Starting from when I first got my Spotify account in 2018, I’ve made a playlist for every single year that reflects the sort of music I listened to for those 12 months. A lot of times, it reflected the sort of moods I experienced that year, but sometimes it was just a catchy tune that I played on repeat.

My 2020 playlist is a bit unique. I started it in February, when things started to go downhill. I was still in University, but a pandemic lingered over the horizon and there was talk of closing down the school. Eventually, that was exactly what happened, I finished out my college career online with no ceremony. I feel like this playlist reflects a lot of the bitterness I felt at the time. The mood is very dark, powerful, and a lot of the songs reflect a craving for independence.

They’re also a bunch of absolute bangers. Here’s the playlist as it stands right now:

1. Saintlike : Jakey

Tell your sister, tell your mother why you’re feeling this way

You’ve been working so hard till it’s a.m. in the day

Got the 1, 5, 10, 20, fuck it 100K

2. Solo : Prismo

I wanna take my time

To make my decisions

Change my mind for no damn reason
I’m riding solo, oh oh

I’m feeling solo, oh oh

3. Losing My Mind : Mystery Skulls

Feels like I’m losing my mind

Feels like a dream of me all of the time, baby

4. Living Life, In The Night : Cheriimoya

I’ve been awake for days, so we out living life in the night

5. Demons : The Seige

You choose: live or die

Politicians gettin’ high on they own supply

We the truest truest, it’s the U.S., U.S

The land where American dreams go to die

6. CITY OF ANGELS : 24kGoldn

Heard time like money, can’t waste it

What’s the price of fame? ‘Cause I can taste it

So I’m chasin’ (yeah), and I’m facin’

A little Hennessy, it might be good for me

7. Blinding Lights: The Weeknd

The city’s cold and empty

No one’s around to judge me

I can’t see clearly when you’re gone

8. Zombie Love : Bohnes

When you get on me, love

It’s a like zombie love

I’ve been living six feet down

Baby I’m alive right now

9. Everything Black : Unlike Pluto

In a nocturnal state of mind

Children of the night

But it’s the only way of life

10. Little Poor Me : Layto

I’m gone

Not going home

Going down that lonely road

It’s too bad I’ll never be back

11. Kings : Tribe Society

I ain’t at home

Home’s where I’m going

I close my eyes to see

I’ll take my throne, lay it on a mountain

And make myself a king

12. The Drum : The Seige

I used to think that people die because they’re wicked

Now days people want you see dead because you gifted

13. Rebels : Call Me Karizma

Take it if you can’t afford to cop it

Talk about a baller on a budget

Gloomy ’till they put me in a coffin, yeah

Let us sing out!

14. Play With Fire : Sam Tinnesz

I love the smell of gasoline

I light the match to taste the heat