{"id":965,"date":"2020-12-22T15:19:05","date_gmt":"2020-12-22T15:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/?post_type=feature&p=965"},"modified":"2021-03-08T14:11:03","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T14:11:03","slug":"album-highlights-of-2020","status":"publish","type":"music-features","link":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/music-features\/album-highlights-of-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Highlights of 2020"},"author":1,"template":"","tags":[],"category_post":[],"acf":{"intro_copy":"From Weird to Wonder, A Year We Won\u2019t Forget","smudge":false,"section_news":[{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

Despite there being much uncertainty surrounding 2020, one thing that we have been able to rely on is a steady output of spectacular new music releases. This is by no means a definitive list, but we\u2019ve handpicked a fine selection of some of our favourite albums from 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy_image","image":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1.jpg","image_orientation":"portrait","copy":"

Halsey – Manic<\/b><\/h2>\n

Electropop star Halsey released her third studio album, <\/span>Manic<\/span><\/i>, on 17th January 2020. The album blends perfectly crafted pop with elements of hip hop, country and alternative rock. Halsey produced much of the album herself while also calling in the likes of Benny Blanco and FINNEAS for additional production duties. The album debuted at number two in the Billboard 200 and Halsey managed to get out on the road for the European leg of her <\/span>Manic World Tour <\/span><\/i>at the start of the year with a stop off at Dublin\u2019s 3Arena on March 10th. The album features the singles <\/span>Without Me<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Graveyard <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>You Should Be Sad<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"rPgaYeq9NvI","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

Justin Bieber – Changes<\/b><\/h2>\n

Justin Bieber returned with <\/span>Changes<\/span><\/i>, his fifth studio album, on the14th February 2020. The album features an impressive list of guest appearances including the likes of Post Malone, Kehlani, Travis Scott and Quavo. <\/span>Changes <\/span><\/i>reached the number one spot in the Billboard 200 and number two in the Irish albums chart. The record features solid R&B numbers with a pop-trap twist and the album has earned Bieber a 2021 Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Vocal Album category. <\/span>Changes <\/span><\/i>features hit singles <\/span>Yummy<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Intentions <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Forever<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"8EJ3zbKTWQ8","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

The 1975 – Notes on a Conditional Form<\/b><\/h2>\n

On the 22nd May 2020, The 1975 released a stunningly ambitious and finely executed fourth studio album. <\/span>Notes on a Conditional Form <\/span><\/i>is a multi genre sprawling record which sees the band dive deep into new territories with superb confidence. The album begins with a lush modern classical piece with spoken word from Greta Thunberg. The opening track is followed up by the post punk number, <\/span>People<\/span><\/i>. This transition sets the tone for the whole album as the record is consistently brave and compelling. The UK outfit dip their toes into the world of electronic music with <\/span>Yeah I Know <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Shiny Collarbone<\/span><\/i> while also presenting more stunning modern classical compositions with songs such as <\/span>Streaming<\/span><\/i>. The indie folk influenced track <\/span>Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America <\/span><\/i>stands equally as strong up against the R&B jam <\/span>Nothing Revealed \/ Everything Denied<\/span><\/i>. <\/span>Notes on a Conditional Form <\/span><\/i>catches The 1975 at perhaps their most daring, and the result is an inspiring and layered piece of work.<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"4fwEG8XK1uU","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

DaBaby – Blame it on Baby<\/b><\/h2>\n

In April 2020, North Carolina rapper DaBaby released his third studio album, <\/span>Blame It on Baby<\/span><\/i>. The record is packed full of stellar hip hop and trap pounding beats with DaBaby\u2019s lightning speed vocal. <\/span>Blame It on Baby <\/span><\/i>features guest appearances from Quavo, Future, Roddy Ricch and Ashanti and the album\u2019s second single <\/span>Rockstar <\/span><\/i>earned DaBaby a number one spot in the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as a Grammy nomination for 2021 Record of the Year.<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"mxFstYSbBmc","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

Sam Smith – Love Goes<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sam Smith released his third studio album, <\/span>Love Goes <\/span><\/i>on the 30th October 2020. Smith\u2019s powerful and emotionally charged vocals shine bright against a mixture of electronic elements and a piano backbone. The album starts with an Imogen Heap-esque vocoder drenched vocal and transitions perfectly into the dance ballad, <\/span>Diamonds. <\/span><\/i>Smith incorporates moments of reflection into the album with the likes of <\/span>For The Lover That I Lost <\/span><\/i>which consists of a stunning piano composition and string arrangement. <\/span>Love Goes <\/span><\/i>hit the number two spot in the UK Albums Chart, number three in the Irish Albums Chart and number five in the US Billboard 200. <\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"8RvAKRoIDqU","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

Ariana Grande – Positions<\/b><\/h2>\n

Continuing her output of infectious R&B dosed pop, Ariana Grande released <\/span>Positions <\/span><\/i>on the 30th October 2020. Featuring singles <\/span>Positions <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>34+45<\/span><\/i>, the album is an example of pop production perfection in 2020. Grande mixes upbeat dance numbers such as <\/span>Motive <\/span><\/i>with Doja Cat alongside more stripped back emotive moments like <\/span>Off the Table <\/span><\/i>with The Weeknd. <\/span>Positions <\/span><\/i>hit the album charts with a bang as it earned a number one in Canada, Ireland, the UK and the US. The Guardian, Billboard, Clash and The New York Times have all listed Grande\u2019s sixth album as one of the best records of 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"B6_iQvaIjXw","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

The Weeknd – After Hours<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Weeknd returned in March 2020 with his fourth studio album titled <\/span>After Hours<\/span><\/i>. The album features a fine selection of dark new wave and synthwave inspired synth lines mixed with The Weeknd\u2019s characteristic R&B vocals. Tracks such as <\/span>Hardest To Love <\/span><\/i>feature a classic drum and bass influence <\/span>Blinding Lights <\/span><\/i>feels like a throwback to some classic 1980s electropop. <\/span>Heartless<\/span><\/i>,<\/span> Blinding Lights, In Your Eyes <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Save Your Tears <\/span><\/i>all featured as singles and <\/span>After Hours <\/span><\/i>enjoyed major worldwide success hitting the top spot in more than 20 countries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"dqRZDebPIGs","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"copy","copy":"

Lady Gaga – Chromatica<\/b><\/h2>\n

When it comes to perfectly crafted dance-pop, few do it better than Gaga! <\/span>Chromatica <\/span><\/i>is packed full of epic theatrical pop with a euro trance influence and features collaborations with Ariana Grande, South Korean group Blackpink and none other but the Rocketman himself, Elton John. Hit single <\/span>Rain on Me <\/span><\/i>provided a much needed power house lift at the start of the summer and the track earned Gaga a number one in the Irish, US and UK singles charts. <\/span>Chromatica <\/span><\/i>broke records too, as Gaga earned herself yet another number one album in the US and managed to achieve six number one albums in the fastest time for a female artist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"video","video_platform":"youtube","video":"AoAm4om0wTs","facebook_video":"","video_caption":""}],"block_type":"image-content","thumbnail_size":"height-3","image_thumbnail":{"ID":1039,"id":1039,"title":"Album Highlights of 2020- Halsey - Umusic - Universal Music Ireland-min (1) (1) (1)","filename":"Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1.jpg","filesize":777403,"url":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/music-features\/album-highlights-of-2020\/album-highlights-of-2020-halsey-umusic-universal-music-ireland-min-1-1-1\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"album-highlights-of-2020-halsey-umusic-universal-music-ireland-min-1-1-1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":965,"date":"2021-02-15 08:24:40","modified":"2021-02-15 08:24:40","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":2560,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":525,"medium_large-height":525,"large":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-1024x1024.jpg","large-width":525,"large-height":525,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-1536x1536.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-2048x2048.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":2048,"twentyseventeen-featured-image":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-2000x1200.jpg","twentyseventeen-featured-image-width":2000,"twentyseventeen-featured-image-height":1200,"twentyseventeen-thumbnail-avatar":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-100x100.jpg","twentyseventeen-thumbnail-avatar-width":100,"twentyseventeen-thumbnail-avatar-height":100}},"display_tag":false,"related":[{"post":{"ID":967,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2020-12-22 15:35:17","post_date_gmt":"2020-12-22 15:35:17","post_content":"","post_title":"Album Highlights of 2020 - Part 2","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"album-highlights-of-2020-part-2","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-03-08 14:11:02","post_modified_gmt":"2021-03-08 14:11:02","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/?post_type=feature&p=967","menu_order":0,"post_type":"music-features","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"post":{"ID":971,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2020-12-23 14:11:02","post_date_gmt":"2020-12-23 14:11:02","post_content":"","post_title":"Irish Releases of 2020","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"irish-releases-of-2020","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-03-08 14:11:02","post_modified_gmt":"2021-03-08 14:11:02","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/?post_type=feature&p=971","menu_order":0,"post_type":"music-features","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"post":{"ID":681,"post_author":"1","post_date":"2020-03-10 09:17:38","post_date_gmt":"2020-03-10 09:17:38","post_content":"","post_title":"Top Irish Artists for 2020","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"top-irish-artists-for-2020","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-03-08 14:11:23","post_modified_gmt":"2021-03-08 14:11:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/?post_type=feature&p=681","menu_order":0,"post_type":"music-features","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}},{"post":{"ID":811,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2020-07-03 10:44:04","post_date_gmt":"2020-07-03 10:44:04","post_content":"","post_title":"5 Acts from Longitude 2020","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"5-acts-from-longitude-2020","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-03-08 14:11:14","post_modified_gmt":"2021-03-08 14:11:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/?post_type=feature&p=811","menu_order":0,"post_type":"music-features","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}}],"tag_color":"","meta_description":"Despite there being much uncertainty in 2020, one thing we have been able to rely on is spectacular new music releases, here are the album highlights of 2020.","social_share_image":{"ID":1039,"id":1039,"title":"Album Highlights of 2020- Halsey - Umusic - Universal Music Ireland-min (1) (1) (1)","filename":"Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1.jpg","filesize":777403,"url":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/music-features\/album-highlights-of-2020\/album-highlights-of-2020-halsey-umusic-universal-music-ireland-min-1-1-1\/","alt":"","author":"1","description":"","caption":"","name":"album-highlights-of-2020-halsey-umusic-universal-music-ireland-min-1-1-1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":965,"date":"2021-02-15 08:24:40","modified":"2021-02-15 08:24:40","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":2560,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-300x300.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-768x768.jpg","medium_large-width":525,"medium_large-height":525,"large":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-1024x1024.jpg","large-width":525,"large-height":525,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-1536x1536.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-2048x2048.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":2048,"twentyseventeen-featured-image":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-2000x1200.jpg","twentyseventeen-featured-image-width":2000,"twentyseventeen-featured-image-height":1200,"twentyseventeen-thumbnail-avatar":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Album-Highlights-of-2020-Halsey-Umusic-Universal-Music-Ireland-min-1-1-1-100x100.jpg","twentyseventeen-thumbnail-avatar-width":100,"twentyseventeen-thumbnail-avatar-height":100}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/music-features\/965"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/music-features"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/music-features"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=965"},{"taxonomy":"category_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umusic.ie\/backend\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_post?post=965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}