Map of the Soul: 7 – BTS – Feb 21, 2020
This album is important to me, because it’s where my BTS journey began – in real time, in 2020, just shortly after its release. Honestly, I was more than aware of BTS’ presence in the music industry, yet just never took a moment to see what the hype was about. My biggest apprehension was that I thought 7 members was too many people in a group. What a stupid reason, looking back. Not only did Map of the Soul: 7 set the Guinness Record for the best-selling album in Korea, but it debuted at #1 here in the US and was breaking records set by those who came before. At the time, even just the lead single “ON” became the biggest YouTube premiere in the platform’s entire history. So remarkable that I had to just dive in.
Again, language was not a barrier when enjoying this record for the first time, as I very quickly realized the vast breadth of their abilities from a genre perspective. Why was I so shocked to hear songs that sound like what I like? Honestly, I felt super ignorant and had a “what have I been missing?” moment. If you’re unfamiliar, BTS includes both vocalists and rappers (4 and 3, respectively) and I was soooo impressed to hear sounds of R&B, trap, pop, throwback hip-hop, and everything in-between all spread across this album (and all of their work, for that matter). Despite a sold-out cancelled tour to support the record, the members continued to work hard to stay connected to their supporters (ARMY). By continuing to vlog, perform remotely, and communicate through social media – BTS still managed to climb the charts with Map of the Soul:7 and just weeks ago was certified Platinum in the US (the only pop album to do so this year!). Are we surprised though? From RM’s energy on “Intro: Persona” to the whimsical nature of J-Hope’s flow on “Outro: Ego”, from start to finish this record is awesome. No skips.
The cancelled tour also brought the guys to perform two, back to back online concerts, using the full stage show that we’d have seen had it been the real tour. BTS really got me the closest I’ve been to a live show all year, and for that I really appreciate their dedication to making their supporters happy.
Must hear: “Black Swan”, “My Time”, “Interlude: Shadow”, “UGH!”
(*Remember to turn on your English subtitles!)
Chromatica – Lady Gaga – May 29, 2020
Lady Gaga’s 6th studio album Chromatica is truly a special one. Not just because it’s amazing, but because this entire album era’s promotions and filming was done during quarantine. I remember this as one of the first album releases to be pushed back or affected by the virus, and it was when I started to internally panic. I’m like “oh if Gaga is pushing things back, then this is really bad”. I remember being so sad that I couldn’t have a friend over to listen to the album, so we actually drove to an empty parking lot to somewhat enjoy it together, safely. Alas, we did and it was definitely another one of those moments that were extremely unique to 2020.
The creativity queen herself was literally unfazed, she reminded us why she owns the pop scene, and the self-proclaimed “kindness punk” also continued to maintain a presence from a socially and politically conscious point of view.
From the albums opening track “Alice”, the pulsating 90’s club beats really just re-established the urge to dance, and was an instantaneous reminder of missing the dance floor. It dabbles in past and present Gaga, with rhythmic chants to robotic monologues. It’s definitely what we’d expect from Gaga, but with a reworked sense of what her own brand of nostalgia sounds like. From the structure of the album (broken into three acts, separated by dramatic orchestral compositions), to the styling and overall concept – Gaga took huge risks on her return and it paid off.
“Rain on Me” featuring Ariana Grande was a track meant to embrace tough times, and Gaga even called it a “celebration of tears”. Encouraging listeners to dance through the pain, it became one of the biggest hits of the summer, debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts. “Plastic Doll” touches on objectification and being manipulated, masked behind a bubble-gum sweet 80’s bassline, and “911” speaks metaphorically about antipsychotics and “”when your brain and your body feel at war with each other.” The scope of the topics on the record is quite wide, but regardless you will be moving your body to every single song. If you’re already a Gaga fan, then this is just another one for the books, with standout features from Blackpink and Elton John.
Must hear: “Sour Candy”, “1000 Doves”, “Free Woman”
And there you have it – those were my standout moments in music for this disappointing ass past year that we called 2020. I’m definitely still mourning the temporary loss of the live music industry, but I know in time we’ll be back at shows again (just, with anxiety). Anyway I am grateful for a lot, so as I move into the new year I am hopeful that things will be better overall. Thanks for reading and hey – did you hear any good music in 2020 that I should know about? Drop it in the comments below! Happy New Year and stay tuned for more!
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