For someone who enjoys writing about music, my listening has been pretty disorganized this year.

What I mean by that is, whereas in previous years I tried listening to new releases as they came out, this year I spent very little time actually seeking out new music. I missed a lot of the big releases. And that’s not to make a claim to hipsterdom, just a confession of laziness. To quote one of my favorite memes, I was just in “no thoughts, just vibes” mode a majority of the year when it came to keeping up with new music.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t come across my fair share of new releases this year. At least, I heard enough to compile a couple of lists to share.

Here I’m including a whole Spotify playlist of 50 of my most favorite 2020 songs. You can find the playlist below, but first let me highlight a few standouts:

“Emma’s House” – Black Marble, from I Must Be Living Twice: Black Marble’s cover of the Field Mice classic retains the innocent serenity of the English twee band’s sound but strips it down even further, bringing in Black Marble’s more minimalist electronic approach that nonetheless invites feelings of warmth and coziness.

“Cumbia del Monte Fuji” – Minyo Crusaders and Frente Cumbiero, from Minyo Cumbiero (From Tokyo to Bogota): I love that this song seemed to take on a life of its own. Sure, perhaps that was propelled partly by the notion of Japanese cumbia as novelty, but the Crusaders absolutely show their chops in the grooving, fiery earworm of a track.

“Te Queria” – Lido Pimienta from Miss Colombia: Miss Colombia is undoubtedly one of my favorite albums this year, and while several stellar singles really helped anchor it, this one in particular was a constant on rotation for me. Showcasing Pimienta’s perfect melding of electronic elements with Colombian music and even some jazz influences, the song is infectiously catchy.

“Hasta la Raíz” – Natalia Lafourcade from Un Canto por Mexico, Vol.1: Yes, I know the song itself has long been one of Lafourcade’s most famous for a few years now, but I’m including this particular version here because I think it’s absolutely amazing. Could that be cheating? Maybe. Either way, reworking the song into a folkloric number with mariachi elements really presents it in a gorgeous, more earthy light. Also, subtracting the effects added in production found in the original, Lafourcade’s vocals sound all the more raw and powerful here. I dare say I prefer this version to the original.

“Las inmigratas” – Julián Mayorga and Meridian Brothers from Cuando tengo fiebre veo la cabeza de un leopardo magnífico: Fuck, I don’t know where to start with this one. It’s certainly off-kilter, but totally bewitching in the hypnotic lo-fi cumbia influences married with psychedelic proselytizing-like singing. Totally eerie, but there’s something really interesting going on here.

“Siyabulela” – Asher Gamedze from Dialectic Soul: This has undoubtedly been a year of heightened anxieties. On a personal level, it’s taken a toll. One stressful night this track came up on a playlist I had and, I’ll straight up admit, I shed a few tears. It’s hard to describe — the song almost feels like release or reaching a state of peace following a long struggle. The gentle brass and bass notes cradle angelic vocals and give way to a sax solo that picks things up a bit, but the song never moves beyond the meditative nature. Just absolute bliss.

“Wildfires” – SAULT from Untitled (Black Is): The UK-based R&B outfit has had a banner year with two stellar albums that provided timely commentary on the state of race relations and police brutality. But out of both releases, “Wildfires” was without a doubt the single that I could point to as my overall favorite 2020 track. Hauntingly beautiful vocals boasting lyrics tinged with both pain and defiance, the track feels in many ways an anthem to the tumultuous summer of protests that followed the police murder of George Floyd.