We are now six years into the current decade, and with that time has come lots of incredible music. From the development of hyperpop to the relative fall-off of modern country music to the constant rebranding of indie rock, the 2020s have given us plenty of interesting music. Within this music has come a fair share of incredible albums that have provided us with a range of influence, critical success, and mainstream recognition. With these things considered, let’s dive into some essential albums of the 2020s and what I believe to be the five greatest albums of the current decade.
5. “Getting Killed” by Geese (2025)
It seems like everywhere you look, there is someone talking about Geese. The band has rocketed straight to the top of the indie rock pyramid in less than a year, largely thanks to their newest record, “Getting Killed”. Born out of the Park Slope music scene, the band released their debut album “Projector” in 2021, followed by “3D Country”, which garnered some attention in 2023. In short, “Getting Killed” was bound to get attention, but it wasn’t expected to reach the heights that it has. Branding themselves as the darlings of indie rock, Geese have taken off more so than any band of this decade. From a sold-out tour to a win at the Brit Awards for Best International Group, “Getting Killed” has earned a place as one of the greatest albums of the 2020s. It tiptoes a line between the mainstream and the underground music scene, specifically in the latter half. “Au Pays Du Cocaine” and “Taxes” have blown up through TikTok, while “Half Real” and “Long Island City Here I Come” remain fan favorites. Even though it was released just last September, I feel like this could become one of the most important albums of this decade. “Getting Killed” proves to be one of music’s indie gems that has endeared itself to the masses and feels like it could be the start of a long legacy for Geese.
4. “Circles” by Mac Miller (2020)
This is one of four albums that I feel genuinely could be the best album of the 2020s. Released just 17 days into the 2020s, “Circles” is a celebration of everything that made Mac Miller special. Miller had passed away just a year and a half before the release of “Circles”, but it was largely done before his death, which adds a level of authenticity to the project that nestles it perfectly into his discography. With the help of producer Jon Brion, production and the track list were finalized following his death, and the world was given “Circles”. It’s a project that hits its listener with an immense feeling of sadness – it is clear that Mac was trying to work on his struggles with addiction, but eventually overdosed. On top of the messaging and the overall story of the project, “Circles” is genuinely one of the best albums I’ve heard from a holistic standpoint. Every track sinks into the other, but still changes the sound. It begs the question of the world Mac would have built following its release if he were still with us, but it also keeps his fans content and pleased with the way his estate went about creating the project that is “Circles”.
3. “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers (2020)
There are very few albums where you can envision the exact moment you sat down and listened to them for the first time, but “Punisher” is one of those for me. I remember trying to discover new music the summer before my sophomore year of high school, sitting down on the deck and putting on the album. There was something about Phoebe’s voice that just scratched an itch for me, and it still feels that way. The only way I could describe her voice is that she pours so much emotion into her words while still making it feel like she isn’t trying. Her delivery is effortless, but it is still enough to pierce the heart and the ears. The way she commands her quiet, short-breathed vocals in a way that doesn’t conform to just slow instrumentals is what makes her stand out for me. Songs like “Kyoto” and “Garden Song” help to bring a new sound to the project before it devolves into the depressing sound associated with Bridgers’ music. On top of the overall sound of the project, I would be crazy not to mention Bridgers’ lyricism. Along with the likes of Adrianne Lenker, I feel like Phoebe might be the best songwriter of the current decade – songs like “Chinese Satellite” are proof of this. Phoebe delves into religion, imposter syndrome, and nostalgia all over the short span of forty minutes. The final track, “I Know the End”, is what cements itself as one of the best albums of the 2020s for me, though. For two minutes, the listener is given the typical “Punisher” track until it picks up its pace and devolves into a retrospective nightmare, leaving the final minute of the album to a series of screams before the album gives out. It’s exactly why people have fallen in love with Phoebe Bridgers, and it’s everything that makes “Punisher” one of the best albums of the current decade.
2. “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” by Kendrick Lamar (2022)
I can’t think of many artists who have five albums that could all be considered perfect, but Kendrick Lamar is one of them. Five years and one Pulitzer Prize after the release of “DAMN.”, Lamar gave us what feels like his most personal and introspective piece of art. From dealing with going to therapy on “United In Grief”, to grappling with the mistakes in his marriage on “Mother I Sober”, to maturing and understanding the struggles of the transgender community on “Auntie Diaries” – Kendrick bares everything with “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”. It also feels like an overshadowed part of his career since it’s sandwiched between some of the most critically acclaimed rap albums ever, along with his 2024 beef with Drake, but for me, it is his best work. Very rarely does Kendrick speak to his own feelings rather than the communities around him, but it works for him and suits him well. His intelligence oozes through the fabric of his lyricism, but we also get to see a more vulnerable side concerned with depression and anxiety. “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” has become a landmark in the rap genre for its ability to dive into the complexities of humanity, but also because it gave Kendrick Lamar a place to unleash his inner issues, setting a precedent for what rap should look like for the rest of the decade.
1. “BRAT” by Charli xcx (2024)
Has there ever been an album that branded an entire summer as its own?
Brat summer was one of the biggest cultural moments I have seen in my entire life. To this day, Charli still owns every shade of bright green. I can’t look at neon green without thinking about “BRAT”. And somehow it’s still going, with the release of “The Moment” in theaters, it feels like it may not ever go away. The problem, though, is that I don’t really want it to. “BRAT” is a project that has created a space in my entire generation’s hearts, and even if you don’t necessarily love the album, you can identify with Brat Summer. In some ways, I think people have forgotten about the entire music aspect of “BRAT”, but here I am to remind you.
Released at the start of the summer in 2024, “BRAT” gave Charli xcx the label of an international superstar. Wearing leather and drinking Diet Coke became an aesthetic, “Apple” became the internet’s favorite song, and Charli was no longer the girl from “I Love It”. “BRAT” has become a soundtrack for young people everywhere, but it was more than just club anthems. Throughout the project, Charli explores the complexities of womanhood, loss, and self-expression. Buried under songs like “360” and “Apple”, she gives us her all in the middle portion of the album. Two of these standout moments shine through on “So I” and “I think about it all the time”. On the former, we hear Charli talk about her mentor and hyperpop revolutionary SOPHIE for the first time in her music following her death. She looks back on her regrets for not spending enough time with SOPHIE, but remembers that “it’s okay to cry” (a reference to SOPHIE’s hit track). Additionally, the track “I think about it all the time” gives Charli the space to discuss her thoughts about motherhood – how she may run out of time to be a mother and the ways a child would influence her life. The topic of motherhood is also indirectly discussed on the aforementioned “Apple”, where Charli worries that she and her child might have the same issues that she and her mother did, noting that the “apple don’t fall from the tree”. So while “Apple” may be known for its TikTok dance and the bouncy electronic sound, Charli gives us a look into her intergenerational trauma, masking it in her traditional club sound. This very ability to switch from introspective electropop to hyperpop club anthems is what gave “BRAT” the messy aesthetic it now carries, but it also earned Charli international stardom due to her ability to be unapologetically herself.
Featured Image created by Carter Hillsdon