. But that's not to discredit HAIM themselves, because the sisters really needed a step up in form from 2017's disappointing Something To Tell You. Hits like 'Summer Girl', 'Now I'm In It' and 'The Steps' really atoned for that, and you would think - given a year of normality - this would've been the soundtrack to the summer of 2020.


#23 - "The Slow Rush" by Tame Impala
Given that frontman Kevin Parker had been spending the five years since Tame Impala's last (Currents in 2015) writing for Mark Ronson, producing for Kid Cudi and The Weeknd, and creating Lady Gaga's worst ever lead single from an album, you can understand my apprehension with their comeback. In some respects, it failed to reach expectations - the production is a lot more crisp and retro in some respects, but also less interesting and experimental than they were on, say, Lonerism or Innerspeaker. All that aside, it was still an enjoyable listen and good enough to excuse the long wait and build-up.


#22 - "Ungodly Hour" by Chloe x Halle
We haven't exactly been starved for excellent R&B in the past few years, but even in spite of a wealth of competition, the Bailey sisters managed to elbow their way into the scene with one of the year's better albums and a series of slick awards show performances. They're sure to have bright futures; Halle is destined to be Ariel in an upcoming Little Mermaid remake, whilst Chloe's popped up in Black-ish and horror movies... but it's their music that I'll be keeping on the radar. Disney live-action remakes are never worth waiting for, anyway.


#21 - "Silver Tongue" by Torres
Four albums in now, and all of them have been wonderful. It's hard to undersell Torres, but it's hard for an independent musician to really steal focus when surrounded by the likes of Fiona Apple, St Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers and Laura Marling. At risk of sounding like a patronising aunt, I do worry she isn't getting the attention and love she deserves, because 'Silver Tongue' - whilst brief - packs a punch and is full of that rare thing: rock that's still exciting.