The 50 Best Albums Of 2020, Ranked : NPR

The 50 Best Albums Of 2020 Enlarge this image Illustration: Rae Pozdro for NPR Illustration: Rae Pozdro for NPR At certain moments, 2020 felt like a year that might not ever come to an end. From his gusts of ruefulness during "High Horse" — about his father's death preventing a reckoning — to his elegant pining during the orchestrated pop tune "Old Blue Eyes" — for a companion he lost to shared addiction — and his terse but deeply felt desperation during the churning country-blues of "All the Trouble," his range as a personalized storyteller is riveting. —Nate Chinen Rimas Entertainment Bad Bunny YHLQMDLG From the moment Bad Bunny's sophomore album begins, over a synthesized interpolation of bossa nova staple "The Girl From Ipanema," the Puerto Rican superstar leans heavily on past classics to breathe new life into Latin trap. At every turn, she's quotable — not only in richly explanatory turns of phrase, but also in simple statements that stuff massive feelings into blunt, concise moments: "You hold me just like water in your hands." Pimienta's pageant ranges from Toronto, where she has lived for over a decade, to the historic San Basilio de Palenque, home of her beloved Sexteto Tabalá, featured on "Quiero Que Me Salves."