Opinion: The Albums That Got Me Through 2020

by Hunter McLaughlin

Music is a refuge in times of trouble and during the pandemic it provided many with an outlet to deal with the anxiety brought on by uncertain times. With the welcoming of a new year it is time to look back on the music that got me through 2020.

Number 10: Lil Uzi Vert dropped his highly anticipated album, “Eternal Atake” right around the time the pandemic took hold in the United States. This album was well produced and I loved a lot of the songs. Imagine my surprise when I got to the last track, “P2,” which turned out to be part two of Uzi’s hit song, “Xo Tour Lif3.” 

Number 9: The Weeknd’s album, “After Hours.” It was amazing hearing Abel’s beautiful voice on this album. The tracks “Escape From LA” and “Faith” were favorites. Some of the songs were produced by “Metro Boomin,” which provided a unique twist for the album.

Number 8: Polo G’s “The Goat.” This album was an experience. Throughout the whole album, Polo G talked about his struggles. During the song “21” he paid tribute to the late rapper Juice Wrld, who died in December of 2019. “Wishing for a Hero” hit really hard as well, as he talked about police brutality and other struggles. Polo G also used the album to address his life before fame.

Number 7: Juice Wrld’s” Legends Never Die.” I was one of the many people who were devastated when Juice Wrld died, so it was comforting to hear new music from him. I almost cried when I heard “Wishing Well,” because it seemed to be a foreshadowing of his death.

Number 6:  Big Sean’s “Detroit 2.” The song “Friday Night Cypher” was one of my favorites because it included many native Detroit rappers. The album also featured legendary rapper Eminem.  

Number 5:  The team project from 21 Savage and Metro Boomin ”Savage Mode II.” The album was a sequel to their first collaboration, “Savage Mode.” Metro Boomin’s production was fantastic. My personal favorite songs were “Runnin,” “Mr. Right Now,” (which featured Drake), “Snitches and Rats” and “Many Men” which is 21’s version of 50 Cent’s “Many Men”. 

Number 4:  Eminem’s “Music to be Murdered by Side B.” I enjoyed side A of this album, but Side B was much more entertaining. This album is one of my favorites by Eminem. The production by Dr. Dre was absolutely amazing. Personal favorite songs on this album include “Black Magic,” “GNAT” and “Zeus”. During the song “Zeus” he calls out rapper Snoop Dogg. 

Number 3:  Lecrae’s “Restoration.” Lecrae is an artist whose music has always helped me get through difficult times. On this album, he talks about how God restored him. Almost all of his albums have spiritual meaning. My favorite songs from this album include “Deep End,” “Zombie” and “Drown.”

Number 2: Joyner Lucas’s “Evolution.” His previous album, “ADHD,” came out earlier in 2020 and wasn’t very successful. Lucas bounced back with “Evolution.” The song ”Legend,” felt the most authentic and featured MMG’s Rick Ross.

Number 1:  Kid Cudi’s third installment of the “Man on the Moon” series. Cudi felt like he was taking his audience to another dimension on this album. My personal favorite on the album was “Sad People.” However, the most interesting track on the album was “Show out”, which featured UK rapper Skepta and the late Pop Smoke.

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