The Genius Community’s 25 Best Songs of 2020 So Far

It was already the most popular genre of music, but in 2020 hip-hop took control the Billboard charts in remarkable ways. While pop institutions like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez struggled to command the kind of chart success they once took for granted, relative newcomer Roddy Ricch dominated the charts with ‘The Box.’ Originally released last year as a cut off the Compton rapper’s debut, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, the song took off just as the clock struck 2020. The track features a majestic-sounding introduction that’s topped off with the now iconic “ehh-err” opening. On the song’s slick hook, Roddy shows off with incredible vocal elasticity by pronouncing that extra-long “laaazy” with infectious effect. His vocal inflections top off strong verses, making for a song that’s addictive from the moment you press play. —Wajahat Hussain

Money Man might just be the most interesting person in rap. He has an entirely plant-based, homegrown diet, rides horses on the daily, and has cultivated a diverse investment portfolio that includes cryptocurrency, weed farms, and cattle. On “24,” named after the late Kobe Bryant’s jersey number, Money Man bombards the listener with an unending stream of sports, weed, and scamming references over a smooth guitar loop and thumping bass backdrop provided by Nflated. Money Man labels Joe Flacco an overrated quarterback, shouts out popular Atlanta-based podcast Big Facts, and casually mentions that he owns at least three routers and 30 laptops. He isn’t a household name yet, but his cult following has slowly grown and it’s poised to catapult him into mainstream success shortly. —Sam Mulvaney

Picture a warm, cheery evening by the seaside with friends and a glass of iced tea in your hand. Now imagine that as a sound. You got yourself “Long Beach” by Kota the Friend, an up-and-coming rapper from Brooklyn, known for his appreciation for the finer things in life and stressing the importance of interpersonal relationships.

Hello Oshay and Alex Banin provide wavy background vocals which Kota flows over on the upbeat track. The result is a lighthearted, genre-bending summer song that’s perfect for playing on a portable speaker in the hot sand. Kota’s blending of pop instrumental and romantic rap lyrics combine for one of the most enjoyable listens of the year—a record so smooth it can take the listener to the shore even if stuck in quarantine. —Julia (@touchmymindplease) & @tonymontana

On the surface, “XS” is a N.E.R.D-inspired pop song celebrating materialism. By the second verse, Sawayama reveals that she is actually mocking the hypocrisy of capitalism as the world is falling apart around us. While alluding to the Earth’s finite resources, the Japanese-British singer encourages listeners to think about the true cost of the pursuit of wealth. Thanks to a 2000s R&B beat interspersed with metal guitar riffs, the message goes down easy. Songs like “XS” make Sawayama one of the breakout stars of the year and make her debut album, Sawayama, a must-listen. —Eddie Fu

The veteran K-pop girl group Apink reinvented their style in 2018, leading them to release some of the most sophisticated songs in K-pop. “덤더럼 (Dumhdurum)” is produced by the legendary producers Black Eyed Pilseung, the duo behind many K-pop hits. With “덤더럼 (Dumhdurum),” the ladies of Apink show a maturer side of love and heartbreak not only through their lyrics but also their sound. The group tackles the stereotypes of ageism in the entertainment industry. “덤더럼 (Dumhdurum)” reminds us why Apink remains the only active K-pop girl group that debuted in 2011 while the rest of their peers disbanded. —Saquib Syed

The lead single off Pop Smoke’s 2019 project, Meet the Woo 2, “Christopher Walking” is an anthemic track featuring lyrics that are both visceral and incendiary. Although the record was released in the context of Pop Smoke’s since-resolved beef with fellow Brooklyn rapper Casanova, it quickly outgrew the feud. Pop Smoke’s menacing voice compliments the pounding 808s perfectly, and the gritty, ominous sample sounds as though it were out of a horror film. Pop interpolates 50 Cent’s “Window Shopper” and alludes to Joe Budden’s “Pump It Up,” demonstrating the connections that run deep through the generations of East Coast hip-hop. The song reaches its climax as Pop emphatically snarls, “She know that Papi outside, she know I’m the king of New York.” The air of invincibility in Pop’s vocals is infectious, leaving listeners feeling like they can brazenly assert their primacy too. —Sam Mulvaney

Jhené Aiko’s “P*$$Y Fairy (OTW)” is a sensual R&B ballad featuring provocative lyrics and a sound that stimulates the listener’s senses. The song consists of two parts, the first 40 seconds highlight Jhené’s hypnotic lyrics and seductive vocals, but the song’s second part is the takeaway. Much like the rest of the Chilombo album, “P*$$Y Fairy (OTW)” incorporates crystal alchemy sound bowls, which Jhené describes as her “newfound love.” The bowls are used as a “healing instrument.” When paired with the song’s intimate lyrics, Jhené unlocks a new door for the future of R&B music. —@ninetyninedreams

“Good News” was fans’ first taste of Mac Miller’s posthumous album, Circles, and the song set the table for what was to come. Over plucky strings courtesy of Jon Brion, Mac reflects on putting on a happy face despite his internal struggles and theorizes about what’s waiting on the other side. “Wake up to the moon, haven’t seen the sun in a while/But I heard that the sky’s still blue, yeah/I heard they don’t talk about me too much no more/And that’s a problem with a closed door,” he raps. The track offered some grim foreshadowing of his death but also features Mac’s trademark, downbeat soul searching. As the lead single for Circles, “Good News” hits all the right notes. —Chris Mench

Korean songstress IU joined forces with BTS member Suga to release an uplifting anthem for turning 28 years old. The two artists, both 28 themselves, sing about the challenges of being a certain age in the music industry but also the joys of being an adult. The song follows IU’s age-themed hits like 2015’s “스물셋 (Twenty-three)” and 2017’s “Palette.” Each song was written as a self-reflection of her year. IU compared turning 28 with “drawing an infinity symbol,” expressing the feeling of being stuck in an endless cycle. To break the cycle, the two performers reminisce about the moments when they were free and felt happiness. —Saquib Syed

As Drake’s career progressed from up-and-comer to superstar to the most popular artist worldwide, he’s made sure to promote less-well-known artists. He does just that on “Chicago Freestyle” by giving Long Beach singer Giveon the spotlight on this dark and moody song. On the track, Drake details a late-night encounter with a lover in the Windy City, from his arrival into town to the moment before heading to the club for a night out with his significant other. Paired with Giveon’s hopeful, crooning chorus, Drake interpolates Eminem’s 2002 track “Superman.” revealing that the OVO boss reveals that he finally wants to settle down after his extended run in the industry, giving fans a peek into his new life as a father and grown man. —@ibmac26

Chicago’s Noname unleashed the scathing “Song 33,” her first release of 2020, two days after J. Cole criticized her on “Snow on tha Bluff.” The Madlib-produced track runs only 1:10, but its brevity is part of what makes it an astounding feat. Noname explicates society’s overwhelming mistreatment of Black people, especially Black women, and chastises Cole for his misguided focus. “33” deflects attention away from their feud and back toward the systemic racial injustices affecting African Americans. Shortly after dropping “Song 33,” Noname said that she wasn’t proud of her response, but the song had already resonated with fans nationwide. When outspoken Black women were needed, Noname boldly declared herself as “the new vanguard.” —Nathaniel Hall

Rarely does a song title so aptly describe an emotion—but the swirling-down-the-sink imagery of “circle the drain” couldn’t describe the feeling of spiraling more accurately. “Hey, I’ve been falling apart these days/Split open, watching my heart go/‘Round and around, 'round and around/Circle the drain, I’m going down.”

Sophie Allison’s vocals soar over her lushest instrumental to date. The blend of cozy bass, straight-from-the-bedroom acoustic strumming, and the occasional spurt of nostalgic synths provide the song with a sense of comfort. “Making it poppy is this weird cry for help while being like, I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this,” said Allison, to Pitchfork. But by the time four and a half minutes have passed, she’ll have convinced you that you making it through this is as simple as hitting play one more time. —Patrick Basler

Lil Mosey originally released Certified Hitmaker last year, but he didn’t truly become one until he dropped his biggest song yet, “Blueberry Faygo.” A snippet of the song appeared last year and had fans clamoring for the full track, propelling it to instant hit status upon release. The beat is perfect for sipping a cold drink by the pool, built around a sample of the 1990 hit “My, My, My,” by R&B singer (and former New Edition member) Johnny Gill. The song only has two eight-bar verses where Mosey offers his usual fare of references to high fashion and Glocks, but on the hook, Mosey catches the perfect pocket with his merry-go-round flow and nursey rhymes. Unsurprisingly, Mosey’s Certified Hitmaker was re-released this year with this song added to the tracklist. —Insanul Ahmed

When 42 Dugg signed to both Yo Gotti and Lil Baby in March 2019, the news was met with little fanfare. Over a year later, Dugg became a breakout star following the release of “We Paid”—a cut off the deluxe-edition of Lil Baby’s album, My Turn. Dugg kicks the song off with a string of memorable opening lines (“‘Fore I go broke like Joc/F—k with that dog like Vick”) as well as an iconic whistle that cemented the song’s initial popularity on TikTok. Baby also shines on the record, opting for an uptempo flow featuring an impressive barrage of bars. “We Paid” recently peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Top 100 and seems poised to rise even further, capping off an incredible run of success for Lil Baby and opening the door for 42 Dugg to rise to stardom. —Sam Mulvaney

Hayley Williams made it clear with “Simmer” that her solo material would take a darker turn from the ‘80s pop influence of Paramore’s last album, After Laughter. True to the song’s name and opening lines, Williams’ vocals embody a quiet rage lying beneath the surface as she works through past trauma and anger. Paramore bandmate Taylor York handles the minimalistic production, which punctuates Williams' lyrics with syncopated percussion and a slithering bassline. It serves as a fitting introduction for the three-part Petals For Armor album that documents Williams' journey to self-acceptance. —Eddie Fu

After fans waited almost two years for Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake, the surprise release of the anthemic “That Way” gave hope that the album would finally come out. The song opens with an immediately recognizable interpolation of Backstreet Boys’ 1999 hit, “I Want It That Way,” which is later complemented with witty lines like, “When I’m in DC, make the hoes go-go/Yes, I’m slimy like a snail, but I’m no slowpoke.” Members of the boy band would later cosign the song—Nick Carter even invited Uzi to appear on the next Backstreet Boys album. —@streetlights

Future and Drake have been a dynamic duo for nearly a decade, most notably on their collaborative album, What A Time To Be Alive, in 2015. When Future announced that they were reuniting at the top of the year, fans were excited. Still, many were caught by surprise by “Life Is Good,“ which is starkly different from most two-part songs in rap today. The Atlanta rapper allots his Toronto counterpart the song’s first half. Drake gives fans a sense of familiarity with lines like, “Workin’ on a weekend as usual” and admits that he’s yet to pay his taxes. The second half is controlled by Future, who goes on a victory lap with lines like, “I was at the bando, got a penthouse for a closet.” Combining two songs was a genius move for the two superstars; now we’re just hoping to get a WATTBA sequel. —Nathaniel Hall

If Halsey went through the five stages of grief after her breakup, hit single “Without Me” would signify the anger and “You should be sad” would find her at the final stage, acceptance. On the Nashville-inspired track, Halsey scathingly addresses her past relationship over country-pop beats. The result is an emotive, highly personal glimpse into Halsey’s life, that could have been taken straight out of her diary. After mentioning her lover’s destructive dynamic—sparing no details—she finds peace in the situation. In the end, she releases her lover, albeit without love. She “made it out without breaking down/And then ran so f-cking far.” —Julia (@touchmymindplease)

“Out West” is the latest installment in Travis Scott and Young Thug’s ever-growing list of collaborations—it’s the duo’s 12th release since Travis' 2014 mixtape, Days Before Rodeo. The song quickly became the fan-favorite from the Cactus Jack label compilation mixtape, JACKBOYS, largely thanks to Nicole Bloomgarden’s #OutWestChallenge TikTok dance. Consistent with the rest of their body of work, Travis and Thug deliver hypnotic harmonies, this time over an infectious Buddah Blessed-produced beat that confirms that flute-driven instrumentation is here to stay. —@streetlights

On “In Your Eyes,” a standout track from After Hours, The Weeknd dives further into the world of 1980s synth-pop and resurfaces with a dance floor-ready banger accompanied by a killer hook. It’s not just another monster pop hit from the singer’s discography, but it’s also his most complete record to date. With lines surrounding vulnerability, a mysterious music video, and an extended saxophone outro, The Weeknd continues to combine personal stories and danceability to create a sound that both new fans and longtime stans will enjoy. —@ninetyninedreams

Kehlani has never shied away from airing out her emotions on wax, and “Toxic” finds her reflecting on the ups and downs of an unhealthy relationship. “And that damn Don Julio made me a fool for you,” she sings over haunting production from KBeaZy and G. Ry. Although Kehlani clarified that the song isn’t about her high-profile breakup with YG, the song still delivers the confessional, ripped-from-the-headlines feelings that fans have grown accustomed to from her. As the opening track on It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, “Toxic” sets the perfect tone for an emotional roller coaster of an album. —Chris Mench

The worldwide protests against police brutality and racism this spring and summer led to artists releasing songs supporting the movement, but those issues were already on Polo G’s mind. His song “Wishing For A Hero” predated the murder of George Floyd but became even more poignant after it. An avid fan of 2Pac, Polo used the same sample as Pac’s “Changes” (Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is”) for this prognostic track.

Polo’s lyrics are a glimpse into the pent up anger many Black Americans have long felt. “You ain’t my color, then you don’t know the struggle of livin' black/Cops kill us and we protest, what type of sh-t is that?” he asks. Polo connects the racism of the justice system with an indifferent government, kids living with PTSD, and deferred dreams of Civil Rights leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Just like 2Pac often did, Polo offers a stern warning that people won’t tolerate injustice forever. —Insanul Ahmed

“Break My Heart” is yet another 1980s-inspired masterpiece from pop singer Dua Lipa’s second studio album, Future Nostalgia. “Am I falling in love with the one that could break my heart?” Dua questions on the song’s chorus. “Break My Heart” is thematically different from the breakup-inspired banger “Don’t Start Now,” and focuses more on anxiety and mistakes instead of confidence. With this song, Dua not only shows she can tackle the numerous sides of being in a relationship, but she also creates an infectious retro sound that has the potential to inspire the pop world. —@ninetyninedreams

“Yo Perreo Sola” (or “I Twerk Alone”) is a disruptive reggaeton song. It empowers women and seeks to break away from the toxic masculinity that women confront when trying to dance at the club. Bad Bunny asserts that a woman doesn’t need anyone to be good, she can do whatever she wants. The music video is a journey in itself. Bunny dresses in drag, something rarely (if ever) seen in reggaeton. The music video also references the feminist movement “#NiUnaMenos (“Not one [woman] less”), which lines up with Bunny showing solidarity with Alexa Negrón Luciano—a Puerto Rican trans woman who was murdered—when he performed on the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Bunny highlighting these issues helped the song become a feminist anthem, so much so that in Latin American protests it has served as a battle cry for many women. Social messages in music are not common for Urbano singers, but Bad Bunny has made them the main part of his message to the world. —Diego Torrejón

Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” was a feel-good anthem for a relentlessly dark year. Megan has scored several Top 40 hits, but this year she proved she’s capable of chart domination by scoring her first No. 1. Already noted for her lyrical prowess, she created her first earworm hook and soundtracked the biggest dance challenge of the year—just as staying at home and making TikToks became a national pastime.

She updated her verses, but the catchy hook was unchanged on the Beyoncé assisted H-Town remix. Beyoncé has flirted with rapping in recent years, but here she drops the verse of the year before letting her vocals loose. “Hips TikTok when I dance/On that Demon Time, she might start a OnlyFans,” raps Beyoncé, dropping some very 2020 references. J. White Did It’s throbbing beat was prime to soundtrack all the parties, BBQs, and club nights that the coronavirus robbed us of this summer, but at least Megan gave us the perfect song to dance to in the mirror all by yourself. —Insanul Ahmed