(Chau Ahn Nguyen/Staff Illustrator)
As a leap year, 2024 has one extra day for surprises, shenanigans, satisfaction and turmoil. The last leap year, 2020, was surely one for the books. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. President Joe Biden battled for the presidency, the Black Lives Matter movement surged as a result of George Floyd’s murder and the COVID-19 pandemic sent millions into lockdown. Amid the chaos, boredom and uncertainty, silver linings appeared in the form of studio albums. While artists sought solace in their fancy mansions, everyday citizens sought solace in the music. Take a tour of the turbulent year through five standout albums from 2020.
‘folklore’ by Taylor Swift (2020)
Taylor Swift announced her surprise eighth studio album, “folklore,” on July 23, 2020. On the black and white cover, Swift’s almost indiscernible figure stands in a desolate forest. This cover marked a drastic aesthetic shift from her seventh album, “Lover” (2019), on which a radiant Swift floats among a purple-pink sky with blue tips in her hair.
But “folklore” was much more than a stylistic change: It was the beginning of Swift’s global takeover, culminating in her record-shattering The Eras Tour. In transitioning from pop to folk music, Swift surprised her devoted fan base while also reaching out to new listeners. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 despite being a surprise drop, suggesting Swift’s music could speak for itself.
The folk-indie album emerged from the rubble of 2020 like a phoenix rising from the ashes, ushering in a new era of Swift. Gone was the pop princess who targeted her exes with petty bops and less-than-subtle call-outs. In her place stood a wise woman, a Shakespearean-style writer and a serious star. As the bestselling album of 2020, “folklore” defines a moment in time in which honesty, exploration and personal reflection are inevitable, but scary nonetheless. Tracks such as “my tears ricochet,” “seven” and “hoax” are representative of Swift’s ability to transform tragedy into something inexplicably beautiful — a skill of utmost importance throughout 2020.
‘Future Nostalgia’ by Dua Lipa (2020)
With her sophomore album “Future Nostalgia,” Dua Lipa cemented herself as an ascending pop star. By committing to an ’80s disco aesthetic and sound, Lipa presented a cohesive, energetic and ambitious synthetic-pop record. While “Future Nostalgia” remains upbeat through 11 tracks, it does not shy away from presenting emotionally charged lyrics. For example, the closing track “Boys Will Be Boys” chastises society for celebrating toxic masculinity and forcing girls to mature faster than their male counterparts by proclaiming “boys will be boys / But girls will be women.” Lipa invited Stagecoach Epsom Performing Arts Choir to support her on the final chorus, imploring the next generation to join in her activism.
Despite Lipa’s admirable attempts at advocacy, this album’s shining stars are the spunky hits “Don’t Start Now,” “Levitating” and “Pretty Please.” These tracks are simply great pop songs: On top of dance-inducing techno beats, Lipa’s powerful voice delivers addictive hooks about confidence and sensuality. In 2020, a year of uncertainty and isolation, Rolling Stone acknowledged “Future Nostalgia” as “the disco liberation soundtrack we need now.” In 2024, this energy is welcomed just the same.
‘Fetch the Bolt Cutters’ by Fiona Apple (2020)
According to Pitchfork, “no music has ever sounded quite like” this album. “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” is entirely unconventional yet sonically pleasing. On this rock record, Fiona Apple took advantage of nontraditional accompaniments such as dogs barking, screams and labored breathing. The opening track, “I Want You To Love Me,” grapples with the impermanence of life and the conflicting necessity and triviality of human connection, claiming, “I know that time is elastic.”
“Fetch the Bolt Cutters” reads like an SNL monologue, a political manifesto and a little girl’s diary. It is unpredictable, unhinged and unique. The album manages to be simultaneously guarded and vulnerable, intellectual and accessible, cohesive and disjointed. In “For Her,” Apple channels uninhibited female rage with a chorus of war cries and crude lyrics. On the album’s title track, the singer combats her childhood trauma and confronts her past bullies. After listing the insults from the “it girls,” Apple admits, “I listened because I hadn’t found my own voice yet.” But after “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” I am certain she did.
‘Gaslighter’ by The Chicks (2020)
Throughout the beginning of their career, The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, experienced a tumultuous journey of oscillating success and failure within the country music industry. Natalie Maines, who is in The Chicks, expressed her discontent with former U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003, triggering an onslaught of abuse from their fan base. Former listeners burned their records, radio stations removed their songs from rotation and the music group received death threats. The band clapped back with their album “Not Ready to Make Nice” in 2006.
After a 14-year hiatus, the group reemerged with their eighth studio album, “Gaslighter.” The record launched a new era for The Chicks, as they refined their sound and proclaimed their unwavering political stance. On the track “March March,” the country trio comments on growing gun violence in the United States, climate change and reproductive activism. “Everybody’s talkin’, who’s gonna listen?” the group muses. Nevertheless, the album is more than a political statement. It also contains emotionally poignant tracks such as “Sleep at Night” and “Set Me Free” that are reminiscent of the group’s older folk-country ballads like “Travelin’ Soldier” (2002).
‘Plastic Hearts’ by Miley Cyrus (2020)
After starring in the Disney Channel original series “Hannah Montana” (2006) at 13 years old, Miley Cyrus has grown up under public scrutiny. From innocent Disney covergirl to provocative pop star, the eccentric and sometimes controversial phases of Cyrus’ career reflect a complicated journey to solidify her personal and professional identity. Of the star’s many eras, “Plastic Hearts” is a personal favorite.
As a pop-rock album, “Plastic Hearts” is unfiltered and unapologetic. The standout track, “Angels Like You,” presents Cyrus at her best. Her powerhouse vocals drive the song, addressing an ex-lover and lamenting her inability to match their integrity. In “Golden G String,” Cyrus’ passionate voice and candid lyrics are a perfectly painful one-two punch. “Maybe caring for each other’s just too 1969,” she rasps, expressing her frustration with the relentless apathy pervading contemporary society. Despite the plethora of stirring tracks, Cyrus balances these heartbreakers with pop bangers such as “Midnight Sky” and “Prisoner.” This album is dynamic, addictive and honest, leaving no stone unturned. If 2024 has you down, “Plastic Hearts” will pick you right back up.
Catherine Goodman is from Savannah, GA. She is majoring in English and Art History. Outside of the wheel, Goodman is the President of Women’s Club Basketball and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She loves listening to music, attending concerts, reformer pilates and reality TV!
