Though only one of my predictions from last year proved to be true (thank you 6ix9ine’s prosecutors), that doesn’t mean these predictions have any less credibility behind them.
Grimes will have the best album of 2020.
Last year, I called that Elon Musk’s lady would win 2019’s album race. Unfortunately, she only came around to a handful of singles, therefore making me look like a fool. Promising a dip to Claire Boucher’s earlier days, “My Name is Dark” and “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth” juxtapose Art Angels’ electro-pop hybrid. When her fifth LP Miss Anthropocene drops in February, our chips will be on Grimes.
Poppy will be the breakout artist of 2020.
Described by the artist themself as “post-genre,” Poppy’s stage name could be quite misleading. Singles “Concrete” and “BLOODMONEY” play like diary entries of early Avril Lavigne with cliff notes from Pantera thrown in. This is the exact kind of rule-breaking music that’s exploded lately- just look at the twisted take on pop music Billie Eilish introduced to the mainstream. Poppy’s album I Disagree drops today.
Normani’s debut album will follow the story of Carly Rae Jepsen’s E•MO•TION.
The former Fifth Harmony member’s debut single “Motivation” was a stunning achievement in pop- that feeling of listening to something clearly radio-friendly, but even anti-Top 40 purists can fall in love with? It’s a rare emotion last felt with, well, E•MO•TION. Despite being a commercial failure, Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2015 LP became a sacred cult hit for those often put off by stuff atop Billboard. Its varied list of producers gathered the best in the industry to craft nostalgic sounds of ‘80s pop, similar to the path Normani appears to be venturing down with ‘00s R&B. Here’s hoping the latter’s upcoming release will garner more attention than CRJ’s opus.
Van Weezer will be the worst album of 2020.
Just when it seemed like Weezer was finally on the brink of recapturing their ‘90s glory thanks to back-to-back charmers Everything Will Be Alright in the End and White Album, Pacific Daydream and The Black Album relegated them back to cruise ship music. And let’s not talk about that covers LP they did. It’s a shame, too- Rivers Cuomo has been notoriously afraid to take risks as they did on the untamed Pinkerton, and it’s costed them their reputation in the 21st century. Van Weezer won’t be any different.
Migos will break up.
The Atlanta trio’s always been on good terms as a family and a band, but there’s a reason people can only handle a visit to their kinfolk twice a year. Migos will finally call it quits, though it won’t be through an N.W.A.-style meltdown. While they’ve said their solo albums didn’t mean the group was splitting, it’s undeniably a step away from the rat pack they were back in the “Versace” era. And they’d be doing it after the planned Culture III– the possible conclusion of a would-be trilogy.
