Ariana Grande-Positions: Grande's return to the trap-infused pop/R&B well she first explored on thank u, next once again proves prosperous for the global megastar. The largely sparse production provides Grande with the perfect canvas to create minimalist material that has a uniquely infectious catchiness that slowly reveals itself upon repeat listens and there's just enough detours from this now well-oiled playbook (the soul-infused "My Hair", frantic, jazzy "Love Language" and Doja Cat-assisted dance pop banger "Motive") to distinguish it from thank u, next. While a bit of a stylistic shakeup on her next effort would definitely be cool, Positions is a strong argument for her to continue to go down this mid-tempo path that has resulted in her delivering a pair of consistent and highly enjoyable records over the past 18 months.
Grade: B+
Standout Tracks: 1.My Hair 2.Positions 3.Motive (feat. Doja Cat)
Bring Me the Horizon-Post Human: Survival Horror: Of course, 2020 ended up being the year where a longtime punching bag of mine released a record that I flat-out loved out of nowhere. Combining a grab bag of metal influences that ranges from the nu/industrial metal of the late 90's/early 2000's to their early days as a -core outfit with the hookwriting skills they picked up during their transition to a electropop/alternative rock band over the past five years, Bring Me the Horizon has put together an energetic, experimental and endlessly fun release that serves as both as a tribute to the bands that inspired them get into heavy music in the first place and the creation of a fresh, unexpected beast. In a year where the collective output from the metal community hasn't been particularly great, this is exactly the jolt of dynamism, unabashed angst and unfiltered chaos that the genre desperately needed to rebound.
Grade: A-
Standout Tracks: 1.Kingslayer (feat. BABYMETAL) 2.Dear Diary 3.Obey (feat. Yungblud)
Miley Cyrus-Plastic Hearts: Despite enjoying no shortage of success and showing a commitment to experimentation that has included some admirably ambitious creative swings (most notably the astoundingly odd 90-minute psychedelic opus Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz), Cyrus' career has been plagued with an inability to find a sound that works for her. That finally changes with seventh LP Plastic Hearts. The emotionally raw brand of 80's-inspired new wave/pop rock she utilizes here is an ideal fit for proudly unapologetic personality, distinctly raspy voice and the subject matter of her very public divorce from Liam Hemsworth that inspired a good chunk of the record. As a long-time admirer of her vocal ability, it was great to see her finally put together an organic-feeling release with some real standout material ("Midnight Sky", "Prisoner", "Gimme What I Want", "Plastic Hearts", "High") that was representative of her underappreciated talent. With some fine tuning in the quality control department(the ballad-heavy final fourth is a huge momentum killer), Cyrus could do some great work if she chooses to explore this style further.
Grade: B
Standout Tracks: 1.Midnight Sky 2.Prisoner (feat. Dua Lipa) 3.Gimme What I Want
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