2020 in 20 Songs
With the world on a lockdown tighter than a pressure cooker, owing to ‘Miss Corona’, the only agent with a visa, there was little that any human could do as the virus went on a rampage. But there was one force that was definitely equal to, and arguably greater than, COVID-19: Music.
Staring squarely in the face of the virus, music, in all its melodious forms, and, armed with a valid international visa, traversed the globe like never before. And, as the Entertainment Desk looks back at 2020, we have chosen 20 songs which, for various reasons, spoke the language that was needed to be heard and internalised in these unprecedented times.
So, here we present the songs which could be considered the soundtracks to a year which was like no other. Some were big hits, others simply found their niche, and they range from the serious to the soothing, to the danceable and the comical. And, with lockdown being declared the word of the year for 2020 by Collins Dictionary, after a sharp rise in its usage during the pandemic, it is no coincidence that number one on our list is titled Lockdown. The song, like the word, “encapsulates the shared experience of billions of people”.
1. Lockdown – Koffee
2. Lighter – Tarrus Riley/Shenseea
3. People Like You – Gramps Morgan
4. Neko – Amari
5. From Rags to Riches – Teejay
6. Mr Universe – Skillibeng
7. Call To Duty – Beres Hammond
8. Stronger Remix (sponsored by KFC) – Kevin Downswell, featuring
Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Christopher Martin, Wayne Marshall,
Tessanne Chin, Richie Stephens, DJ Bambino,
Kemar Highcon, Sherieta Lewis, Singer J, Ikaya, Jessica Yap
9. Buried Alive – Buju Banton
10. We Rise – Teejay, Konshens, Shenseea, Ding Dong, Tarrus Riley, Kemar Highcon, Kash, Romeich
11. Call Me If – Dexta Daps
12. Double Tap – Queenie
13. Sidechick – Shenseea
14. Because I’m Black – Chezidek
15. Litttle Bit ah Money – Govana
16. Yamabella – Shaneil Muir
17. Good Tings Dem – Ding Dong
18. Shadows After Dark – Alborosie and friends
19. Corona – Silver Cat
20. Legend – Prodigal Son