Written by: Ellie Burr
While 2020 was filled with cancelled concerts and lots of couch sitting, the year was saved by some of our favorite artists! Here are WTB’s top 10 pop albums that helped us get through this long year! 😍
Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa
We have Dua Lipa to thank for helping us all through those brutal early months of quarantine! Her second album, Future Nostalgia, was released a week earlier than she planned in April because it was leaked online. But this hiccup couldn’t stop the explosive success that would follow! 💥 Her album quickly climbed the charts with pop hits like “Don’t Start Now” and “Break My Heart.” 2020 skyrocketed Dua Lipa to super pop stardome, and she ended the year with 6 Grammy nominations! Be sure to watch for Future Nostalgia in the album of the year category of this year’s Grammys! 🏆
Folklore by Taylor Swift
To say Taylor Swift treated us well this year is an understatement! She surprised her fans this year by dropping her eighth album this summer. 🎉 With only a day’s warning, Swift once again captivated the entire music industry! For this album she collaborated with a star-studded production team- famed producer, Jack Antonoff, and The National’s, Aaron Dessner. She even surprised fans with a song, “exile,” featuring popular folk musician Bon Iver. This wonderful surprise was all we could have hoped for this year! Needless to say, Ms. Swift had us all wearing cardigans in the heat of the summer. ☀️
Positions by Ariana Grande
We could not have a best pop album list without Miss Ariana Grande! The Queen of Pop herself also released an album this year. Positions, her third album release over the past two years, gave us songs like “34 +35” and “positions” to blast through our car speakers.🔊 Featuring fellow stars like Doja Cat, The Weeknd, and Ty Dolla $ign, Ariana dominated the pop charts and helped us escape from 2020 for a little bit! 👑
Fine Line by Harry Styles
He’s back!! After two years, Harry Styles released his second solo album, Fine Line, and boy, are we grateful he did! Complete with pearls and tattoo sleeves, Harry reminded us why we have loved him for so long! Songs like “Watermelon Sugar” and “Adore You” delivered us with the ultimate escapism music videos, while “Golden” reminded us to embrace and love ourselves! After all, Harry thinks we’re pretty great! 💘
Kid Krow by Conan Gray
2020 was the start of something new for indie-pop artist Conan Gray! The release of his debut album, Kid Krow, was welcomed with open arms as it debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 chart! At just 21 years old, Conan has become a prominent voice for Gen-Z with songs like “Maniac” and “Heather” giving us a safe space in the midst of the chaos of growing up. 💜
how i'm feeling now by Charli XCX
Quarantine could not knock Charli XCX down! When lockdown began, she took to the studio and wrote and recorded her sixth album, how i’m feeling now, only in a few weeks!😯 The album included hits like “claws” and “forever” which reminded us why we came to love Charli five years ago. Social distancing could not stop her from maintaining her close relationship with her fans! She hosted Zoom calls and other virtual hangouts to give everyone an up close look into her life and album progress!
Rare by Selena Gomez
2020 was a comeback year for another beloved pop giant, Selena Gomez! It’s been five years since we had been blessed with music from Selena, but this year with the release of her third album, Rare, she’s back and better than ever!🙏 She topped the charts with “Lose You to Love Me” and taught us that all we need to get through this year is a little self love! 💞
Manic by Halsey
Halsey started 2020 out with a bang! She released her third album, Manic, this January. Halsey approached this album in a new light compared to her previous music as she digs deeper than ever before. This album will surely have you in your feels but in the best way possible. With album features like Dominic Fike, Alanis Morissette, and SUGA from BTS, Manic is truly one of a kind! 😇
Chromatica by Lady Gaga
2020 proved that Lady Gaga’s best days are certainly not behind her! Following her big Oscar win in 2019, Lady Gaga released her sixth album, Chromatica, in May! In this album, Lady Gaga writes about a world past Earth, and boy do we love it!🚀 This album features two other larger than life pop icons, Ariana Grande and Sir Elton John! This album gives us a taste of the early pop days of Lady Gaga that we love, while she also shows us how much growth she’s experienced behind the scenes. What did we do to deserve her! 💖
Wonder by Shawn Mendes
We can all thank the King of 2020 himself, Shawn Mendes, for wrapping up this year with a nice bow! He released his fourth album, Wonder, at the end of 2020, and we have one thing to say about it... AW! Each song on the album reminds us that our beloved young pop heartthrob is in love! We were in for a treat on this album as he even features fellow pop heartthrob Justin Bieber on the song “Monster.” What a wholesome album! 😍
All of these albums absolutely helped us pull through the crazy year of 2020. With music that helps us express our emotions, artists who encourage us to be ourselves, and fan communities that are always there for us, we have now officially made it to 2021! We can’t wait to see what music is to come! ✨
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