ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2020

too low!!!

too low!!!!

xp lol

This is one I'd have voted for if I'd been familiar with it prior to the poll. Fell in love on the first play.

(re: Kate NV)

too low, top five material

too low indeed, and i'm glad you guys think so too

if there's a higher rated album than this... I don't need it, I don't want it

I listened to this like....4 times in a row after the track placed in the other rollout. good as hell album

really delightfully smooth, the stretch from "no stress" to "essence" is my favourite

brilliant album this

thank you to the poll runners for a great rollout! see you all next year :)

This is one I'd have voted for if I'd been familiar with it prior to the poll. Fell in love on the first play.

(re: Kate NV)

― Johnny Fever, Friday, February 5, 2021 10:14 AM (eighteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Have you checked out her 2016 album Binasu? It's great. I like it a lot more than this one personally.

https://i.imgur.com/3MuwHYj.jpg
#13: Chloe x Halle - Ungodly Hour - 464 points - 14 votes - 1 Nº1 vote

The Chloe x Halle thread

“This flawless R&B gem comes from the sister duo of Chloe and Halle Bailey, born in Atlanta in the summer of 1998 and the spring of 2000. Ungodly Hour is way past the teen vibe of their debut, The Kids Are Alright — the sisters show off as sophisticated writers, producers, and (most of all) singers.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-2020-1096814/chloe-x-halle-ungodly-hour-2-1097003/

“American sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey began as child actors, before coming under the wing of Beyoncé, who signed them to her Parkwood label ... There’s plenty here to suggest Chloe X Halle have the chops to rival their superstar mentor.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/weeks-best-worst-new-albums-jehnny-beth-liam-gallagher/

Made in Lagos, my number one! we waited three years for it, he made two complete (and completely different) albums for this project that he shelved, the second one at the last minute, and then came up with this smooth, understated, almost banger-free lockdown masterpiece that didn't blow me away at the first listen (I had those three years of built-up expectations to deal with first), but had its hooks in me soon enough. there's ample room for guest artists, none of them perfunctory - there's no trophy features on this one - and he treats them all generously, often offering them the full first minute of the song, knowing damn well that ultimately he's the starboy of the show.

I posted Sun-El Musician's virtual concert last night, but that wasn't live - this is Wizkid doing a brilliant live in-studio livestream performance, featuring both this album's tracks and highlights from his career. the man's been at it for a full decade now, and he's still only getting better and better. Starboy = Classic Man.

sorry Chloe x Halle, you're awesome, but you're no Starboy.

that Wizkid performance is good times

I'll never second guess Brad's predictive powers again, but I remain confused that there are a total of 5 posts on the C x H thread

i think most of the discussion was in the rolling r&b thread, their own thread came much later

I did see the C x H coming as well

it's a good album but i didn't quite vibe with it enough to really love it. there's a weird contrast between the lush vocals and the kinda metallic-sounding production

well, I like Chloe x Halle a lot!

It's not unheard of for me to get really into a mainstream r&b record—I was a super booster of K. Michelle and Jazmine Sullivan a few years ago—and this was another one I couldn't get enough of.

forks is the 78 amaarae the angel you don't know

Ungodly Hour was one of the biggest growers of the year. 13 seems about right.

Still trying to get my head round the Kate NV album. It feels like maybe a bit too much of this sound in one sitting. I really want to love the whole thing as there are some brilliant tracks individually but it loses my interest when I put it in on. I'll definitely persist with it over the next few days. Hopefully I'll have that moment where it all clicks. I can see why people love it.

https://i.imgur.com/KUqx1WU.jpg
#12: Owen Pallett - Island - 531 points - 17 votes - 2 Nº1 votes

owen pallett - island (2020)

https://owenpallett.bandcamp.com/album/island

“What really strikes you upon listening to Island is the cinematic sweep of its overall structure ... Island bears the influence of Pallett’s forays into modern classical and soundtrack composition; this doesn’t feel like a mere collection of separate songs with each containing its own crescendo.”
https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-owen-pallett-island/

“On 'Island', Pallett has succeeded in creating what Eno called “continuous, a surrounding”. This album is an entirely immersive wall of sound that deserves to be listened to time and time again.”
https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/owen-pallett-island

<3

Brad, I already submitted the Amaarae for #78 yesterday, so apparently not. it's not going to place tho, which is SAD, ILM U BROKE MY HEART

Oh thank fuck

lol i thought for sure someone already had, thanks breastcrawl

My #7. First half is great, second half is absolutely not of this earth. Owen's best for me and I hope they've received all the encouragement they need to keep following the path

#78 is eddie, i feel it in my haert

godkiller's aliiiiiiii-iiive!

yay

i listened to island while grocery shopping last week and it was one of the most devastating grocery trips i've ever taken

If you haven't seen them, videos for the alt versions of Paragon Of Order and Fire-Mare are up on Owen's Youtube page and they alongside the ABM video are all the video of the year, easily

the intertwining vocal lines in "fire-mare" was one of my favourite moments in music this year

Oh yes. Glad to see Owen Pallet and Kate NV made it. I need to spend more time with both records myself, but I was rooting for them.

i also put the wizkid record on just as the weather in new york transitioned from rain to sunshine, thank u starboy

Ungodly Hour was one of the biggest growers of the year

otm

Island is one of the most beautiful and devastating albums of the year.

Unless the 1975 are in there, it looks like we could have an all female or female-fronted top ten?

the 1975 are in there

"unless" doing a lot of work there unfortunately

Owen’s my no. 1! and Island has become an all-time top favorite!

is made in lagos the greatest album of all time y/y

<3 Brad

would lol so hard if 1975 are the only dudes in the top 10

Is 78 Caribou?

I don't think Sault really fit the all-female idea

Is 78 Caribou?

― Indexed

We got a winner!

if we're going to have the '75 let's have 'em at 11, shall we?

https://i.imgur.com/6CJmIFs.jpg
#11: Charli XCX - How I'm Feeling Now - 587 points - 18 votes - 1 Nº1 vote

Charli XCX

“Long dismissed as a weird starlet in pop’s ordered constellation, Charli XCX suddenly has the entire world on her wavelength and admirably in this unprecedented chaos she has emerged with her most consistent, rewarding and relatable album. This is undoubtedly next level Charli.”
https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now/

“While it may not be the proper sequel to the ambitious Charli, how i'm feeling now's rawness and immediacy give it an appeal all its own. More than just an interesting social media experiment or a way to fend off quarantine boredom, it's an artistic challenge that's true to the very best parts of XCX's music.”
https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-im-feeling-now-mw0003376062