REYCISM: Hunty Bear's 2020 Year-End

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

2 minutes ago, Andres said:

not on mine but I still really enjoyed it! surprised the opener isn't suggested since it might be my fave overall(?)

wendy williams yup yup yup.mp4

it's a good opener! it feels more like an opener than something that's actually replayable for me if that makes sense  Sneak is absolutely my fave though! and also as you should, I know you're a Kelly stan lmao

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

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Amidst the mainstream disco revival of 2020, Róisín Murphy’s disorienting disco odyssey Róisín Machine stood as an experimental beacon in a sea of straightforward club fodder. In her many years as a cult pop icon, Róisín Murphy has never shied away from the weirder side of dance, and Róisín Machine perfectly embodies that affinity, creating something that melds deconstructed club sensibilities with the psychedelia of experimental house. This album has this incredible momentum that never yields, either building on slow-burners like the tense “Kingdom of Ends” or diffusing on euphoric bouts of release through songs like the warbling “Shellfish Mademoiselle.” Across this album’s hourlong runtime, the energy never lets up, making for an unforgettable and endlessly intriguing listen from one of pop music’s most beguiling voices.  

 "Incapable", "Shellfish Mademoiselle", "Murphy's Law", "Narcissus"

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

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Amaarae’s debut record, THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW, is hands-down one of the most unique listening experiences I’ve had all year, a colorful and eccentric collage of influences that never fails to surprise. Under the self-coined "afrofusion" niche, Amaarae effortlessly fuses elements of afropop, R&B, hip hop, punk, and rap under the gloss of her signature chameleonic and shapeshifting style. THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW is weightless, sexy, and innovative, grounded by Amaarae’s indelible charisma and buoyed by her distinctive voice, which animates the otherwise gritty and industrial “FANCY” with an unmistakable levity.  This album conjures up a sort of impressionistic atmosphere that is quite unique and worldbuilding in a way that I haven't seen many replicate this year, and I’m excited to see how she continues to innovate as she expands her style.

 "FANCY", "HELLZ ANGEL", "FANTASY", "TRUST FUND BABY"

[Liam 16,191]

I did not enjoy KiCk i the way I enjoyed Mutant or self titled tbh! Roisin, Jessie, Lianne, Haim all fine choices 

[Teenage Wet Dream 2,909]

Roison Machine is incredible!! Agree with your write up. 

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

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After her trailblazing and innovative debut record Isolation, Reycism™-certified messiah Kali Uchis had the world in her hands and the gays wrapped around her finger. Instead of idly regurgitating the magic of her incredible debut, Kali went the path least expected: crafting and releasing Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) ∞, a glamorous and artful follow-up sung entirely in Spanish and supported by a collaborative cast of exclusively Latinx talent. Cushioned by immaculate, ethereal production, Kali sounds more in her element than she ever did before, reorienting her signature languid R&B style and sailing toward new horizons. The music here is sultry, cinematic and dreamy, encapsulating the crossover appeal of the music that originally put her on the map and embellishing it with more personal touches of bolero and reggaeton. The result is something just as genre-defiant and eclectic as anything she’d ever released and a vibrant mosaic of some of the best music she’s ever made. If fans aren’t willing to overcome the language barrier, then they’re missing out on one of the best albums of the year.

 "¡aquí yo mando!", "//aguardiente y limón %ᵕ‿‿ᵕ%", "vaya con dios", "telepatía", "quiero sentirme bien"

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

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I've spent most of 2020 getting acquainted with Rico Nasty’s back catalogue in hopes that her debut record, Nightmare Vacation, would be just as invigorating and exciting. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed. Though her signature angsty style lies at the narrow junction between punk and rap, Nightmare Vacation treads new waters while still presenting a satisfying and innovative montage of her ubiquitous “sugar trap” style. In fact, Rico herself said that this album is “sugar trap on steroids” and it really is exactly that, repurposing her trademark maximalism on futuristic hyperpop anthems “IPHONE” and “OHFR?” Whereas some of her previous albums felt a little repetitive and samey, Nightmare Vacation stands as her most versatile and diverse album yet. Some call it grating, some call it tonal whiplash — I think it’s one of the coolest albums of the year and a fittingly volatile closer to a nightmare of a year. 

 "IPHONE", "Girl Scouts", "STFU", "Back & Forth", "Own It"

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

anyways finished with my top 20 albums! I still have my honorable mentions and EP of the year but lemme work on that in a bit and then I'll be done  

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

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Short and sweet, the debut EP from Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner and Crying’s Ryan Galloway — under the collaborative moniker BUMPER — is nothing short of fun and easy-going pop bliss. Recorded and assembled entirely remotely due to lockdown guidelines, Pop Songs 2020 is a socially-distanced escape from the miserable reality of our current existence. Through coded lyrics on self-isolation and quarantine on songs like the melancholic standout “Black Light” and the gauzy “Ballad 0”, this 4-track EP reflects the uneasiness of the time that we’re in while standing as proof that upbeat pop is perhaps the most effective therapy that we have at our fingertips.

Also shoutout to Kali Uchis’ To Feel Alive, Nilüfer Yanya’s Feeling Lucky?, Little Simz’s Drop 6 and Shygirl’s ALIAS!

 "Black Light", "You Can Get It"

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

 

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With refreshing new wave and 80’s influences melding with his signature brooding style, After Hours is the closest thing we’ve gotten to a musical reinvention from Abel in years — and probably his best since the Trilogy era.

 "Too Late", "Blinding Lights", "Scared to Live", "In Your Eyes"

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Laura Marling’s Song for Our Daughter is a no-frills portfolio of watertight folk bliss. Though lacking in experimentation and melodic diversity, this album more than makes up for it with its potent songwriting and all-killer no-filler quality.

 "Held Down", "Alexandra", "For You", "Strange Girl"

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This behemoth of a record from Moses Sumney is something that I’m still digesting, even in spite of its staggered release. Astonishingly beautiful and elegant, græ is a masterwork of all things technically musically infallible (even though it hasn’t quite cohered for me just yet). I’m gonna continue to try though because this album is so dynamic and intricate and also because Moses Sumney is sexy as fuck so like...it’ll be worth it.

 "In Bloom", Cut Me", "Me In 20 Years", "Polly", "Virile"

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Self-written, self-produced, and self-made, musical duo Chloe x Halle are a one-stop shop. Ungodly Hour is a sleek and watertight R&B sucker-punch, offering hit after hit across its fleeting runtime. Even though the quality tapers off in the second half, the album still stands as one of the most replayable albums 2020 has to offer.

 "Ungodly Hour", "Do It", "Busy Boy", "Lonely"

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The sophomore record from impressionistic ensemble Thanya Iyer is an ambitious and creative melange of a plethora of styles, set to some of the most imaginative and kaleidoscopic acoustic instrumentation I’ve heard all year. Despite perhaps erring too much on the side of whimsy and indulgence, this album is a gorgeous and serene improvisational meditation on the ephemeral beauty of nature.

 "Please Don't Hold Me Hostage For Who I Am, For Who I Was", "I Forget to Drink Water (Balance)", "I Just Lay Down My Head"

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Duval Timothy's Help is an incredibly vast and ruminative experimental piano record, supplemented by a pantheon of fitting guest collaborators. I’ve only recently gotten into it, but its haunting and resonant nature will definitely soundtrack my next meltdown lmao. He's also hot too so it's a good enough incentive!

 "Slave", "Like", "Groundnut", "Fall Again"

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I genuinely felt obligated to like this album in part because of my shared cultural kinship with Persian singer-songwriter Sevdaliza, especially because I found her debut ISON so dreary and tiresome. Shabrang is a marked improvement — a somber, slow-burning, and folkloric ode to the mythos of her Persian heritage and one of the most intriguing albums of the year. I still need more time with it, but my immediate response is nothing short of awe and admiration.

 "Oh My God", "All Rivers at Once", "Lamp Lady", "Gole Bi Goldoon"

 

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

couldn't choose between some HM so I just listed them all!  otherwise that's a wrap! thanks to anyone who bothered to keep up and I sincerely hope that 2021 is so much fucking better than this year lmao

EDIT: omg forgot Shabrang even though it's my top HM...NOW I'm done lmao

[Guest]

On 12/29/2020 at 2:14 AM, Hunty Bear said:

 "On", "Night", "L.I.N.E.", "Corner of My Sky"

I enjoyed her previous record more tbh 

[Guest]

On 12/30/2020 at 12:32 AM, Hunty Bear said:

 "FANCY", "HELLZ ANGEL", "FANTASY", "TRUST FUND BABY"

FEEL A WAY best song on the album. Unstoppable vibe

On 12/30/2020 at 11:24 PM, Hunty Bear said:

 "¡aquí yo mando!", "//aguardiente y limón %ᵕ‿‿ᵕ%", "vaya con dios", "telepatía", "quiero sentirme bien"

Where is the love for de nadie? Or la luz? Hello?