KSLU Students On The Music That Got Them Through 2020

​For a year filled with political disagreement, the only thing that we could virtually all agree on is that 2020 was a terrible year overall, and every time we thought it was getting better, 2020 set out to prove us wrong. For a lot of us, music is often the greatest way of coping with the world at large, whether you’re using it to block out everything that’s going on, or using it to look at the bullshit dead in the eyes. This is some of the music KSLU students used in 2020 to deal with this disaster of a year.

Kylie Minogue

​While I may act like your classic pretentious indie snob, what's usually playing in my headphones is sugar-coated pop, so getting into Kylie Minogue was inevitable. Over the later months of quarantine, my Kylie-curious mindset evolved to an obsession. I found myself watching interviews, reading reviews, scanning wikipedia articles and playing her every week on my radio show. If I can't dance at any clubs and go crazy at any parties, at least I can light up my dorm room with "Love At First Sight" and turn my shower into a dance party with "Get Outta My Way."

 - Daniel Bernas, Sophomore, The Amp manager
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The 1975 - If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)

The 1975’s classic synth-pop sound is exactly what I needed to get through this year. Instant serotonin. Playing this song was the perfect pick-me-up for a down day and helped me get ready to whatever I needed that day.

 - Matthew Chambers, Junior, The Amp website editor
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Phoebe Bridgers

It may sound alarming or even depressing that Phoebe Bridgers' sad songs got me through 2020. However, due to the overall depressing nature of 2020, I often found myself feeling a sort of validation and consolation from Phoebe's candid and specific lyrics. Whether I was screaming along to "I Know the End" or becoming emotional while listening to "Moon Song," Phoebe's music helped get me through 2020 at the end of the day. Sometimes I even wish I could go on a spaceship with my dog to see that impossible view.

 - Lydia Golden, Junior
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I know everyone has turned listening to Phoebe Bridgers into a personality trait, but her music truly is worth the hype. A listen of “Punisher” hit different during the somber, slow, depressingly confusing days of 2020. Her voice is angelic and is an interesting contrast to the heartbreakingly emotional storytelling she uses. The rest of her discography is gold and her whole essence perfectly captures the energy of this year.

 - Natalie Hesford, Sophomore
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HAIM - Women In Music Pt. iii

Beautiful melodies! I've listened to this album over and over and it keeps getting better and better. Easy listening, puts me in a good mood, and even nice for studying.

 - Mary Wilton, Senior, KSLU co-general manager
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Dark Rooms - I Get Overwhelmed​

Being the old soul that I am, I usually stan a good retro pop song such as “A Little Respect” by erasure or the iconic “Dancing With Myself.” However, along with the chaos that ensued, 2020 also gifted us with its dear old friend anxiety. This being said, the song “I Get Overwhelmed” by Dark Rooms is pretty fitting as it perfectly sums up how everyone has been feeling for the past year through its fitting lyrics and cool sound and vibe.

 - Emilia Elgeness, Sophomore
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King Krule

I discovered King Krule in March, right when spring break had been expanded in my school district due to COVID. Isolation had taken a toll on my mental health and I had been using music as a way to cope. Although “6 Feet Beneath The Moon” was the first King Krule project I had listened to, “The OOZ” really struck a chord and resonated with me because of how well I could relate to a majority of the themes explored on the album. After I got through that album and stuck with it for a few months, I fell in love with his most recent release, “Man Alive!” This album had maintained some of the melancholic sound and similar themes that lingered throughout its predecessor, which was something I found myself constantly returning to. Each of his projects are different and unique in their own right, and had managed to catch my ears at some point.

 - Jamal Mgambo, Freshman
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Cults - Static

Cults’ music really helps me disassociate and just distance myself from reality for a moment, which I really needed this year. The songs on “Static” in particular were all just perfect for taking a short break from the world. 

 - Alfredo Mac Laughlin, Freshman
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Anik Khan - Oh My

I started listening to Anik Khan right when I got back to school in the fall because my sister discovered him. She really likes listening to happy music and I felt like I needed that after the summer. "Oh My" was one the first Anik Khan song I listened to and it was one of my favorite songs of 2020. I really like his music because he combines afro-beat with South Asian drums/music. This song is really refreshing because it showcases his immigrant experience as a first generation Bangladeshi kid growing up in a very diverse Queens, NY. Within the first 20 seconds there is a tabla beat, a drum typically only heard in south Asian/middle eastern music, and every time I hear that I get super excited because this drum is something I associate with my culture. It's interesting hearing all these beats together because I always feel like I have to separate two parts of my identity, but obviously I don't because this song and these beats work so well together. 

 - Kruti Kadiwala, Junior
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Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia

Every song was a winner and transported me to my own imaginary dance floor. It helped me dance through the really bad days of 2020 and let go of everything that was weighing in on me. Thank you, Dua, for creating music that makes me feel invincible in a year that has made me feel otherwise! 

 - Sophie Mueller, Senior, KSLU co-general Manager
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Rina Sawayama - Sawayama

This is Miss Sawayama’s debut album and for so, so many reasons it helped me enjoy 2020 in all its chaos. It came out in April of 2020 and I would say a highlight of my corona lockdown was listening to the album front to back for the very first time. Her careful lyricism coupled with a bold incorporation of genres made it such a refreshing sound for pop music. The musical difference from “Dynasty” to “Snakeskin” does not create dissonance but enforces Sawayama’s ability and range with incredible contrasts within one record. PLUS, what a great thing to see an openly queer woman of color make cool music!!!

 - Melanie Ocampo, Freshman
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The Lumineers - Democracy

Okay, my song choice is, admittedly, a bit of an attempt to skirt the rules of the response. I narrowed it down to one song, but snuck two of my favorite artists into the fold. Written by Leonard Cohen in 1992 and covered by the Lumineers in 2019, “Democracy” manages to speak to the events of 2020 without actually knowing anything of them. I got to see it performed live at what would become my last concert of the year, and I held fast onto the album recording for months after concerts became a wishful memory. During a year that made isolation the norm, this song helped me take solace in and responsibility for the future we have to strive for. 

 - Meghan Burke, Sophomore, co-manager of The Amp