Top 50 Songs of 2020: 30 - 21

  

Top 50 Songs of 2020: 30 - 21

30. Lady Gaga x Ariana Grande - Rain on Me

To be honest, I am not a fan of Lady Gaga or Ariana Grande, and I rarely, if ever, enjoy songs by them. Thus, asking for a collaboration from them to be enjoyable sounded pushing. Still, Rain on Me is an incredible dance track with emotional pathos. It is a go-to sing-in-the-shower track just due to the title, but also a relief in the pandemic. The best part of the song is the call-and-response between Gaga and Ariana. The single also lets the two's vocal capacity let loose, Ariana Grande especially sounds sharp.

29. Snow Man - Dancing Dynamite

Just want to first say, the upcoming Snow Man track Grandeur sounds incredible.

Dancing Dynamite does not reinvent the wheel, but boy is it a solid dance track. It has the strength and the trendiness to be successful but has the energy and melody to make sure it is a keeper. There is hardly a dull moment in the song, if any at all.

28. Itzy - Wannabe

Itzy have built a signature image and sound since their debut. Normally I would love this, but their style is not something I geek out over. Thankfully, I also love it when a song knows what it wants to be, and Wannabe definitely knows it. Filled to the brim with personally, the song reinvents and revives itself right after the second verse rap and never looks back. The vocal performance is charming, and the dance break is bratty, but in the best way possible. The post-chorus is also surprisingly melodic in explaining its emotion.

27. The Mamas - Move

This Melodifestivalen-winning debut was not the best song on the show (do not be impatient, the best song is a few spots below), but was still pretty amazing. The vocal performance and the Soul and Gospel influences drive this track home. Whenever the three members sing together, joy breaks loose.

26. IU - Eight (Prod. & Feat. Suga)

IU somehow has managed to constantly reinvent herself 10 years after her breakout, and remain perhaps music's most popular name in her native South Korea. Her ability to turn a simple pop song into a personal journey through vocal modulating and lyrics is something incredible. Anyway, Eight is a look at the regrets of the past, fears, and even death. The small nods to her late friends Jonghyun and Sulli through the song and MV are touching and tragic. Over its short run time, Eight becomes emotional to the point of tears.

25. Dotter - Bulletproof

Dotter lost Melodifestivalen by one point this year, a surprising disappointment. But whether it won or not, Bulletproof is a massive and incredible single. The backbeat blends pretty well with the strings and piano through the track, while Dotter lets her vocal talent shine. And while we are talking about the track, its performance is always a treat to watch. Let us just hope she gives us something equally stunning next year and wins Melodifestivalen.

24. Stray Kids - Haven

Stray Kids have slowly become one of modern pop's most reliable sources of creativity. I never really enjoyed their two Korean singles this year (God's Menu, Back Door), but Haven is just massive. It brings together Stray Kids-'s core, rebellious concept together with 2000s EDM, and the end result is fantastic. In fact, it may have snuck into the top 20 had it not been for the out-of-place trap segment. The pre-chorus and chorus especially shine.

23. M!LK - Winding Road

As simple of a pop track, one could get this year, perhaps this is where Winding Road's charm resided. Moving forward at a consistent speed, simple does not mean generic, though. The instrumental is packed with strings, guitars, claps (?), and every single instrumental they were able to pick up minus the brass and wind instruments. Meanwhile, the vocal performance is really solid. If you told me Changmin of TVXQ featured in this track, I would believe it, and that is strong praise. I am looking forward to M!LK's future.

22. Dreamcatcher - Scream

Dreamcatcher always had a unique sound and style, but the majority of critics and the K-Pop community turned a blind eye to the group, possibly as their more experimental and creative tracks are b-sides. This all changed with Scream, a thundering reinvention. Almost pirate-like in its aggressiveness, Scream balances the anger and sadness received when celebrities are hated on with surprising skill. The rock opera through the song really is how music is enjoyed, while the sense of storytelling drives the message home.

21. Gfriend - Labyrinth

Gfriend's Labyrinth is a funny song to talk about. It is one of 2020's most acclaimed tracks, praised by nearly the whole K-Pop community. But it is not a single, and only got minimal promotion. It is a b-side that really broke boundaries, and stood as many people's introduction to K-Pop albums as a whole. The frantic electronic and guitar-based production by Frants really assists the heavy high-notes in the second phase of this massive dance track.