With 2020 underway, we have selected five exciting games that will be released this year.
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 might just be the most hyped game for 2020. The game will have phenomenal visuals as seen from early footage alongside a great soundtrack from artists such as Grimes, A$AP Rocky and Run the Jewels, to name a few. The game is due to be released on the 16th of April 2020 on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
Half-Life: Alyx
If VR wasn’t exciting enough to buy, then Half-Life: Alyx will change your mind. Described as the “flagship” VR game by Valve, a developer known for Half-life, Portal, and Counter-Strike, will most likely not include a non-VR version. The game will be released in March 2020.
Marvel’s Avengers
If you’re a fan of Marvel and the latest Avengers films, then you’ll love 2020 as it will hold the release of Marvel’s Avengers, a game made for Stadia, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. While it’s not connected to the 2012 film, it will include many of the beloved characters. The game is due to be released on the 15th of May.
Dreams
Media Molecule’s impressive upcoming game Dreams is set to be released on the 14th of February, exclusively on Playstation 4. Unlike traditional games, in Dreams, players will have the ability to create their own games for other plays to play. The most beautiful aspect of this game will likely be its eye-pleasing visuals that will have players hooked.
The Last of Us Part II
Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II has already been selected as the most anticipated game of 2020 by Playstation Blog. The game will be released on the 29th of May 2020 via Playstation 4. Luckily for fans of the predecessor, it will build on its game mechanics, making it even more of a fun experience.
Abandoned Cold War Places by Robert Grenville looks into deserted places left from the Cold War around the world, including the Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona and a remote former nuclear test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan. The book includes 170 exceptional photographs that examine the global superpower rivalry that marked the world for over 40 years.
If you’re a fan of great photography and history, this one will be for you.
In this feature, we are bringing it back to some of our favourite work from the past decade, this time featuring Lines by Sebastian Weiss. In this series, Weiss explores the contemporary architecture in cities of Lisbon, Berlin, Hamburg, Utrecht, and Florence.
David Schermann, a photographer out of Vienna, Austria, presented a superb series of photos discovering Sicilia back in 2018. The series was shot on film with Contax G2 and Portra 400 and CineStill 800t.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Dir. Quentin Tarantino)
Tarantino’s 9th film Once Upon a Time In Hollywood starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie among many other great names follows the story of Rick Dalton, a faded television actor and his stunt double Cliff Booth during the closing years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. Tarantino has managed to capture the mood of 60s Hollywood perfectly and has recaptured the life of Sharron Tate respectably with a twist ending some fans foresaw. Deservedly the film has been nominated for five Golden Globes including Best Director and Best Screenplay, marking another milestone for Tarantino.
Marriage Story (Dir. Noah Baumbach)
Writer-director Noah Baumbach has always been preoccupied in one way or another with dysfunctional relationships. His breakout 2005 hit The Squid and the Whale explored a divorce mostly through the eyes of the teenaged children it affected, while more recently The Meyerowitz Stories presented a bittersweet celebration of what brings broken families together. But Marriage Story, his latest film about a showbiz couple going through a divorce, sees him tightening his focus on the couple itself, to the point where their child almost seems like a prop in their war-like disputes. Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver deliver career-best perfomances, humanizing their characters’ flaws – Johansson strikes a fine balance between deep-seated vulnerability and a newfound sense of empowerment sparked by the possibility of emotional and professional independence, while Driver manages to evoke the devastating pain behind the character’s typical passive aggressiveness. The plot of Marriage Story might seem familiar, but it’s rendered with intense realism and unusual sensitivity, resulting in a heartbreaking film that will be remembered not just as one of Baumbach’s best, but also among the best of its kind.
Credit: Netflix
Parasite (Dir. Bong Joon-ho)
Parasite, the unanimous winner of this year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes by Bong Joon-ho’s, is a black comedy thriller follows a poor, unemployed family who purposefully scams their way into working for a much wealthier family. Everything is going fabulous for the family until an unexpected incident occurs…
Parasite is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and mesmerising films this year. With Bong Joon-ho’s brilliant direction, charming ensemble cast and excellently executed story, this film will leave you speechless.
The Irishman (Dir. Martin Scorsese)
Scorsese has a rather good track record with gangster and crime films, not shying away from the bloodshed, grittiness and style of living a life of the mob. His previous films of Mean Streets, Casino and Goodfellas established Scorsese as someone with an iconic vision and one of the top directors of all time.
With his new epic, The Irishman, Scorsese has taken a step back and shown us how being a gangster isn’t always with glamorous lifestyle we usually see but instead the separation from family life, the downfall of friendships, the betrayal involved, the inability to escape from old age and the politics and morality of life. Led by the powerhouse trio of Di Niro, Pacino and Pesci alongside an outstanding all-star ensemble and with striking cinematography and direction, the film is simply one of Scorsese’s best.
Jojo Rabbit (Dir. Taika Waititi)
Griffith Davis’ tremendous performance and the script’s supreme ability at mockery makes Jojo Rabbit a delightful fun (notwithstanding the film’s repugnant context) and if you’re a fan of German shepherd jokes and an imaginary, daft Adolf Hitler who may (worryingly) literally appear from anywhere then this is certainly the film for you. Jojo Rabbit is a must-watch for fans of Taika Waititi.
Little Women (Dir. Greta Gerwig)
Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age period drama is a lovely adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel Little Women which that takes on a fresh approach. Gerwig’s ability to direct a brilliant cast with a splendid script makes us wonder if Gerwig will be an Oscar winner this year with such a well done film. Moreover, credit must be given to Yorick Le Saux’s camera work which paints the themes and situations exceedingly well to the audience and stands this film out as the dark horse of the year.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Dir. Marielle Heller)
In our review of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, film critic Jake Helm wrote: “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood could’ve easily fallen into the trap of being a saccharine, cliché-filled biopic filled with cheap sentiment and a conventional portrayal of a national “hero” (even if he refused to admit it). But Marielle Heller’s uniquely, creative voice combined with an award-worthy performance by Hanks results in a wholesome film that defies tradition and provides an idiosyncratic and pure-hearted tribute to Fred Rogers. It reminds us to love thy neighbour and it’s beautiful.”
John Wick: Chapter 3 (Dir. Chad Stahelski)
Chad Stahelski once again gives us another gorgeously choreographed film in the John Wick series. From the clever camera work to the thrilling action, this third instalment starring the beloved Keanu Reeves will have you hooked from the get-go. Like the previous two films, Chapter 3 delivers on terrific composition, staging and movement; in fact, it takes up a notch and builds on the force of the franchise that the first two delivered. No matter if you’re a fan of action films or not, give this a watch – you won’t be disappointed.
Dolemite Is My Name (Dir. Craig Brewer)
Eddie Murphy has been out of the spotlight for quite a while now but has come back with a storm. Murphy plays Rudy Ray Moore, who is best known for his alter ego Dolemite, a stand-up comedian who goes onto making blaxploitation films. The film does not shy away from crude humour and works incredibly well alongside Murphy’s outstanding performance. The film is fun, bold, unafraid and gives a wonderful insight into Rudy Ray Moore, a unique individual who the audience sees struggling to create something of himself.
Avengers: Endgame (Dir. Anthony Russo, Joe Russo)
Eleven years and 21 films later we get the conclusion to the Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame. A year on from its predecessor, Infinity War, we find our heroes defeated with little left to fight for. However, the surviving members encounter a slim opportunity of a chance to redeem the fallen heroes and bring back the life loss since the end of Infinity War.
This astonishing blockbuster conclusion contains all the emotion, humour and action that our favourite MCU films have; the action sequences are continuously exciting, with superb emotional impacts alongside not just an ending to a sequel but an end to one of the greatest sagas in cinema history. The Avengers and the MCU as a whole have entirely taken over audiences and cinemas with their consistent spectacle, rarely slipping up and always knowing what the audience want and need. With Endgame, Disney and Kevin Feige have successfully concluded a decade long story.
Eighth Grade (Dir. Bo Burnham)
Having already established himself as one of the most original comedians of his generation, Bo Burnham extended his unique blend of biting, awkward humour and heartfelt honesty as showcased on his stand-up show Make Happy to his feature-length directorial debut, Eighth Grade (released in late 2018 in the US, but mid-2019 in the UK.) The film stands out for its strikingly compassionate and sensitive portrayal not just of young adulthood, but also of the effects – both positive and negative – of social media on Gen Z. Burnham, who humbly started his career making videos on YouTube himself, writes not from a place judgment but of empathy. The film features an unprecedently real portrayal of vlogging as an avenue for emotional expression, showing just how integral it is for the main character’s social and psychological development. Breakout star Elsie Fisher delivers an incredibly authentic and affecting performance as Kayla, capturing the anxieties and hopes plaguing modern adolescence in all its embarrassing glory. It might be one of the most modest and subtle films of the year, but that’s exactly what makes it so special.
Le Mans ’66 / Ford v Ferrari (Dir. James Mangold)
Le Mans ‘66 was one of this year’s most exhilarating rides. You may have seen it under the somewhat obvious U.S. release title of Ford V. Ferrari. Thankfully, that simply became the tag line in the U.K. Irrespective of whichever title you saw it under, Le Mans ‘66 balances breathtaking race sequences with genuine heart and great performances from Christian Bale and Matt Damon. For production design alone, this film is a must for fans of 60s Americana.
Toy Story 4 (Dir. Josh Cooley)
Nine years after the release of Toy Story 3, Josh Cooley’s Toy Story 4 follows Woody and the rest of the beloved toys which go on an adventurous road trip with Bonnie’s new toy, Forky. This road trip leads Woody to an unexpected run-in with long lost friend Bo Peep who shows him how big the world can be for the toys.
While Toy Story 3 has one of the best conclusions to a film franchise, Toy Story 4 manages to pull off new perspectives we haven’t seen from previous films. It concludes this franchise with an emotional send-off to these beloved characters we have come to know.
Booksmart (Dir. Olivia Wilde)
Name a more iconic duo than Molly and Amy in Booksmart. I’ll wait. But seriously – there might have been many teen buddy movies, but Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is without a doubt the best comedy of its kind since Superbad, and one of the best comedies in recent memory, period. Despite its familiar formula, what sets it apart from other coming-of-age movies is that it celebrates sisterhood and understands the complexities of female friendship with both heartfelt sensitivity and life-affirming joy. Katie Silberman’s brilliant script is wonderfully brought to life by actresses Beanie Feldstein (who levels up from her similar supporting role in 2017’s Lady Bird) and Kaitlyn Dever, whose chemistry here is as palpable as it is magnetic as they go from party to party in an effort to make up for all the time they spent studying while their peers were having fun.
A relentless energy runs through the film, thanks to its witty dialogue, punchy jokes, and pitch-perfect pacing that imitates the unbridled rush of young adulthood. Except it makes you want to revisit it again and again. It’s refreshingly modern, it’s funny, and yes – it’s smart.
The House of Us (Dir. Ga-eun Yoon)
Ga-eun Yoon’s The House of Us focuses on a young girl named Hana, who during her summer holidays is trying her best to get her family back together after fights start breaking out between her parents. During this, Hana finds that she is not the only one with trouble at home, as she meets two sisters that are in danger of moving houses having just moved to their new surroundings. Ga-eun Yoon’s latest piece deservedly enters our list as it manages to discuss familial and childhood themes splendidly and is a fresh breath of air in the current film climate.
Midsommar (Dir. Ari Aster)
Midsommar, the second horror feature from Ari Aster, was a weird and uncomfortable take on The Wicker Man’s cult yarn. Brimming with thoughtful and striking visuals, the film maintains a grip on your nerves and very rarely lets go. Never mind the grotesque doings of the film’s cult, the real horror here lies in the character relationships – they’re frighteningly real and realistically frightening for what they discuss.
The Lighthouse (Dir. Robert Eggers)
Following his critically acclaimed horror The Witch (2015), Robert Eggers’s The Lighthouse follows Winslow (Robert Pattinson) and Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), two lighthouse keeper try to keep their sanity together on a remote New England island.
In a review, Eric Sin Long Ng wrote: “The Lighthouse delivers a truly unique horror experience. The captivating performances from Pattinson and Dafoe never fail to fascinate and amaze. With such strong entries in the pantheon of horror in recent years, this film firmly secures itself as one of the best in recent memory. Robert Eggers demonstrates himself as an exciting horror director to pay attention to for years to come.”
Rocketman (Dir. Dexter Fletcher)
Rocketman, a biographical musical film on the legendary Sir Elton John, justly enters our list this year with its magnificent energy and terrific acting, in particular by Taron Egerton. Fletcher’s directing delivers on the vibrancy, excitement and strains of Sir John’s career that puts on a marvellous blast for the audience. Likewise, credit must be given to Julian Day, the costume designer for Rocketman, who brings out the joie de vivre of Elton John during his zenith. A great film for the family and fans of Elton John.
Joker (Dir. Todd Phillips)
Joker is one of the most cherished films of the year, and its handling of serious themes merits the attention it gets. Set in 1981, Joaquin Phoenix features as Arthur Fleck, an unsuccessful comedian with a serious mental illness, and who bears a laminated card that reads: “Forgive my laughter. I have a condition”. As Gotham city becomes increasingly polarised in both class and wealth, the society crumbles around Fleck and his is left with little medication, guidance and support. But he gradually realises he is not alone in his alienation in and distaste for society. There are others like him. And as this realisation settles, Fleck’s alter-ego emerges – the notorious Joker – the champion for those that have been repressed.
Knives Out (Dir. Rian Johnson)
Rian Johnson’s latest film Knives Out starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and many other high-level actors focuses on a story that involves the death of a patriarch whose death is mysterious to his greedy and insatiable family members. Knives Out is a film full of satiric fun, hilarious lines and brilliant characters that will have you enthralled and chuckling within minutes. Knives Out marks a glorious come back for Johnson, who deserves every bit of credit for his brilliant directing.
David Esquivel, a beforehand highlighted artist on Our Culture, has released an excellent series which utilises old newspapers from the 50s and 60s to create comedy-like, vibrant pieces of work. The series is named Don’t Miss It.
Writing about the project David Esquivel stated it’s “a side project I’ve been working on with all the excess paint from making my main body of work. All of these are painted directly on magazine pages from the 1950s and 60s.”
With the year coming to an end, we have selected some questions to test your knowledge on the past year in the art world. From a highly-priced banana to some big money sales at Sotheby’s, this year has had it all.
2019 was a pretty chaotic year when it came to music. Looking at the releases that came out this year, it’s particularly hard to come up with a coherent narrative to sum it all up. But one thing is clear: despite the continuing threat streaming services pose, the feature-length album still thrived in 2019. A few probably meaningless but nevertheless interesting observations: it was a notably strong year for pop, with exciting newcomers like Billie Eilish and Lizzo using the long format to their benefit rather than just profiting off their hits, while prominent stars like Ariana Grande and Charli XCX also utilized it to develop and mature their sound. When it came to hip-hop, it was a relatively quiet year, with most big names staying under the radar – with a couple of notable exceptions. In the rock and singer-songwriter territories, there seemed to be a healthy balance between refreshing debuts from up-and-coming artists and confident reinventions from established acts like Angel Olsen and Lana Del Rey. At the end of the day, all that we can gather from this is that there has been plenty of great music that’s kept us company through this tumultuous year.
Clairo, Immunity
When it comes to artists like Clairo, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter who rose to prominence after her home-made video for Pretty Girl went viral, it can be hard to really grasp the impact her music has had through the glass wall of the internet. But seeing her live in concert, where small armies of young people sing their lungs out to every single song, serves as a palpable reminder of how deeply and intensely her music has actually resonated with her generation. And it’s not like the songs on Immunity lend themselves to this kind of mass adoration. With the exception of ‘Sofia’, the most playful, catchy single here, most of the tracks are quiet and understated, like listening to the hushed confessions of a close friend. The rise of Clairo is emblematic of a generation connecting not through boastful self-presentation, like most would have it, but through unflinching vulnerability.
Ariana Grande, thank u, next
When Ariana Grande returned with Sweetener last year, it felt like not just a bold new chapter for the pop star, but also a triumphant affirmation of love and joy in the aftermath of tragedy and heartbreak. But with the release of thank u, next just a few months later, became clear that Sweetener, which presented a new, more mature side of Grande, was simply a glimpse into it, a kind of transitioning phase – the album was still bogged down by too many guest features and occasionally messy production. By contrast, thank u, next is a markedly authentic Ariana Grande project: despite the lack of ‘God Is a Woman’-esque anthems, the album is looser, more focused, and more coherent. Most of all, it’s not afraid to confront darkness – if Sweetener was an admirable effort to try to put on a happy face, thank u, next is a liberatingly earnest acknowledgement of being too broken to do so.
GLOO, XYZ
XYZ feels less like the collaborative project of three separate artists and more like the product of a single amalgamated being. The chemistry between the members of this closely-knit group of forward-thinking electronic producers – Iglooghost, Kai Whiston, and BABii – is incredibly palpable, the layers of sounds meshing in uncompromising, unpredictable ways that complement rather than cloud one another. Each member’s contributions are irrefutably as essential to the project’s success as any, and any attempt to guess who contributed what becomes as futile as it is exciting. Relentlessly frenetic, refreshingly inventive, and utterly addicting, XYZ is composed of “one thousand drops, looming blasts, rapid thuds, blistering squeaks, and seven hundred and eighty-nine crystal-clear kicks in the face,” all tightly packed within a manically hyper-saturated 28 minutes. No other album this year hit us with such an electrifying rush of adrenaline as XYZ.
Charli XCX, Charli
The mixtapes Charli XCX had been dropping in collaboration with experimental pop label PC Music throughout her four-year studio album silence hinted at an exciting new phase in the pop artist’s career. The much-anticipated Charli brought together the seemingly conflicting elements that have defined the artist’s career so far and refined them to create a more defining, wholistic Charli XCX experience, proving that left-field, abrasive production styles can coexist semi-harmoniously with a more conventional millennial pop sound. From infectious, radio-friendly singles like ‘Gone’ and the nostalgic ‘1999’ to more out-there, feature-heavy bangers like ‘Click’ and ‘Shake It’, what ties it all together at the center is Charli, whose songwriting gets more personal and heartfelt than ever. Not only did Charli prove once again that no one does pop quite like Charli XCX, but that eccentric and accessible, noisy and sweet, emotional and sultry, need not be mutually exclusive.
Angel Olsen, All Mirrors
The follow-up to 2016’s excellent and guitar-heavy My Woman saw Angel Olsen employing more synths and a lush 12-piece string section that took her already ambitious approach to the next level. But the reason the singer-songwriter’s new album resonated with fans of her intimate, acoustic sound is because the compositions here are still the result of deep personal introspection – as with her previous albums, she started working on the album almost entirely alone, focusing on stripped-back songwriting. All Mirrors confronts ideas of artistic self-presentation as notions of identity and romance reveal themselves as nothing but illusions. Regardless of the instrumentation that surrounds her – whether it’s the imposing strings on ‘Impasse’ or the quietly atmospheric, late-night-jazz melodies of ‘Endgame’, Olsen’s vocal presence is breathtakingly compelling, finding power in both intensity and subtlety. Whether it’s a detour or a new sonic direction, All Mirrors is her widest project in scope, and perhaps also her wildest.
Stella Donnelly, Beware of the Dogs
On Beware of the Dogs, Australian singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly somehow manages to combine biting humour, stark honesty, political commentary, and heartfelt lyricism. She makes use of the amiable, catchy sounds of indie pop and playfully twists them on their head, turning the most unlikely lines into sing-along choruses. The personal is political as she confronts sexism on tracks like the fearlessly acerbic opener Old Man or the devastatingly earnest ballad Boys Will Be Boys – the album might as well have been titled ‘Beware of the Patriarchy’. At times, the explicitness of the lyrics becomes liberating, like on the unexpectedly sweet love song Mosquito. Donnelly also has a uniquely memorable voice, heartwarmingly tender with a characteristic, instantly loveable tremor, which wonderfully complements the already solid songwriting and infuses it with even more personality. Beware of the Dogs is one of the most refreshingly enjoyable, pertinent, and confident debuts of the year.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Ghosteen
If 2016’s Skeleton Tree was about dealing with grief in the immediate aftermath of the death of his teenage son, Arthur, Ghosteen is about the long and difficult healing process that follows. Skeleton Tree was mostly written before the tragic incident and recorded after it, so grief hung over the album like a dark cloud. But the skies seem to have cleared on Ghosteen, and the Bad Seeds’ ethereal synths, transcendent vocal harmonies, and poetic lyrics allow us to ascend to the heavens along with Cave, a sailor in a galleon ship, a “long lonely rider across the sky” searching for hope. Sonically, the mood of the album is meditative, spare, and often serene, and it is that, if anything, that gives the listener some kind of assurance that peace will come in time, as Cave repeatedly intones. Ghosteen is a shatteringly haunting yet ultimately cathartic album about loss unlike any other this year.
Weyes Blood, Titanic Rising
A few months before Angel Olsen came out with All Mirrors, Weyes Blood released a similarly ambitious and enthralling chamber-folk album. Both singer-songwriters utilized grand, elegant instrumentation and self-aware lyrics to explore love and life in the modern age; but where All Mirrors is sometimes imposing and confrontational, Titanic Rising is dreamy and majestic, a radiant ornament drenched in a golden sea of nostalgia. Throughout its runtime, Natalie Mering floats through time and space, guiding the listener with her. In short, the album demands to be described in pretentiously elaborate metaphors. The album itself, however, is anything but: behind its beautifully pristine veneer and melodramatic presentation lies a deeply earnest effort to try not to let the weight of everything drown her, all while clinging onto human emotion in a time where technology seems to control our lives. Titanic Rising is an immense yet heart-rendingly delicate achievement, a transcendent piece of art with a true soul.
Lana Del Rey, Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Norman Fucking Rockwell! was the album that changed most critics’ perception of Lana Del Rey. While her past work has often felt like the epitome of style over substance, NFR! is a record full of emotional substance – not only her best material yet, but also her boldest and most mature. She collaborates with in-demand pop producer Jack Antonoff, who doesn’t alter Del Rey’s sound as much as lay the groundwork for her elegantly quiet voice to shine rather than drown in reverb, while polishing her sturdy and frequently heart-wrenching songwriting with lush instrumental embellishments. Del Rey lays her soul bare on every single track here, from the uncompromisingly feminist opener to the standout closer, where she compares herself to Sylvia Plath and holds on to a tinny glimmer of hope – “a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have,” she sings, but she has it – just enough to rise from the ashes, like Lady Lazarus herself.
Big Thief, U.F.O.F.
Big Thief’s U.F.O.F. is a mesmerizingly surreal force of nature. The third studio album by the folk-rock band is their best yet – and it’s only one of two excellent albums they released this year. Fueled by an atmosphere of deep interconnectedness between singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker and the rest of the band, the record’s sound here feels honed-in, effortless, as natural as a river flowing to the sea. Essential in the true meaning of the word – not just important, but communicating some fundamental essence of being. An unknown entity they’ve discovered by digging deep into the earth. And yet it also feels strikingly intimate – Lenker’s poetry here is as captivating as it is evocative: “Fragile orange wind in the garden/ Fragile means that I can hear her flesh/ Crying little rivers in her forearm,” she sings on ‘Orange’. Words can’t really do justice to the majestic beauty of U.F.O.F. –- it’s just one of those albums.
Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Few artists have been as divisive this year as Billie Eilish, which is a testament to just how much her music and profile dominated the mainstream landscape in 2019. But when you actually take a step back and look at it, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is not just the most commercially successful and potentially game-changing debut of the year, but also a stunningly unique pop album showcasing Eilish and her brother and close collaborator Finneas’ singular artistic vision. It’s not that they invented all the musical ideas presented here, but the fact that they managed to bring together DIY production techniques, catchy and often intimately evocative songwriting, as well as Eilish’s underrated vocal delivery, and package them in a way that actually resonated with mass audiences, renders it a remarkable achievement. With WWAFAWDWG, Billie Eilish has managed to define and commercialize the sound of Gen Z.
Ada Lea, What We Say in Private
Sometimes, an album doesn’t have to break new ground or invent a new genre to stand out. Sometimes, all it needs to do is captivate you with the sheer power of its songwriting. And that’s exactly what Ada Lea did with what we say in private, an incredibly dynamic, emotionally potent, and artfully crafted debut that oscillates between fierceness and vulnerability. Musically, the record sits somewhere between the righteous punk rock energy of Sleater-Kinney and the poetic intimacy of Big Thief while still remaining a cohesively compelling listen. The result of a 180-day period of intense introspection following a break-up, the album is also grippingly intimate, from the hushed honesty of ‘the party’ to the diary-like ‘180 days’ to the soul-crushing ‘what makes me sad’ and the stunningly gorgeous ‘yanking the pearls off around my neck…’ It’s a shame what we say in private was largely overlooked – it’s a revelatory release, and one that doesn’t demand as much as invite repeated listens.
Dave, Psychodrama
Having won the Mercury Prize this year, there is no doubt that Dave deserves a spot in our Best Albums of the Year list with Psychodrama. The album covers themes of race, imprisonment and abusive relationships which Dave manages to capture excellently through raw energy and poignant lyrics. Psychodrama features notable guest appearances from J Hus, Burna Boy, and Ruelle and builds upon Dave’s 2017 album Game Over. Over the years, we have seen Dave develop his style and maturity as an artist; this album marks a milestone in the sphere of British music and Dave’s exciting career.
Little Simz, Grey Area
Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo or better known under the moniker of Little Simz has made quite the leap in the world of music this year, having released the UK R&B number one album, Grey Area. Little Simz’ freshest album Grey Area emerges with a wave of eclectic songs that were produced by her friend, Inflo. There is no settling in Grey Area, with each song the listener is presented with a different theme or idea, making it an enjoyable trip throughout. Little Simz has given us a long-awaited album that punches well on many levels; fans and critics were craving for it after the promise Little Simz showed in Stillness in Wonderland, making Grey Area arguably the best rap album of the year.
FKA Twigs MAGDALENE
FKA twigs’ first album in five years was well worth the wait. While both LP1 and her 2015 EP M3LL155X received widespread critical acclaim for their boundary-pushing, cutting-edge R&B sound, MAGDALENE is a revelatory release that marks a drastic shift to a more accessible yet still forward-thinking approach. Drawing influences from the likes of Kate Bush and Björk, twigs’s varied sophomore LP boasts an impressive list of guest contributors from both the art pop and mainstream pop worlds, from experimental artists like Arca and Nicolas Jaar to megaproducer Jack Antonoff and rapper Future. But MAGDALENE is also a devastatingly personal album, as FKA twigs twists and stretches her voice in a remarkably expressive and immediate manner to evoke the shattering pain of heartbreak. From transcendent, expansive cuts like ‘thousand eyes’ and ‘mary magdalene’ to heartbreakingly spare ballads like ‘mirrored heart’ and ‘cellophane’, MAGDALENE is the sound of a fallen alien trying to reach out to the people of Earth by means of their most universal art form, just like FKA twigs flirts with the peripheries of commercial pop and ends up becoming one of its leading vanguards.
Kanye West Jesus Is King
Kanye West, the controversial and beloved figure, came back this year with his ninth album Jesus is King. While critically, it’s not the most popular album by Kanye, its cultural significance will most likely stand the test of time for its focus on religion and man himself, Kanye. The album itself is well-produced and holds maybe the best bassline of the year in Water but does not escape the self-loving themes of West that have been previously present in pretty much all of Kanye’s recent work. While it’s not the most definite contender for album of the year, the hype behind it and fearless style deserve a spot on this list.
Chromatics Closer To Grey
The seventh album by Chromatics Closer To Grey brings another step for Chromatics, a band that has helped architect the music world with their shoegaze pop and ’80s indie rock flair. When it comes to the quality of production, not many do it better than Chromatics, if any. Closer To Grey marks another landmark for the band, helping them progress on their mythical-like image through a delightful touch of nostalgia and incredibly selected synths of the 80s that we can only marvel at. For many fans, Closer to Grey, was a surprise and probably not the last one.
Tyler, the Creator IGOR
Tyler, the Creator has built on his aesthetic and soul with his most recent album IGOR. Through the buzzing synths in IGOR’S THEME to the warm production of GONE, GONE / THANK YOU, IGOR reveals and reflects more on who Tyler, the Creator is. There is a feel of honesty and tenderness in the album that fits Tyler, the Creator and his overall look as an artist — it’s a self-study of himself. Some may criticise Tyler’s singing, but the total production of the album is purely majestic that expands on you in an instance.
Michael Kiwanuka Kiwanuka
Kiwanuka’s latest masterpiece of an album comes in smoothly with a warm weekend feel as it slowly gradients to a sorrowful and reflective mode that has become present in much of Kiwanuka’s work. There is no denial that Kiwanuka is one of the most magnificent artists of the past decade, having released Cold Little Heart, Love & Hate, and Home Again. With this album, Kiwanuka delivers just that calibre of music we have come to love from him. Kiwanuka is a masterful album that deserves every bit of praise for its heart-wrenching emotion that cajoles you into pressing the repeat button, time and time over.
Kate Tempest The Book Of Traps And Lessons
The Book Of Traps And Lessons by Kate Tempest is a gentle and tender piece of work that tackles the internet, love, racial discrimination and overpopulation, making the listener abhor the world we live in. In terms of production, Rick Rubin’s use of raw sounds elevate the weight of each piece that reflects on the exhausting and rough world around us while still giving us a glimpse of optimism. Whilst it may not surpass Let Them Eat Chaos, it certainly stands out for its commentary.
Delia Owens’ latest bestseller follows ‘Marsh Girl’ from Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. In late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called ‘Marsh Girl’. Fine-tuned and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, discovering friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she aches to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life — until the unimaginable occurs.
Microsoft has presented their upcoming console Xbox Series X. With a lot of excitement coming from the gaming community, we have picked through the rumours to pick out three things we know about the Xbox Series X.
Release Date
According to Microsoft, Xbox Series X will be released in the “Holiday 2020,” meaning it will likely be released in late autumn or early wintertime next year.
8K Gaming
If you’ve just bought a 4K television, you might be disappointed. With the wave of TVs moving fast, Xbox Series X will support 8K gaming with frame rates of up to 120 frames per second.
New Titles
For fans of Halo and Forza series, we have some great news. Among other games which have not yet been announced Everwild, Forza Motorsport 8, Halo Infinite and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on the Xbox Series X. The Xbox One Series will also feature backwards compatibility.
