2020 has been a year of strife. The worst pandemic in a century, uprisings against racist institutions, natural disasters, the most divisive presidential election in recent memory… 2020 will long be held up as the new standard for how bad things can get.
As we all look forward toward a (hopefully) better 2021, it’s important to acknowledge that in a year marked by pain and confusion, LGBTQ artists managed to do what our community does best – find success and fulfillment despite the odds. This year, queer artists consistently put out stellar albums that spanned genres, reinvented themes and broke down production norms, often making some of their best and most personal work to date.
Time to say goodbye to this garbage fire of a year the proper way – by bumping Billboard’s picks for the 10 best albums by LGBTQ artists of 2020.
Chika, Industry Games
Chika took the music industry to task with her major-label debut EP, while claiming her crown as “the best of the new school,” the title Diddy reportedly used when introducing her to Jay-Z. Now she’s up for one of the highest honors in the industry — best new artist at the 2021 Grammys. Industry Games fleshes out her identity as a queer Black woman born of Nigerian immigrant parents through inherently political, rapid-fire lyricism while catching hissing snakes in the grass. The synth pings of the titular track and chipmunk vocal samples on “Designer” earn the project’s production its own praise, alongside the gospel backup singers on “Crown.” – HERAN MAMO
Halsey, Manic
Throughout her career, Halsey has always been an artist who wears her heart on her sleeve — but at the outset of 2020, Halsey practically published her diary in the form of Manic, a touching, pulsating album that proved to be a testament to her songwriting power. Whether she’s giving fans insight into her desire to be a mom (“More”), criticizing her self-destructive tendencies (“3am”), or accepting herself for her flaws and her strengths (“929″), Halsey writes as though she’s whispering a long-kept secret into your ear and asking for your discretion. In a year where we’ve all been forced to spend some quality time alone with ourselves, Manic let us know that Halsey was right there in the same boat. — STEPHEN DAW
Joy Oladokun, In Defense of My Own Happiness, Vol. 1
Even with the name “Joy,” singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun found that she was standing in the way of her own well-being. So when it came time to put together her sophomore album, In Defense of My Own Happiness, Vol. 1, the rising star dedicated herself to figuring out why that was the case — and finding some relief. The result was some of Oladokun’s best writing, where the singer examined the relationships, inner turmoil and outsides pressures that blocked her path toward self-care for so long. In a year full of heartache, In Defense of My Own Happiness reminded us that sometimes, it’s okay to ask for a little help. Or, as Oladokun earnestly states, “I need a little mercy.” — S.D.
Kehlani, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t
Kehlani’s all about love, no matter who you have that connection with. That’s the power of the honey-voiced star’s sophomore album, which uncovers what blossoms a relationship (and what destroys it). Through the highs, the toxicity and the heartbreak, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t concludes that it’s better to fall tragically in love than to have nothing at all. It’s best summed up in the “Can You Blame Me” lyric: “I would rather argue than me sleep alone / Rather call you out than no one call my phone / Hold my grudge instead of havin’ none to hold, none to hold.” – RANIA ANIFTOS
Mxmtoon, Dawn & Dusk
Mxmtoon, aka Maia, is one of the more ambitious 20-year-olds out there. In between her 365-day podcast project (which is still in progress!), the singer-songwriter released two separate EPs — Dawn, then Dusk — which eventually became one set. You might say Dawn + Dusk positions Mxmtoon as Gen Z’s Ingrid Michaelson; from the late-summer vibes of “Bon Iver” to the jovial “woohoo, woohoo/I only wanna be with you” chorus of “1,2,” the double EP has something for the lovers and the dreamers alike — all wrapped up in Maia’s special brand of soothing ukulele melodies. — GAB GINSBERG
Orville Peck, Show Pony
The resonant baritone, the ever-present face mask (pre-COVID, even), the sound of a lonely guitar reverberating on an open plain: everything about Orville Peck is romantic and theatrical. And on Show Pony, Peck’s loving recreation of the country & western of years past reaches dusty new mesas, from the widescreen love story of “Summertime” to the braggadocious Shania Twain duet “Legends Never Die” to the gender-swapping “Fancy” cover that closes the set with a harrowing resonance. — JOE LYNCH
Perfume Genius, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Perfume Genius continues his low-key hot streak of LP-length emotional gut punches with Set My Heart on Fire Immediately. Come for the jaunty indie pop of “On the Floor” (which impacted the Triple A Songs chart), stay for the vertiginous crunch of “Describe” and Kate Bush-flavored “Your Body Changes Everything.” A complicated but tender moment, the likes of which few artists are bold enough to explore, comes with the hazy baroque of “Jason,” an almost whispered reflection on a half-remembered hook-up from years ago. – J.L.
Rina Sawayama, Sawayama
The Japan-born, U.K.-bred star prods at her bicultural upbringing with Y2K nostalgic pop, nu-metal, house and every genre under the sun that somehow foresees the world’s doomed future on Sawayama highlight “XS.” But even when songs like “Bad Friend” emphasize how she could’ve been a better one with the chorus’ Vocoder, “Chosen Family” embraces her LGBTQ+ family with open arms. With her eponymous debut, Sawayama tries to find solid footing in a world she has multiple connections to without attempting to fit into its labels. – H.M.
Sam Smith, Love Goes
Sam Smith introduced fans to their Love Goes era as early as January 2019 with the snappy Normani collaboration “Dancing With a Stranger,” and the 17-song pop album kept giving through its release in October. The album’s joint efforts with Demi Lovato, Burna Boy, Labrinth and Calvin Harris make it one of Smith’s most radio-ready collections of both the club hits and signature ballads fans have come to expect from the ever-evolving singer. Smith also stands firmly on their own with singles “Diamonds” and “How Do You Sleep?,” both of which showcase a person fighting for themselves as a toxic relationship crumbles around them. – TAYLOR MIMS
Shamir, Shamir
Whether Shamir ever captures the pop stardom he seemed headed toward with 2015’s sensational Ratchet — whether that’s something he decides he definitely even wants — it’s undeniable that he’s grown into one of the country’s finest singer-songwriters. His 2020 self-titled set sees him perfectly capturing the feeling of having one’s own brain as a nemesis (“Paranoia”), of finding strength in solitude (“On My Own”), even of begrudgingly accepting a casually toxic relationship (“Pretty When I’m Sad”) with veteran precision, clarity and preternatural tunefulness. He can do indie, he can do country, he can do songs you’ve never quite heard before. The pop world will still be there if and when he’s ready. – ANDREW UNTERBERGER