thehatsmol's "Top 15 Projects of 2020"

thehatsmol's "Top 15 Projects of 2020"

written by thehatsmol
​

We are back, and to kick off my new beginning on LEAKED.IS, I decided why not start the way I did on LEAKTH.IS, articles. It’s been awhile since I’ve made one, so I thought as I start this journey, why not get back into the habit of being productive.

For my first article on this new site], I wanted to start off with a discussion-provoking topic that serves as a little appetizer of what's to come from me, and what better way to do so then talking about a highly debated topic, albums of the year.

Looking back, 2020 was a eventful year for music in the grand scheme of things. Multiple highly-anticipated artists came back this year with a project or a song, meaning there was never a drought of music (which I’d argue majority wasn’t that good, but that is an article for another day). This makes it kinda hard to rank ALL of them, but I tried my best looking through my Apple Music and selecting what I felt I enjoyed the most this year (and yes, I am going by personal enjoyment, not by if an album was objectively better than another in terms of artistry and shit like that).

Just to make it clear, these projects are not ranked in order of best-to-worse (sort of). This is somewhat of a rough placement of where some of the albums would be if I ranked them, so not a “for sure” ranking. If I did flesh it out a bit more, the ranks would most likely be a tad bit different. I'm not going to give myself too many rules with this one, but I tried to stray away from obvious answers (After Hours, EA, WLR, and too be fair I didn't really consider those for the list to begin with).

You may also be wondering why there is fat piece of toast in the middle of the banner, but we'll get to that in a moment.

Without further ado, let’s get on to the list.

Honorable Mention:
@Serana - 1:53AM Vol. 2

The only honorable mention because I felt it necessary to shout out the homie on a great project. While a bit repetitive, 1:53AM Vol. 2 is a flaming ball of rage that I couldn't get enough of. Songs like FREDDY KRUEGER, TBH IM BROKE ASF LOL & SLEEPY HOLLOW are fucking bangers to say the least. Dare I say it, Serana goes 6-for-6 on here. Not everything on here was perfect, for example I did not enjoy the feature performances, but he definitely makes up for that. With a bit more time, I see him blowing up in a similar fashion as TOKYOSREVENGE (but not being a pedo). He's already found a sound, he just needs to diversify his flow a bit more and naturally develop his artistry. I expect to see a lot from Serana in his future releases (Roaddkill with @hiheartz coming soon).​

15. Joji - Nectar [Highlights: Run, Ew, Sanctuary]

Nectar is a difficult one for me to review. On one hand, the singles he released for this project were fantastic and some of his best work (minus Daylight, fuck that song). On the other hand, while the new tracks weren't bad, there were a bit too many of them, they all sounded similar, and some of them just didn't impress me like the singles did. This leaves me split on how I feel about this album. If this project was released by any other artist, I'd probably rank it much higher than it is, but given that it's Joji, someone who I have extremely high expectations for, this album felt painfully average and I was initially left unsatisfied. It has it's very high-high's, but very big lows. His music has always taken a while to truly hit for me, at least a few listens, but even after I did that it just didn't work. Listen to a track like Run and compare that to something like High Hopes and you'll see where I am coming from. I know I'm bagging on this album, but I still don't hate it, hence why it's on the list, but just very low. To wrap it up, I think the best way I can describe this album for me is great, but not the best it could've been. 7.5/10

14. BENEE - Hey u x [Highlights: Supalonely, Plain, Same Effect]
I first discovered BENEE when her song, Supalonely, was trending on TikTok early last year. Me being intrigued by the track, I decided to delve into her discography. I wasn’t pleased with what I heard, so I left it at that. Fast-forward a couple months, I’m looking for something to listen to and find Hey u x in my library since I presaved it. I said “Fuck it, I’m bored let me take a listen”. I left the project nothing short of satisfied. Nearly every track varied in sound and still flowed seamlessly; the funky, groovy sound of Supalonely, the melancholic, folk-driven sound of C U, the hip-hip infused Plain, too many to even count. She also really knows how to keep a topic on a song. Take for example Night Garden, which is supposed to be her describing a situation where she feels as if she is being watched from her garden as she sleeps, with Bakar providing vocals of said stalker. Might I add that the production on this is perfect too. If you are a fan of indie / alternative music, I would highly suggest you take a listen to this project. 7/10

13. Mac Miller - Circles [Highlights: Blue World, Hand Me Downs, Complicated]

For the majority of his career, Mac has delivered amazing projects without fail. Circles is no different. Though he wasn't around for the entire creation of the project, nothing here feels out of place or off. This project feels more authentic and raw if anything. The unfiltered sounding mix of Mac's vocals (even though it's only a tiny detail) really shows a different side to him. There wasn't any except for one feature, which is left unlisted, and that is Baro Sura, a fairly unknown artist who was friends with Mac before his passing. The track in question is the melancholy Hand Me Downs, which is my favorite off the album. Sura does a great job finishing the song, adding a smooth, silky chorus and post-chorus, complementing Mac's pre-chorus and verses very nicely. The production chooses on here are unlike anything we've seen Mac sing / rap over before (this can be seen in tracks like Blue World, where the beat is almost EDM like, and Complicated, a slow, synth-driven ballad. I am very sad that we couldn't get the full Swimming In Circles trilogy as planned, but still very glad we got to see what came next. For presumably being Mac's last project, this felt like a perfect send off. 7.5/10

12. IDK - IDK & FRIENDS 2 [Highlights: 495, END OF DISCUSSION, RILEY]
It never ceases to amaze me how much IDK is slept on. Ever since his IWASVERYBAD project, I could never wrap my head around how this guy has not blown up yet. Yet again, he has me asking the same question. Ever since the initial announcement of this project alongside the release of it's single, 495, I was patiently waiting for it's release, and it did, oh boy did this go crazy. Listening to his music always brings a mixed bag, you could get either really though out personal bars or just straight fucking bangers, and while the former is still absolutely amazing, I am more than happy we received the latter. I cannot stress enough, I am truly baffled at how some of the tracks on here (mostly the ones under highlights) did not reach a wider audience. I'm probably going to say this for a lot of the other albums I list off here, but I truely, wholeheartedly mean it when I say, if you are looking for back-to-back-to-back-to-back hits, look no further than this. 7/10

11. Pop Smoke - Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon [Highlights: Aim For The Moon, For The Night, The Woo]

The first of two instances of Pop Smoke you'll see on this list. I'm going to blatantly say it, this is the best posthumous album released for an artist who passed away in the last 5 years. I am not talking about the artistry, but the execution of the project as a whole. Given Pop's status at the time of his passing, he was just at the breaking point of stardom but never was able to reach the mainstream ears. This project did that for him. His estate saw the potential he had, got tracks that could be hits, reproduced some, added A-Lists features, tweaked it up, and boom, we got what Pop could've been if he were still here. Before this album, it'd be scarce to even hear him on the radio. But after? He is played all the time with multiple different hits and is on the Billboard Hot 200 competing against the likes of Taylor Swift for the number one album. That is again what makes it the best posthumous album. The songs were fantastic as well. They showed the romantic, vulnerable side of Pop Smoke with tracks like Something Special and Diana, which was a brilliant move on their end in terms of appeal. While some tracks didn't age well, this whole album did wonders for Pop's career, and I hope his estate continues to satisfy. 7/10

10. Lil Yachty - Lil Boat 3 [Highlights: Black Jesus, Wock In Stock, Top Down, first 7 tracks]
The years following the release of Yachty's first highly-acclaimed Lil Boat mixtape have been rough in terms of his projects. After the release of his debut album Teenage Emotions, nearly every one of his projects has been met with discontent and mixed or flat out bad reviews. For being the final installment of his nearly career-long Lil Boat saga, fans had high expectations for this closer and hoped this would break the cycle of ass Yachty projects. For some, it did, and for others, it didn't, but for, I was pleased. In my opinion, this project has no songs below decent. His delivery, which can fall flat at times, mostly remains consistent throughout; His beat selection is absolutely expert level for the most part, he was even able to pull a good jetsonmade beat on Black Jesus; The features on here are killer too. They hold their weight and even carry the song at points (even weedcarrier Draft Day killed that shit). Also, let me just mention that beginning 7 track run is fatal as well. One thing that stood out to me specifically was how Yachty mixed aspects of his greatly missed 2016 sound and mixed it with a more modern sound. Granted, it has its flaws, but compared to his prior albums, this is a major step up. 7/10

9. Juice WRLD - Legends Never Die [Highlights: Blood On My Jeans, Man Of The Year, Life's A Mess]

I know majority of the site have a lot to say about this project, and I'll admit, it's all valid. The voice interludes were kind of ass, they fucked up Man Of The Year post-release, majority of the tracks on here were leaked despite the promise of no leaks. But as someone going into this with a fresh mind, without hearing any leaks, I was extremely satisfied with the end result. If we remove the corny interludes, this project was genuinely solid. Every track on here featured Juice at his very best, minus a couple tracks or so. Songs like Hate the Other Side, Come & Go, and Wishing Well are examples of Juice's ability of making earworm horks. Man of the Year is an unexpected but welcomed switch in genre that made for one of my favorite tracks on the project (that is the pre-EDM version). It's really unfortunate we couldn't see Juice build upon his talents and get better as an artist, but this is a really great showcase of what could've been. 7/10

8. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin' - SAVAGE MODE II [Highlights: Many Men, Mr. Right Now, Rich Nigga Shit]
I'm not even going to stall, this project is perfect. It succeeds in nearly every aspect of music. Metro kills it on production and even though he's been in the game for years, he continues to grow and better with every major release. Same thing goes for 21, with every project he releases, he just continues to improve. Like, compare SAVAGE MODE II to its predecessor and tell me it is not a complete step up in every way. Personally, one of my favorite moments on the project is the outro on the 50 Cent-inspired, Many Men, which if you have base-y speakers or like good car speakers, that shit hits far different than any headphones could incapsulate. Also, the samples on some tracks are godly, 21 & Metro never fail when it got some sample with it. I can't forget to give props to Thug, Drake & Nudy for doing their things on the features as well Morgan Freeman on the interludes, they 100% kill that shit. 8/10

7. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs and the Tree of Clues [Highlights: hand crushed by a mallet (nothankyou Remix), gecgecgec (Remix), hand crushed by a mallet (Remix), ringtone (Remix)]

Put down the pitchforks, let me explain. Yes, I am aware 100 gecs are dumpster juice. But does that stop me from liking their music? Hell no. I was already a big fan of their 2019 effort 1000 gecs, and since this is just a bunch of remixes of tracks found on that project, this was already bound to make the list. Just for a second, let's put aside that their music is just loud distortion and let's take into consideration the actual album. Not only did the project have A-List features (look at remixes for ringtone and hand crushed by a mallet if you don't believe me), but also feature great appearances from the gecs themselves (though very minor). Tree of Clues nearly crosses the line of what makes a remix album a remix album; every track had new production, new features, added verses, and at times just an entirely restructured track. The remix of gecgecgec is the perfect example of the latter, completely flipping a noisy interlude from the original into a trap banger with a little bit of country in it too. Shit, even a track like the nothankyou remix of hand crushed by a mallet holds up well (if you've hear what I'm talking about, you know what I mean). All in all, despite the acquired taste their music may have, I really enjoyed this project and thought it was extremely solid. gecgecgecgecgecgecgecgecgecgecgec. 7/10

6. Logic - No Pressure [Hightlights: DadBod, Amen, 5 Hooks]
When talking about Logic discography, you are going to get a mixed bag. Pre-2016, a lot of people would consider his discography exemplary with zero-to-no misses, but if we take in account his more recent works, you can basically just throw the praise out the window. This is why No Pressure had so much riding on it. Apart from being his “retirement” album, it was one of the last chances for him to sway back fans and deliver a good body of work. After months of leaving it to resonate, (in my opinion) No Pressure delivers and exceeds expectations. Not only does the project show improvement, it shows maturity and growth. Especially in songs like DadBod, which features Logic reflecting on his past work and how his life then (partying, drugs, immature shit) differs very much then his life now (celebrity, father, responsibility). This only scratches the surface. All throughout the project, he delivers impressive lyrical performances, with one of my favorites being the alphabet aerobics that is A2Z, where he spits a 30-bar verse involving every letter of the alphabet (the W one is the best). On the topic of lyrics, I'd like to briefly mention a bar that while simple, is extremely impactful. It is the final line in the second-to-last track of the album and is the final track with Logic vocals, Amen, and is what I think an amazing closer for his career.

"Now it's time to conclude the incredible true story and transformation, salutations."
​

This callback to his sophomore project is minor, but still I feel like it's a great bar given it's context and one of the most memorable. I've talked a lot of about the lyricism but have yet to mention the absolutely amazing production found on this thing. If this list was based off of production alone, it would be number one. Every drum hit, melody, sample, and instrumental feels individually and meticulously placed to perfection. I literally cannot find a favorite since they are all extremely good. Logic seems to have put a major hand in the production of this album too, having credit on 8 of the 15 tracks, with track 13, Heard Em Say, being solely produced by him. I could go on and on and still wouldn't get my point across entirely. No Pressure is an amazing project and most definitely deserves your listen. 7.5-8/10

5. toasty digital - KANYE 2049 [Highlights: FATHER STRETCH MY HANDS, JESUS WALKS, BOUND 2049]

If you were wondering about the fat piece of toast in the banner, here is your answer. I don't want to reveal too much just in case you haven't listened to the project, so I'll keep it somewhat vague. 2049 is a sonical "Where's Waldo?" of Kanye music. When listening to this project, there will almost never be a moment that is repetitive or dull as you'll be always looking for the ways toasty creatively incorporated aspects of different tracks to spin into his own. The 2049 version of FATHER STRETCH MY HANDS is an example of this, masterfully incorporating the stems from Travis Scott's Upper Echelon with a 2 Chainz verse that seems like it was originally part of FSMH. Don't even get me started on the visual design AND the storyline part of the entire thing. Each video follows a story, and while the music relatively has nothing to do with that story, it is still very creative nonetheless. You can genuinely tell that toasty put a lot of thought and work into this project, and that itself is already applaudable. I'm just going to leave it at that, listen for yourself to find out more. You will NOT be disappointed. 7/ 10

4. BKTHERULA - Love Santana [Highlights: Tweakin' Together, A Girl IS a GUN, He Say She Say, Play, all of it TBH]
If I had to describe Love Santana in a couple words, it'd be “short, sweet, and the point”. From the second the in-your-face A Girl IS a GUN begins, all the way to the end of the half-triumphant, half-soothing C4, BK does nothing but provide the listener with back-to-back bangers and zero misses, almost like highlight reel or as I described it in my initial draft for this "a fast-paced, energy-filled rollercoaster that never stops". From an objective perspective, this content in this project is nothing new. Take tracks like ON ME, Revolver, and the aforementioned A Girl IS a GUN, all feature overused aspects of hip-hop (dark piano with trap drums, Pi'erre type beat, 808-heavy beat), but what makes them interesting and enjoyable is the flare and energy BK brings. It's hard to explain if you haven't listened yourself, but if any other artists would to drop this, it would be kind of mid. If you are in need of good music that isn't too hard to get into, this is the project for you. I sense that BK is going to spearhead the upcoming generation of rap, and I suggest you all put it in your bets now before she does. 8/10

3. Pop Smoke - Meet The Woo, Vol. 2 [Highlights: Shake The Room, Get Back, Christopher Walking, again nearly everything]

I'll admit, before I actually listened to his music, I was a Pop Smoke hater. I saw him as someone who merged my two least favorite aspects of hip-hop: UK Drill (which I started to enjoy) and modern New York rap (artist such as Lil Tjay, A Boogie and J.I., which I still cannot stand). One night, I was chilling, saw Meet The Woo, Vol. 2 dropped, and gave it a shot. After my first listen, I didn't enjoy it, I only liked Shake The Room. Skip about a week, his untimely murder is announced, and I choose to give his project another shot out of respect. Now, I don't know what changed second time around, but when I tell you that shit was hitting, that shit was HITTING. Though the project does suffer from the same problem a lot of others did last year (lack of diverse tracks), Pop Smoke makes the formula work. In basically every track, he switches up the flow to create an even catcher drill song than the next. Not to mention everything on here could be blasted at the gym. There isn't really much left to say about this project as it's pretty straight forward, just give it your time. 7.5/10

2. ericdoa - COA [Hightlights: loose ties, likewise, ivy, thanks4thewarning, fuckin' everything a highlight]
I know there's a lot of hyperpop haters on the site but I don't care, this project is fantastic. I am a big fan of eric, but I can admit, most of his projects fucking suck, most likely due to the fact that most of them were releases before he fully developed his sound. COA was the first project of his that stood out and wasn't mid. I think that here, he found a perfect blend of the signature "hyperpop" sound and his R&B-esque vocals. This is most prevalent in Self Sabotage, where we can hear one of eric's best vocal performances mixed with that glitchy, hard-hitting production usually attributed to those in the genre. The final track, plea, strays away from this production though and goes for a more acoustic feel with ambient noises faintly in the back (which felt necessary, the sound can get same-y). A highlight of mine is when he enlists his alter ego Dante Red for the brief interlude, do or die, which if you haven't listened to it already, it slaps. Looking at his most recent snippets, he has already diverted himself from this sound and has basically gone full R&B. Either way, I really enjoyed this project and I am very excited to see what else he has in store. 8.5/10

1. beabadoobee - Fake It Flowers [Highlights: Together, Charlie Brown, First Date, Dye It Red, Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene, just all of it dude]

If you couldn't tell already, I am quite the beabadoobee stan. My profile picture? Bea. My title on LEAKTH.IS? "#1 beabadoobee & Clairo Stan". My phone background? Bea. So you already know, I both have bias towards this project and also am heavily critical of it. After all, Bea is an artist I expect a lot from given her prior work. By looking at it's placement on this list, you can already tell I enjoyed the hell out of this project. Not everything about it is perfect as it still has its flaws, but even then, I fucking loved Fake It Flowers. For being her first album, it is absolute tremendous. Nearly every song on here encapsulates the feel and message it's going for: Yoshimi, Forest, Magdalene is Bea appreciating her boyfriend, Soren, in a young love, "head-over-heels" crush sort of way, Back To Mars is a yearning for better times, Worth It is a sonic interpretation of cheating and being split between lovers. I really have to say, she really outdid herself and I believe this is one of her best alongside Patched Up. My love for her music has only grown since this project, and I hope she continues to improve for years to come. 9.5/10

Those were my favorite projects of last year. What were your favorites? What was I missing? Let me know below.

COMING UP NEXT:
thehatsmol's "2021 XXL Freshman List Predictions"
My somewhat annual tradition where I choose my top picks for who may be the next XXL Freshman.

thehatsmol's "Most Anticipated Projects of 2021"
A look at some of the projects I'm most looking forward to the rest of the year.

+ Too much other shit to list.​

 

okay dis done now

 

Where's sawayama by Rina D:

 

Where's sawayama by Rina D:

I wasn't crazy about it, still a good project.

 

I appreciate you bro

 

whys that picture of bread killing me

 

great little read I really liked it

as someone who is a fan of clairo, would you recommend checking out beadadoobee? i have no clue what type of music she makes im completely unaware of her but seeing you put her first makes me want to consider checking it out

 

Have you listened to Man Alive!

 

whys that picture of bread killing me

check out toasty tho, kanye 2049 is a legit masterpiece





also ray the minute you listen to kenny mason angelic hoodrat you'll have to edit the list, it's hella polished, versatile, and cohesive for a debut

 

beedeedaboodebeaboobidea-

 

Alfredo washes all of these besides Circles

 

check out toasty tho, kanye 2049 is a legit masterpiece





also ray the minute you listen to kenny mason angelic hoodrat you'll have to edit the list, it's hella polished, versatile, and cohesive for a debut

^ angelic hoodrat is nice

 

The fact WUNNA wasn’t on here was a slap in the face , personally think it was one of the better hip hop releases of last year, but I love your opinion of your personal top 15, great job ?

 

fuck yea love to see ericdoa and BENEE love on here

 

Have you listened to Man Alive!

I listened to it, I’ve never been a fan of cruel minus Neptune Estate & Easy Easy. Might take another listen.

 

i really enjoyed fake it flowers as well! recently picked up the vinyl and it's one of my most listened to things atm.

 

why's there a woman, a bread, and ericdoa

 

This is a really cool list because of how diverse it is.
I've heard about some of these projects before but never checked them out. Guess I'll give them a shot now.

Great work on this ?

 

Where iw whole lotta red incel

 

Booo no Future Nostalgia