Now that we’ve made it to 2021, I think we can all agree that 2020 wasn’t the best year for anyone. Personally, last year did some serious damage to my mental health, like so many others. But as much as 2020 sucked, it was a pretty amazing year for music. So many of my favorite artists released albums that helped with my anxiety and depression. Here is my list of just a few albums that got me through the dumpster fire that was 2020.
“Walls” – Louis Tomlinson (January 2020)
Hands down, this was my favorite album of 2020. If you would like to see my full rundown on this album click here. Although it came out pre-covid, I listened to it so much during quarantine, and it helped me through a lot during that time. It has the perfect mixture of upbeat tunes and sad, more somber numbers that can get you through your best and worst days. It’s an album that anyone can enjoy, so I recommend it to anyone I come across.
My favorite tracks: “Fearless,” “Defenceless,” “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart”
“Future Nostalgia” – Dua Lipa (March 2020)
This album gives off 70’s Studio 54 realness— it just makes you want to forget everything and get up and dance. The vibes in this album are definitely what I needed going into quarantine. Even though we can’t go out, we can still have our dance parties in our rooms at 3 a.m. The disco groove of these tracks is something that I am ecstatic to see making its comeback into the mainstream music scene.
My favorite tracks: “Hallucinate,” “Love Again,” “Cool”
“SUPERBLOOM” – Ashton Irwin (October 2020)
This album hit me somewhere so personal and emotional that I didn’t even know existed. It deals with harder subject material such as eating disorders and depression. When an artist can be so raw and open with their lyrics and experiences, it makes their music that much more authentic and relatable. This album helps the listener realize that there are so many other people going through the same things as them. Music has the power to help us heal in ways that other things simply can’t. Overall, this album helped me reflect on the year and has helped me heal, and I hope it can have a positive impact on you as well.
My favorite tracks: “SCAR,” “Have U Found What Ur Looking For?,” “The Sweetness”
“weird!”- YUNGBLUD (December 2020)
The final album on this list closed out 2020 with a bang. With high energy punk-rock tunes, it made me excited for the year ahead. This album expressed that we should be proud of our individuality and our differences, as well as highlighting how our flaws can make us that much more powerful. As someone who has been an outcast most of their life, I found a sort of haven within the lyrics of these songs; they made me feel heard and accepted. This energy is exactly what I needed leaving a terrible year behind and going into a brand new one.
My favorite tracks: “ ice cream man”, “the freak show”, “love song”
So there you have it, the albums that got me through 2020. If you would like to listen to these albums, you can click here to go straight to a Spotify playlist of them all. Here’s to 2021 and another great year of music!