I can breathe again, thanks in part to the living legend Toni Braxton. 2020 was a hot mess, and one way to escape the madness was through music. “Spell My Name,” her 10th album, was released in August while we were in the thick of pandemic woes and other worldly issues. To this album I say: You mean the world to me. In my home, it’s been playing seven whole days a week since its release. I don’t want to turn it off. Listen up, and just let it flow.
Spotlight
Top albums of 2020: Toni Braxton, Springsteen and more
From Toni Braxton's “Spell My Name" to Bruce Springsteen's “Letter to You," here are the top 10 albums of 2020 by AP Music Editor Mesfin Fekadu.
Toni Braxton, 'Spell My Name'
Teyana Taylor, 'The Album'
R&B princess Teyana Taylor boldly named her latest release “The Album" and she has reason to. The project, her third, is a groovy and heartfelt 23-song adventure through the mind of a woman experiencing life's highs and lows. Her voice is piercing, her lyrics are striking, and the beats are both familiar and refreshing. With a heavy hand for sampling first-class R&B jams, Taylor has perfectly learned how to borrow from a song but still stand in front of it.
Ingrid Andress, 'Lady Like'
A breakthrough country singer with a sharp pen, Ingrid Andress' “Lady Like" will give you all the feels — much like Kacey Musgraves' groundbreaking “Golden Hour."
Chloe x Halle, 'Ungodly Hour'
From “Do It" to “Busy Boy," Chloe x Halle let their hair down on their sophomore album "Ungodly Hour," taking us from the lounge to the club.
JoJo, 'good to know'
Vocal beast JoJo pours all of her emotions on “good to know," making a superb album that's good to listen to now, and later.
Bruce Springsteen, 'Letter to You'
Opening up about his friends who have died, Springsteen's voice is beautifully aching and gritty on this excellent rock album that screams PLAY ME LIVE!
Tiwa Savage, 'Celia'
Nigerian superstar Tiwa Savage proves why she's the Queen of Afrobeats on “Celia," a daredevil album with addictive tracks like “Koroba," “Attention," “Dangerous Love,” “Ole," “Park Well" and “Temptation," which features Sam Smith.
Taylor Swift, 'folklore'
Taylor Swift's “folklore” is a fearless album from a five-star songwriter.
Victoria Monét, 'JAGUAR'
Victoria Monét has helped everyone from Ariana Grande to Chloe x Halle with her songwriting skills, but it's time the attention turns to her own albums.
Ellie Goulding, 'Brightest Blue'
Ellie Goulding's first three albums explored different sounds, but none of them missed a beat, and her fourth release is no different.
2020 in review: Your complete guide to the year in entertainment and pop culture.
The government dropped drunken driving charges against Bruce Springsteen, admitting his blood-alcohol level was so low it didn't warrant the charges.
