Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020

 Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020

Alright, for the last list of Season One of Gabingston’s Pop Reviews, it’s time to go over the Best Hit Songs of 2020! When it comes to the music that got big this year, 2020 was decent enough, although there have been better years for music within the past decade (2012 for example). There was a fair deal of variety on the charts, and some of the biggest hits of the year were also among the best of the year. So, with that said, how about we kiss this miserable year goodbye and count down the Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020, starting with the Honorable Mentions!

Honorable Mention: In Your Eyes by The Weeknd (Peak: #16, Year-End: N/A)

I allow myself to include songs that peaked in the Top 40 but didn’t make the Year-End list as Honorable Mentions, and this year’s non-YE Honorable Mention is In Your Eyes by The Weeknd, which could’ve been a legit hit had it not been cannibalized by a song I will be talking about shortly. Sharing its title with a 1986 Peter Gabriel song, The Weeknd’s In Your Eyes is a throwback to that era of music, with a strong synth-driven groove and Abel’s crooning about his unwillingness to let his current relationship die (or at least that’s what I got out of it). The song is capped off with a quintessentially 80s saxophone solo, turning this into a song that I came back to quite a few times throughout the year.

Honorable Mention: Heart On Ice by Rod Wave (Peak: #25, Year-End: #51)

This was a song that crept up on me while listening to the Year-End list, and ended up all the way up here as an Honorable Mention. A Trap-R&B song, Rod Wave reflects upon his troubled past and tries to figure out whether to keep it on the low or be open about it (whether to keep his heart on ice or wear it on his sleeve). The beat is both low-key and gets the point across, and Rod’s mix of singing and rapping is one of the better performances in that lane that I’ve heard in a good while. We’ll see where his career goes, and if he’ll be able to follow it up, but this is a good start.

Honorable Mention: Blinding Lights by The Weeknd (Peak: #1, Year-End: #1)

Boy, isn’t this a predictable pick? Not only was it the biggest hit of the year, but it’s appeared on pretty much everyone’s Best of 2020 lists, and mine is no exception. While Heartless (which was right on the line of being an Honorable Mention itself) may have been the lead single, this quickly overshadowed it, shattering the record for most weeks in the Top 10 (which has been set by Circles just a few months prior), and dominated to the extent that The Weeknd’s other singles (like In Your Eyes) were killed in the crib. An obvious 80s throwback (particularly to Maniac by Michael Sembello and Take On Me by A-ha), Blinding Lights has already secured its spot as a pop classic that will be remembered for decades to come. The reason it isn’t on the list proper is because I’m a bit sick of it (it only left the charts this week, and will likely re-enter at some point, at the very least because The Weeknd is doing the Super Bowl halftime show this year), but boy is this song deserving of its success.

Honorable Mention: Everything I Wanted by Billie Eilish (Peak: #8, Year-End: #18)

The final cut from the list proper, Everything I Wanted is a song I’ve talked about a few times in past Top 20 Rankings, so I’ll keep it short. The instrumentation (produced by her brother Finneas) sets a dreamy, bittersweet atmosphere effortlessly, Billie delivers possibly her best performance behind the mic to date (with the possible exception of When The Party’s Over) and the lyrics about her relationship with her brother and the world at large are exceptionally well-written. While I do think the relentless Billie Eilish praise can get a bit much at times, I think she’s one of the more interesting artists to come out of the past few years, and I’m interested in where her career takes her in the coming decade. Alright, onto the list proper!

#10: Good As Hell by Lizzo (Peak: #3, Year-End: #31)

I stated in my Winter 2020 Top 20 Ranking that this would likely make my Best of 2020 list, and that was indeed the case. Good As Hell was originally released in 2016, but blew up in Late 2019 after the success of Truth Hurts, and boy am I glad that it became a hit, because this is a joy to listen to. The beat, built around piano, snaps and hits of horns and percussion sets the unrelentingly positive, confident mood effortlessly. Lizzo’s performance does much the same, as her combination of rapping on the verses and soulful singing on the bridge and chorus lifts one’s spirits effortlessly. The lyrics do much the same thing, as they’re about treating one’s self to a day off as a relief to the stress of everyday life. While it’s up in the air whether Lizzo can have any more success in the future, this was sure a nice thing to have around, and as the title says, it sure is Good As Hell.

#9: Rain On Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande (Peak: #1, Year-End: #48)

Welcome back, Lady Gaga. For that matter, welcome back Ari. Both Gaga and Ariana have appeared on my best lists in the past (Gaga in 2010 and 2019 and Ariana in 2016), and together they take up the #9 spot on this list with Rain On Me, a House-inspired dance jam that no one could actually go out and dance to, for reasons we all know about. 

Well, in contrast to her previous single Stupid Love (which debuted high and promptly dropped like a rock), Rain On Me was able to not only debut at #1 (one of the dozen songs that did so in this weird, weird year), but stay on the charts long enough to securely make the Year-End list. I’m sure this had something to do with the lyrical content, which despite the song not being specifically about the virus which shall not be named, fit oddly well into the mood of the year. As mentioned in my Summer 2020 Ranking, the lyrics are about persevering through hard times, which 2020 certainly had an abundance of.

“I didn't ask for a free ride

I only asked you to show me a real good time

I never asked for the rainfall

At least I showed up, you showed me nothing at all

It's coming down on me

Water like misery

It's coming down on me

I'm ready, rain on me”

Of course, the other reason this was a hit was down to the performers. Both Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande have not only had a lot of success (although Gaga was at her biggest between 2009 and 2011), but they’re both vocal powerhouses, and having two of the best singers in current pop music collaborate turns out exactly how one would expect it to. While I think both Ari and Gaga have done better, this is still really good, and more than worthy of a spot on this list.

#8: Chasin’ You by Morgan Wallen (Peak: #16, Year-End: #34)

Alright, anyone ready for a stalker anthem? Well, I for one sure am, as while this may indeed be a stalker anthem, it’s the best stalker anthem this side of Every Breath You Take. 

To begin, the instrumental is a nice acoustic Country thing that is very pleasant to listen to. I’ll be the first to say that a lot of modern Country can be a bit overproduced (even some stuff from a certain someone who may or may not be appearing later on in this list), so this is a nice change of pace. A similar thing goes for Morgan Wallen’s singing, which in contrast to some of the raspy oversinging he can do at times, is nice and restrained (although it’s still quite raspy, but that’s just the type of voice he has).

Now, I did mention that this was a stalker anthem, and that’s what I’m gonna talk about here. I first got that it was a stalker anthem after Diamond Axe Studios talked about this very song on his Worst of 2020 list, where he details his problems with the lyrics, and… yeah, I understand. In this song, Morgan sings about this girl he used to know, and how after all these years, he’s still chasing her. 

“Chasing you, like a shot of whiskey

Burning going down, burning going down

Chasing you, like those goodbye tail lights

Heading west to anywhere out of this nowhere town

Chasing that freedom, chasing that feeling that got gone too soon

Chasing that you and me, I only see in my rear view

Hell, I'm laying every night holding someone new

Still chasing you, still chasing you”

Umm, Morgan you just said that you got a new girl, why do you still want your ex?

Anyway, for as… flawed as the lyrics are, I still can’t help but like this wonderful (if also a bit creepy) song. I'm sure that Morgan Wallen will have a long and fruitful career ahead of him, and if he can keep up this level of quality, I for one am interested in seeing where it goes. 

#7: Bluebird by Miranda Lambert (Peak: #26, Year-End: #91)

Fun fact: In both 2010 and 2020, there was a song by Miranda Lambert at #91 on the Year-End list. Not only that, but both of them made my best lists for their respective years, and while Bluebird may not be as high on this year’s best list as The House That Built Me was on my 2010 best list, it’s still more than worthy of a spot in the lower half of the list.

To begin, the instrumentation is superb. A slice of neotraditional leaning Country, the mix is rich with percussion, guitar and even some mandolin, which is always nice to hear. While Miranda Lambert is by no means my favorite Country vocalist, she still gets the job done more than well. However, I’d definitely say that the strongest aspect of this song has to be the lyrical content.

“And if the house just keeps on winning

I got a wildcard up my sleeve

And if love keeps giving me lemons

I'll just mix 'em in my drink

And if the whole wide world stops singing

And all the stars go dark

I'll keep a light on in my soul

Keep a bluebird in my heart”

Yeah, a song about taking bad luck and unfortunate circumstances and figuring out how to turn it into a positive is definitely something I can go for in 2020. Good job, Miranda, hope you can keep this up.

#6: Don’t Start Now/Break My Heart by Dua Lipa (Peak: #2/#13, Year-End: #4/#33)

These two songs are also picks that are quite predictable, especially if you’d read some of my Top 20 Rankings. While I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fan of Dua Lipa, all of the U.S. singles she’s pushed from Future Nostalgia (These two songs, Physical and Levitating) have been bops from one degree to another, and I’m definitely rooting for her to keep this up.

First up, Don’t Start Now, her biggest hit to date and the fourth biggest hit of 2020. I’ve already talked about this song twice on my seasonal rankings, so much of this will be repeating things I’ve already said about this song, so here it goes:

With production that is a blend of 70s Disco, 80s Dance-Pop and 2010s EDM, Don’t Start Now bears many similarities to Gloria Gaynor’s 1979 smash I Will Survive, with Dua rejecting her ex’s advances, saying that’s she’s over him and that he had his shot with her, but blew it. Also, the song is a complete and total blast to listen to, definitely deserving of its success.

That brings me to her other hit this year, Break My Heart. Featuring a bassline that can only be described as T H I C C (and bears similarities to Another One Bites The Dust and Need You Tonight), the song is about Dua Lipa going out and meeting a guy and immediately falling head over heels in love, even though he could break her heart (maybe his name is Taio Cruz). Even though she’d have been better staying at home (this was clearly recorded pre-pandemic), there’s no going back now. While Dua may have broken through a few years ago, I think that these two songs could vault her onto the A-list of Pop Stars, and I for one am up for that.

#5: Die From A Broken Heart by Maddie & Tae (Peak: #22, Year-End: #65)

For the #5 slot on this list, we have country duo Maddie & Tae’s breakout hit Die With A Broken Heart. While they first gained attention in 2014 with Girl In A Country Song, a satire of the then-dominant Bro Country, this is their first real big hit, and I think this is a great introduction.

For one, this is a gorgeous sounding song. Built off of gentle percussion and multilayered guitar, it’s traditional Country at its best. Maddie & Tae’s vocals compliment it perfectly, setting the heartbroken mood very effectively, which will bring me to the lyrics. After being dumped by their respective boyfriends, Maddie & Tae ask their mothers what will happen to them and how they should deal with the breakup?

“How does he sleep at night?

Mama, the nerve of this guy

To leave me so easy

Am I gonna be alright?

I wanna kick myself for falling so hard

Mama, can you die from a broken heart?”

I really don’t have a lot to say about this song, it is pretty straightforward. However, a straightforward song can also be a good song, and that is definitely the case here. We’ll see where time will take Maddie & Tae, and if they’ll be able to replicate this success, but whether or not they score any more big hits, if you’re only gonna have one hit, this is a good one to have.

#4: Does To Me (ft. Eric Church)/Lovin’ On You by Luke Combs (Peak: #20/#23, Year-End: #93/#97)

Raise your hand if you saw this coming. If you’re at all aware of my taste in music, you will know that I am a big fan of Luke Combs, one of Country’s biggest new stars over the past few years, and he continued that hot streak into 2020. Three of his song ended up on the Year-End list, with two of them being present in a tie at #4 on this list.

The first of the two songs is Does To Me, which features Eric Church, whose hit Springsteen was an Honorable Mention on my Best of 2012 list. As typical for a Luke Combs song, the production is Traditional Country with some Rock touches here and there, and as per usual, it sounds fantastic. Also as per usual for a Luke Combs song, the man himself delivers a near-flawless vocal performance, with the perfect mix of grit and sincerity, and while I’m not as big of a fan of Eric Church’s voice as I am of Luke’s, he fits in quite well here. However, the best part of this already fantastic song has got to be the lyrical content, where Luke and Eric sing about the small things and moments in life that they treasure.

“I was a third-string dreamer on a second-place team

But I was hell on wheels with a full head of steam

When coach put me in

And I'm still proud of that hit

 

I was a last resort to go to prom with the queen

Thanks to an ex-boyfriend who broke her heart that week

No, I didn't get lucky

But I still felt like a king

And that might not mean much to you

But it does to me”

“There's a worn-out blade that my Granddaddy gave me

My Mama's first Bible, Daddy's Don Williams vinyl

That first-fish-catching Zebco thirty-three

Well, that might not mean much to you

But it does to me”

With as many songs as we get about luxury and wealth in popular music, it’s nice to hear something a bit more down-to-earth once in a while, and when it comes to humble, down-to-earth Country music, there isn’t much better than this song right here.

For the second of the two songs, we have Lovin’ On You. In this song, Luke goes over some of the things he likes in life, but how none of that compares to how much he loves his woman, who he just recently got married to. 

“Don't get me wrong

I like a bobber on the water

Hookin' 'em and reelin' 'em in

I like a Friday night slow ride

Brooks & Dunn B-side

Hit rewind, spin it again

I like a strong shot of whiskey

The way a Marlboro hits me

Some broken in cowboy boots

 

But I'm in love and lovin' on you

I feel that rush soon as you walk in a room

I can't get enough of you, honey

You're right on the money

I'm a junkie for your midnight moves

I'm in love and lovin' on you”

Of course, the 90s-esque Country instrumentation and Luke’s splendid voice help make this a great song as well. My current Pulse handle describes me as a Luke Combs stan, and I think that’s a fair self-assessment, as I’ve yet to hear anything I dislike from him. Luke Combs, keep doing what you’ve been doing, cause I’m in love with lovin’ on your music.

#3: I Hope You’re Happy Now by Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (Peak: #27, Year-End: #73)

We ain’t done with the Country streak quite yet, as the Bronze Medal goes to I Hope You’re Happy Now, a duet from rising Country star Carly Pearce and established Nashville mainstay Lee Brice. Of the two Country hits in 2020 with “I Hope” in the title, this is the far superior one, and let me explain why.

First, unlike the overblown clusterf**k that is the production on Gabby Barrett’s I Hope, the composition on Carly and Lee’s hit is much more restrained and down to earth, while still conveying the tone of the song effectively. Carly and Lee’s vocals are pretty much perfect for this type of regretful breakup duet, as both of them sound sincerely heartbroken without trying too hard to do so (unlike, say, Lewis Capaldi on Someone You Loved). 

The place where this is most superior to the other I Hope, however, is in the lyrical content. While Gabby’s song is spiteful and embittered, this song, while still a bit salty, is ultimately more mature about it and accepting of the over-ness of the relationship.

“I hope you find, what you were looking for

I hope your heart ain't hurting anymore

And you keep moving on

I figured it out

And you don't hate me somehow

'Cause I hope, you're happy now”

While this wasn’t nearly as big of a hit as the other I Hope from 2020, this is the one that deserved the success, and on this list, I will give it the credit it so rightfully merits. Great job, you two, I’m hoping for more like this in the years to come.

#2: Say So by Doja Cat (Peak: #1, Year-End: #11)

Anyone who read my Spring 2020 Top 20 Ranking would’ve seen this pick coming from a mile away. As soon as I saw that the original instead of the remix was the one that was on the 2020 Year-End Hot 100, I immediately knew that the question wasn’t whether Say So would make the list, but how high it would be, and it turned out to be all the way up at #2. 

While this isn’t my favorite hit of the year, it was definitely the one I listened to the most, and much of that is down to the production. Ignoring the man who produced it, Say So is one of the best-sounding pop songs in years. The smooth, clean Disco groove is effortlessly infectious and catchy, with practically infinite replay value. It’s so easy for me to just get lost in how perfectly mixed this song is. Of course, the performer herself isn’t too shabby either. Doja goes from soft, smooth cooing in the chorus and first verse to energetic, quirky rapping in the second, absolutely nailing both of them. Of course, the lyrics are a bit PG-13, basically just Doja telling a guy who is interested in her that if he wants to boink her, all he has to do is say so. I compared this song to Get Lucky (another Disco throwback I return to with great frequency) in my aforementioned Top 20 Ranking (spoilers for a coming Best of 2013 list, by the way), and yeah, they’re basically two sides of the same sweet, sweet coin. While I can certainly understand why some of you aren’t exactly comfortable listening to this song, I can’t help but feel that beat and ride the boogie, and I will unashamedly name this the second best hit song of 2020. So, what could be the song to have topped this?

Hey, you know how I just went about stanning Luke Combs a few minutes back? Well, I’m not exactly done with that. You see, he had one more hit this year, and while it may have been released at a very bad time and been a big question mark as to whether it’d be on the Year-End list, once I saw that it made it, there wasn’t any other choice for what was going to top my best list. So, to the surprise of no one who knows my general taste in music, here is my pick for the Best Hit Song of 2020…

#1: Even Though I’m Leaving by Luke Combs (Peak: #11, Year-End: #85)

There was no way that this song was going to be denied the top spot. It’s been a part of my life for the past year and a half, and I even included it as an Honorable Mention on last year’s best list just in case it got caught between years, which it thankfully didn’t. So, aside from being the biggest hit from my favorite artist, why is this my #1?

To start, this is an absolutely gorgeous song. As with the other Country songs on the list, this is definitely in the more traditional lane when it comes to modern Country, with a mixture of multiple layers of guitar, organic percussion and even mandolin, all of which comes together beautifully. Of course, that would be nothing if Luke Combs wasn’t a good singer, but fortunately for us, he is not only a good singer, but one of the best vocalists in contemporary Country music, and as with Does To Me and Lovin’ On You, he nails the balance between gritty conviction and sincere feelings. 

With all that said, what put this song all the way up at #1 was without a doubt the lyrical content. As I briefly touched upon last year, this is a song about the relationship between the narrator (in this case Luke) and his father, and how it both changes and stays the same over the passage of time. At the beginning of the song, the narrator is but a small child, afraid of the monsters that lurk in the dark, and wanting his dad to stay by him and protect him. As his dad leaves him to go to bed, he assures the narrator that, while he may be gone physically, he’ll always be with him in his heart.

“Just 'cause I'm leavin'

It don't mean that I won't be right by your side

When you need me

And you can't see me in the middle of the night

Just close your eyes and say a prayer

It's okay, I know you're scared when I'm not here

But I'll always be right there

Even though I'm leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere”

Fast forward a number of years, and the now grown up narrator is going off to fight overseas. While he looks like he’s fully ready to go and lay his life on the line, he’s not quite sure if he wants to be so far from his family, especially with the possibility that he’ll never return home. Right before he leaves, his father repeats much the same message as he did so many years before, that while they may be separated physically, he’ll still be there right by his side in spirit.

This brings us to the third and final verse, and boy is it a way to end the song. By this point, the narrator’s dad is lying on his deathbed, about to pass on from this life onto the next. The narrator pleads for his dad to stay just a little longer, as he has no idea how to keep going on without his father.

“Daddy, I'm afraid, won't you stay a little while?

I never thought I'd see the day I had to say goodbye

Daddy, please don't go, I can't do this on my own

There's no way that I can walk this road alone”

However, right before he is to pass away, his father tells him these final, parting words.

“Well, daddy grabbed my hand and said...

Just 'cause I'm leavin'

It don't mean that I won't be right by your side

When you need me

And you can't see me in the middle of the night

Just close your eyes and say a prayer

It's okay, boy, I ain't scared

I won't be here, but I'll always be right there

Even though I'm leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere

I ain't goin' nowhere”

Come on, you’d have to be dead inside to not have that tug at at least a few heartstrings. The bittersweet, tear-jerking ending to this beautiful song makes it more than worthy, in my humble opinion, of being named The Best Hit Song of 2020, and one of the most powerful, emotionally gripping stories I’ve heard in a long, long time. God bless you, Luke Combs, I wish you a long and prosperous career in the years and decades to come.

 

Well, that’s it for 2020, and also for Season One of Gabingston’s Pop Reviews. I’ll have more content coming in 2021, starting with the Winter 2021 Top 20 Ranking and the Best and Worst Hit Songs of 2011. Happy New Years, everyone, let’s all hope for a fresh start in this new year before us. I’ll see you next time, and have a wonderful day!

Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 2020

 Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 2020

Hello, everyone, and this is the big one, the Top 10 Worst Hit Songs of 2020. Now, I assume all of those currently reading this have been alive in these past twelve months, so we all know what’s happened this year. I’m sure plenty of other reviewers (plus literally everyone else) will rant about how bad this year was, so I’m gonna try to keep that stuff to a minimum. So, taking the real world out of the equation, how was 2020’s pop music? Well, it’s a step up from 2019, which in turn was a step up from the musical wasteland of 2016-18, so we’re headed in the right direction in that regard. This is also the first year that I’ve covered from front to back on this blog, so I’d familiarized myself with a good chunk of the Year-End list beforehand. Overall, the 91 songs that debuted on the Year-End Hot 100 for 2020 got a cumulative score of 281/455, or a 61.7/100, which is actually about the same as it was in 2010 (although in retrospect I underrated some songs from that year). There’s no point in wasting anymore time with this intro, so let’s get right into the Dishonorable Mentions!

Dishonorable Mention: Toosie Slide by Drake (Peak: #1, Year-End: #32)

Drake is really boring, and this is no exception. In fact, despite it being a dance song, it’s one of the most snooze-inducing songs I’ve ever heard. It’d be good for putting kindergarteners to sleep for nap time, but not much else.

Dishonorable Mention: Stuck With U by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber (Peak: #1, Year-End: #80)

Man, this cash grab sure does exist, doesn’t it?

Dishonorable Mention: All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey (Peak: #1, Year-End: #67)

Now, this is not a bad song by any means, but it’s both incredibly overplayed during Christmastime and shouldn’t count for these kinds of Year-End lists. I get why it’s so beloved, but I’m kinda sick of it.

Dishonorable Mention: Falling by Trevor Daniel (Peak: #17, Year-End: #22)

I have heard very few songs with as big of a gap between the tone and the lyrics as this one. The lyrics describe Trevor falling in love, but his voice sounds like he’s wallowing in misery, which is not helped by the beat, which is just as dour and depressing. It could’ve worked if not for that tonal dissonance, but alas, that’s not how it turned out.

Dishonorable Mention: Roxanne by Arizona Zervas (Peak: #4, Year-End: #16)

I’ll be honest: I’m not sure why this ended up here. I mean, the hook is the catchiest I’ve heard in a good long while, and there were many songs that didn’t make the DM’s that are more mediocre, but when I ranked all the 2/5 songs, this was one that ended up in the Dishonorable Mentions. Eh, sometimes things turn out unexpectedly. See you on One-Hit Wonderland in 2032, Arizona Zervas.

Alright, let’s get on to the list itself, starting with #10.

#10: Life Is Good by Future ft. Drake (Peak: #2, Year-End: #7)

To start the list, we have yet another bog standard Trap song from two of the least interesting men in the world, Future and Drake. These two have been pumping out hits left and right for years, and almost none of them have been any better than decent, and yeah, this ain’t any different. Now, Drake’s part of the song is actually okay, with a decent beat and Drake sounding like he actually got a good night’s sleep (which is notable, considering he sounds like he has a hangover about 90% of the time). If I were to rate Drake’s part, I’d probably give it a strong 5 or a light 6 out of 10, it’s actually solid.

Then we get to Future, and… I’m not a fan of the guy. Not only is he the definitive mumble rapper, always sounding like he downed a thousand dollar cup of lean (and you ain’t even know it, spoilers for an eventual Worst of 2013 list), but he’s spawned legions of wannabes that have clogged the Hot 100 for the past half a decade. Needless to say, this is pretty much what I’d expect a Future song to sound like, with a stock Trap beat that I’ve heard a thousand times before and Future’s signature mumbling, with lyrics about sex, drugs and other typical Hip-Hop cliches. I’d bet that it was probably written, composed and recorded in about an hour (give or take a few minutes), it’s that sloppy and generic. It’s so boring, in fact, that I’m gonna go take a nap after I’m done writing this entry. See you guys in the next entry, (yawn) I’m gonna go hit the sack.

#9: WAP by Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion (Peak: #1, Year-End: #24)

Ahh yes, WAP. Wet Ass P-Word. The song that took the world by storm, spawned a crapton of bickering and the one that lands at #9 on this list. Now, I’m sure many of you are wondering why this is making the list (or insulting me for putting it on the list), but I’ve got my reasons.

To begin, let me give out some compliments to the song. For one, I actually kinda like the beat. Sure, it’s just some bass, snaps and a guy repeating the line “there some h0es in this house”, but I could legit listen to it on loop and enjoy it. For the second positive about this song, Megan Thee Stallion’s flow is legit good. While I haven’t really been into any of the songs I’ve heard from her (she’s kinda one note if I’m being honest), I do think she has the potential to make something good in the future.

Now that the positives are out of the way, let me explain why I don’t like this song. First, Cardi B. It should be no secret to any of you that have read some of my previous work that I’m not a particularly big fan of Cardi B. More specifically, she topped my worst lists in both 2017 (with the utterly abysmal Bodak Yellow) and 2019 (as a feature on Taki Taki, although it was #1 mostly because of the ear-splitting drop), and I’ve only heard one song from her that I like (that being her feature on the Finesse remix, spoilers for a future Best of 2018 list). Needless to say, this falls much more into the former category, as Cardi is being her typical self here (not doing an Early 90s Pop-Rap pastiche as she did on Finesse). Her flow is stilted and brash, which while nowhere near as annoying as it is on Bodak Yellow is still not something that I’m a fan of.

Now, for the elephant in the room: the lyrical content. If you’d told me at the beginning of the year that Cardi B would release a song later in the year called “Wet A** P***y”, I would’ve probably gotten a good chuckle and bet some money on it, and I would’ve been correct. This was the part of the song that attracted so much attention, because OH MAN are these lyrics explicit. Now, this might not be THE most explicit song I’ve ever heard (Oochie Wally, Play and Fack are all strong contenders), but it’s definitely up there, and is definitely the dirtiest song to have ever been this big (Play hit the Top 10 in 2005, but most people would’ve heard the edited version, whereas the explicit version of WAP could be streamed for free, even if it couldn’t ever be played on the radio). Needless to say, these lyrics aren’t at all subtle about the subject matter.

“I said, certified freak

Seven days a week

Wet-a** p***y

Make that pull-out game weak, woo

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, you f**king with some wet-a** p***y

Bring a bucket and a mop for this wet-a** p***y

Give me everything you got for this wet-a** p***y”

Now, there are sexually themed songs that I like. For example, Versace On The Floor by Bruno Mars is a sex song, and yet it’s one of my favorite songs of the 2010s. Heck, I enjoyed Jhene Aiko’s P*$$Y Fairy (OTW), albeit not enough to make the upcoming Best of 2020 list, so it’s not about it being a sex song by women (see my Best of 1995 list for more info on that). No, it’s because I have a limit to what I can take in terms of sexual content (although said limits can be pushed if the performance is good enough), and needless to say, WAP more than crosses it. Make fun of me all you want, but I’m standing by my opinion, this ain’t a good song.

#8: Mood Swings by Pop Smoke ft. Lil Tjay (Peak: #17, Year-End: #81)

Oh no, I’ve got to talk about a recently deceased artist on my worst list. Yeah, it’s difficult to talk in a negative light about the work of a dead artist, especially one who died young as Pop Smoke did. No one should die at the age of 20, and I mean no disrespect towards Pop Smoke by putting him on this list. However, I’ve got to be honest with my opinions, and thus I will name Mood Swings the eighth worst hit of the year.

To begin, I’ll talk about the composition. In contrast to the Trap and Drill music that Pop Smoke usually made, this is a smooth R&B song. I’ll admit it’s not badly composed, and could’ve been the base of a pretty solid song.

That, however, brings me to the lyrics, and ooh boy are they an interesting bunch of lyrics. Given the smooth R&B production and the title, one would think that this would be a song about Pop Smoke’s relationship with his girl, and how he’ll comfort her when she’s feeling down, maybe with a bit of adult content thrown in there. However, that was not the case, as not only is there adult content in the song, but it’s ramped up to 11, bringing it to near WAP levels of filthiness. Here’s a good sample of the lyrics:

“Every time I f**k without a rubber

I nutted on the covers

And I kept it undercover

'Cause I don't kiss and tell”

“Every time I f**k, she call me daddy

My lil' mama nasty

I see the p***y through the panties

She taste like candy”

“Start liftin' up your dress, start kissin' on your neck (oh no, no)

Start rubbin' on your butt, start massagin' your breasts

I ain't wanna give you a baby just yet, so I backed out and nutted on your breasts”

Umm… yeah, this is pretty dirty. Now, I’m not as much scandalized or offended as I am bewildered that this was made into a smooth R&B jam rather than a dirty rap track more like the aforementioned WAP or any number of sexually explicit Hip-Hop tracks. Yeah, I’d say that this song is misconceived, and would’ve worked better as either an R&B love song or a dirty Hip-Hop jam, rather than trying to split the difference between the two. R.I.P. Pop Smoke, 1999-2020.

#7: Hot Girl Bummer by Blackbear (Peak: #11, Year-End: #26)

Raise your hand if you saw this one coming. Yeah, this is one of the most loathed hits of 2020, and I’m definitely not deviating from that consensus. Heck, I bet y’all who read my Spring 2020 Top 20 Ranking will be surprised that this is only #7, as I gave it a 0/5 in that ranking and thrashed it pretty hard. Truth be told, I don’t hate this as much as I did back then, but that doesn’t make it any good.

To begin, I’ll reiterate what I said back in the spring: the instrumentation isn’t bad. I like the Rock influences and it sets a dark atmosphere very effectively. However, that’s where the positives about this song end, as the rest of the song is pure douchebaggery. 

Just from the opening line, one immediately knows what they’re in for. Blackbear soulfully croons “f**k you and you and yo0o0o0ou”, following that with an impassioned declaration of how much he hates your friends and how much they hate him in return. He then states that “he’s through” and proceeds to shamelessly cash in on Hot Girl Summer, a big hit in 2019, when this song came out. The verses then detail what a miserable douchebag Blackbear is, how he parties and drinks and wastes his life, capped off by impressively bad lyrics like “They can't fit me in a Trojan” and "Who's all there? I'm pullin' up with an emo chick that's broken". This is not helped by Blackbear’s weak, painfully mediocre voice, which makes him sound even more like an insufferable dick. If you want this type of song done well, go check out Everything About You by Ugly Kid Joe, a Top 10 hit from 1992 with a similar subject matter that manages to actually be funny (it was an Honorable Mention on my Best of 1992 list). I’m sure that Blackbear isn’t a dick in real life (he recently became a father), but I can’t stand his artistic persona, and I hope we don’t give him any more hits.

#6: Suicidal by YNW Melly ft. Juice WRLD (Peak: #20, Year-End: #75)

Oh, here we go again. Yup, I’m putting Juice WRLD on the worst list too, as if putting one tragically deceased man on the worst list wasn’t distasteful enough. Once again, I must reiterate that I mean no disrespect towards Juice by putting him on this list, no one should die as young as he did. However, this is a song that really rubs me the wrong way, and as much as it feels wrong to put it on the worst list, I must be honest and do so.

Now, I mentioned Juice WRLD, but he’s only the featured artist here. YNW Melly is the actual lead here. If you read my Worst of 2019 list, you may recall that I put Murder On My Mind at #8 on that list, as the song became famous after Melly turned himself in for actual murder (although the song came out before that). Now, Melly’s personal life has nothing to do with this making the list, but rather that this is an utterly miserable song.

Emo Rap emerged as a major trend in the latter part of the 2010s, and has thus far stayed strong into the new decade. There have been songs in this lane that I have enjoyed (Goodbyes by Post Malone for example), but needless to say, this ain’t one of them. 

To begin, the production is just dour. I mean, it’s supposed to be, this ain’t California Gurls or anything, but I’m instantly put into a mood of hopelessness and depression whenever I hear the downtuned guitars, miserable trap snares, deep bass and tragic strings. The lyrics don’t help at all, being about how miserable and bitter Melly and Juice are after a breakup, with both of them sounding just as heartbroken.

However, this song is meant to be depressing and miserable, so why am I upset about it? Well, I know I said that I would keep any sort of references to the outside world to a minimum in the intro to this post, but I’m gonna make an exception here. You see, I’ve struggled with mental health on and off since I was about twelve, and since the virus that shall not be named locked us all down back in March, my mental health had been slowly deteriorating, reaching a breaking point around September There’s a reason that my output has declined over the past several months, and that’s because I’ve often lacked the motivation to go on and work on this stuff. Well, whenever I listen to this song, it makes me want to give up and throw in the towel, and that’s the last thing I should do. R.I.P. Juice WRLD, and as for Melly, well, I don’t know what to say.

#5: I Hope by Gabby Barrett ft. Charlie Puth (Peak: #3, Year-End: #12)

As with Hot Girl Bummer, this is a song that a lot of people have trashed on, myself included. Now, some of those reasons are things I frankly don’t care about (and find pretty petty), but there are more than enough criticisms I have about this song for me to put it on the list.

First, this production is awful. It’s about as cheap as 80s Freestyle and as bloated as I am after I eat too much popcorn at the movie theater. The instruments are overblown to the point of being grating, and the same can be said of Gabby’s vocals, and yes, she does sound like a B-rate Carrie Underwood. 

Speaking of Carrie Underwood, how about the lyrical content? As with Carrie’s 2007 smash Before He Cheats, I Hope is a revenge fantasy. Both Carrie and Gabby were ostensibly cheated on by their respective boyfriends, and are looking for them to reap what they’ve sown. However, unlike Carrie who took direct action, Gabby’s fantasy is all in her head. She hopes that her ex-man and his new girlfriend are having the time of their lives, detailing how she hopes this guy’s dreams come true, but finishes it off by wishing for his new girl to cheat on him just as he cheated on Gabby. However, the remix with Charlie “Superman got nothing on me” Puth wrecks that fantasy completely, as the lyrics are basically unaltered, thus making the whole thing completely pointless, and that, my friends, is why this is on the list. The remix took an already bad song with a coherent narrative and completely threw it out of whack, even if it did polish off a few elements of the production. We’ll see what direction Gabby and Charlie take, but boy was this not a good impression for either of them.

#4: My Oh My by Camila Cabello ft. DaBaby (Peak: #12, Year-End: #37)

Now for another pick any of you who read the Spring 2020 ranking saw coming. Yeah, this song hasn’t grown on me one bit over the past eight months, and is still disappointing coming from Camila, who had scored a few legitimately good hits in the past (whether with Fifth Harmony or solo). 

Now, there are a few things I don’t mind about this song, and the first one is the instrumentation. The fusion of vintage, Latin infused elements with contemporary Trap and R&B trends was definitely an interesting choice, even if the gang vocals sound like something DJ Mustard would’ve done in 2014. DaBaby’s performance isn’t bad either, even if it is exactly what I’d expect a DaBaby verse to sound like. Heck, Camila’s verses aren’t even all that bad, so if there is this much about the song that I don’t mind, then why is it all the way up here at #4?

Well, the bad parts of this song are really, REALLY bad. The lyrics are sort of a retread of Havana, with Camila “I’m Vanellope Von Schweetz in real life” Cabello forgoing her parents’ advice to get with this mysterious, seductive dude (presumably DaBaby). That brings me to the reason that this makes the list, and that is Camila’s vocal performance. This is easily the worst I’ve ever heard her sound (yes, worse than nicotine heroine morphine). When she says “I sWeaR oN mY lIfE tHaT i’VE bEen a g0oD gIrL!!! ToNIgHt i d0n’T wAnT t0 bE hEr!” on the chorus, it makes my ears bleed, and it’s even worse when she wails like an injured coyote near the end of the song. As I said in the spring ranking, she sounds like a 12 year old girl rebelling against her parents because they wouldn’t buy her a new phone. This is possibly the worst song Camila has ever been a part of, and I never want to hear it ever again.

#3: Popstar by DJ Khaled ft. Drake (Peak: #3, Year-End: #66)

Hello, Drake, nice to see you again. I suspect that this won’t be the last time I have to put Sir Aubrey Graham on one of my worst lists, which shouldn’t be a surprise, as Drake’s discography has ranged from solid at best to awful at worst, and this falls squarely into the latter category. 

As with songs like Life Is Good, this is pretty much a generic trap beat that could be bought for $20 bucks. It does nothing different from the trap beats that have dominated America’s airwaves for the past five years. Seriously, it’s the 2020s now, this stuff has gotta be on its way out at this late date.

Speaking of stuff that has been around wayyyy too long, why is Drake still this big? He hasn’t done anything remotely interesting in well over half a decade (with the possible exceptions of Sicko Mode and Nice For What), and yet we keep on rewarding him with massive success, and this is no different. Drake sounds half-asleep (as per usual), especially on the “hook”, where he rants about b*tches calling him and cops coming after him. Listen, I know it’s popular to hate on cops now (for reasons I can understand), and complaining about chicks is a staple of popular music, but I’m not about to sympathize with frickin’ Drake, who has more money than any of us wee plebs could ever imagine and likely picks up chicks left and right (including chicks he really shouldn’t pick up). The lyrics on the verses are a bunch of Trap cliches about girls, being famous, money and being a hardcore thug (even though Drake got his start on a Canadian teen drama). DJ Kahled does nothing as per usual, he’s more of a brand than a musician. Overall, this is a song that is completely pathetic and worthless, which is exactly what I’ve come to expect from a man who does not deserve all the success he’s accrued over the past decade plus. See ya next year, Drake, hope you actually do something interesting with your upcoming album.

#2: We Paid by Lil Baby and 42 Dugg (Peak: #10, Year-End: #57)

Welcome back, Lil Baby. I’ve mentioned the worst list I made for last year a few times so far, and I’ll do so again, because Lil Baby was also #2 on that list. Now, I think he has improved as an artist this year, as of his six entries on the 2020 Year-End list, this was the only one that was bad, but oh boy is it ever!

To begin, this beat is pathetically limp and empty. There’s literally nothing here to speak of, just faint piano keys, a few snaps here and there, bass hits and these faint echoing vocals. It’s sleep inducingly boring.

Next, the lyrics. This is probably the least embarrassing part of the song, as they’re pretty generic “started from the bottom, now we’re here” stuff, with some Hip-Hop cliches thrown in to boot. It’s blandly inoffensive, and for this song, that’s good enough.

The worst part of this song, however, are the rappers themselves. Lil Baby sounds like a caricature of a mumble rapper, and ooh boy, it’s time to talk about 42 Dugg. I’m not gonna mince words, this guy sucks ass. Not only is he dang near unintelligible, but his voice is also incredibly nasal, basically if Chingy was big now instead of in the Mid 2000s, but hey, at least Right Thurr had some energy and One Call Away was kinda charming, unlike Dug here. Overall, this song sucks ass, and exemplifies why I once hated Trap music with such a strong passion. However, it is not my #1, so what could that be?

So, one of the earliest lists I made was of the Worst Hit Songs of 2014. In that list, I named Studio by Schoolboy Q the worst hit of the year, for being physically painful to listen to. Now, I’m honestly second guessing myself on that one, but a similar principle applies here. This is the song from this year that I least want to hear ever again, because it is the only song on this Year-End list that physically hurts to listen to. So, what could that be? Folks, I present unto thee The Worst Hit Song of 2020…

#1: Hot by Young Thug ft. Gunna and Travis Scott (Peak: #-, Year-End: #72)

Alas, we have arrived at #1, The Worst Hit of the Year. The hit song from 2020 that I find to be the most intolerable to listen to. I’ll get going right away, starting with the lyrical content.

Okay, the lyrics aren’t bad. It’s just about the success that the three of them have achieved in the music industry and what they’re doing with all of their money and clout. Rapping-wise, Gunna is completely mediocre, Thugger is as hard to understand as ever and Travis Scott is doing exactly what I’d expect Travis Scott to do, ad-libs included (STRAIGHT UP). It’s all rather unremarkable, far from “worst song of the year” material. 

So, it’s time to talk about this song’s elephant in the closet: the production. This is some of the most grating production I’ve ever heard in my entire life. While it isn’t quite Birthday Cake levels of earrape, it’s not too far off. The horns open up the song with a sense of triumph, but that is immediately interrupted by the loud hits of synth and trap percussion that sounds like bullets being fired directly into my ears. It makes my ears squeal in pain, and ladies and gentlemen, THAT is why this song ended up at #1. In a year without anything that was exceptionally terrible when it came to hits, a song that was a rather plain sort of terrible was able to grab the #1 spot. I’ve definitely heard worse, but nothing worse from this year, which is why I will bestow upon Hot by Young Thug ft. Gunna and Travis Scott the dishonor of The Worst Hit Songs of 2020. I’ve got to get back to ranking the whole Year-End list for Pulse’s 2020 Year-End Rankdown, and I should get my Best List out around New Year’s, so I’ll see you then. Have a Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and a Happy New Year, folks, I’ll see you next time!