Singer/Performer (Phoebe Bridgers or other artists) (2:03)

I don't want to kill you if you don't beat me to swim into Tokyo skies I wanted to see the world that I feel by the ocean.

Robin Hilton (2:25)

This is from. I can't remember the name of the album this is from. But it was her second one, wasn't it?

Unidentified Guest 2 (2:28)

Yeah.

Stephen Thompson (2:29)

It's from Punisher, right?

Robin Hilton (2:30)

Punisher.

Singer/Performer (Phoebe Bridgers or other artists) (2:30)

Yeah.

Robin Hilton (2:31)

That was a great record.

Stephen Thompson (2:32)

It is such a great record. I mean, musically speaking, 2020 was full of bangers. You know, you had not only Wap, you had, you know, Savage. It was a big year for Megan. This for Megan Thee, Stallion. You know, because you had. You had Savage with, you know, Beyonce and Megan Thee, Stallion.

Robin Hilton (2:46)

Right.

Stephen Thompson (2:47)

But then album wise, for me, it was just this one, two punch where I spent the entire year, like, what's my favorite album of the year? Toggling between Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers and. And. And. And Fetch the Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple.

Robin Hilton (3:00)

Yeah, the Fiona Apple. Record was my number one album of the year. I didn't have a song from it that I would pick as my number one song of the year. But, yeah, the Phoebe Bridgers that. I remember just thinking that was one of the most gorgeous records I'd ever heard in my life.

Stephen Thompson (3:15)

That came out so gorgeous and so insightful and so quotable. Just about every song on that record has some great line that kind of stops you in your tracks, like even that, you know, that song Kyoto, which is probably the biggest kind of poppy banger from that record, has this amazing line. I wanted to see the world through your eyes until it happened. Then I changed my mind.

Robin Hilton (3:37)

What an incredible line. It's funny, too.

Stephen Thompson (3:40)

It's so funny.

Robin Hilton (3:41)

It's really, really funny. But I think my pick from that album would have been the song I know the End.

Stephen Thompson (3:45)

Yes.

Robin Hilton (3:45)

Which I think that's a slow burn.

Stephen Thompson (3:47)

At the end until it builds to just this screaming. That's a pretty near perfect record.

Robin Hilton (3:53)

Well, so, like I said, I had a hard time just finding a very clear winner for me for 2020. I thought about maybe Atheist by Christian Lee Hudson, which is from his album Beginners, which Phoebe Bridgers produced. She's been a big supporter of his. But I think I'm gonna go with this one. And I actually think that this song was maybe on your personal top 10 for 2020.

Singer/Performer (Phoebe Bridgers or other artists) (4:22)

Oh.

Stephen Thompson (4:23)

Oh bad moves, bad moves Come on now with our colleague and friend Dawoud Tyler Amin on drum.

Singer/Performer (Phoebe Bridgers or other artists) (4:40)

Working in service in the capital I heard the burn I ripped this off and tried to shed it Yes, I ran into it like a dead I talk some shit about the job and I'm surprised with how it I dance Got interviewed on local radio and listen who fights the hand with the hand? Me. To the passing out scrap you can hardly believe it if you hanging up taps for some new Making a week trading shifts with the kids just getting started and the kids getting their wheels in and the corners. Yeah.

Robin Hilton (5:15)

I mean, come on, man. That's so catchy, so infectious, so hooky. Great power pop. Bad moves.

Stephen Thompson (5:23)

Great lyrics.

Robin Hilton (5:23)

Great lyrics. Oh, my God. So this is the song local radio from their album, their second album that they put out called Untenable from Bad Moves. And yes, full disclosure, the drummer, Daoud Tyler Ming, a long colleague of ours here at NPR Music. And, you know, there's part of me that feels like we shouldn't cover this band, you know, just like the ethics and.

Stephen Thompson (5:46)

Absolutely, yeah, a bias absolutely exists because we loved our personality.

Robin Hilton (5:50)

We do. But that's just so good. It's just so genuinely so good. This whole album was so good. The album was called Untenable, which by the way, felt like the perfect word.

Stephen Thompson (6:00)

Perfect word for 2020.

Robin Hilton (6:02)

For 2020. But you know, write to me a band that's right up there with like super chunk or Pup or something like that. And heartbroken to know that the band has just this year announced that they're breaking up.

Stephen Thompson (6:15)

They're going out with a bang. Because the album they put out last year is also great, but just undeniable.

Robin Hilton (6:22)

Absolutely.

Singer/Performer (Phoebe Bridgers or other artists) (6:32)

I wanted more I hit it dead and though I wanted sleep I counted sheep I couldn't breathe I didn't get it My head was ring.

Robin Hilton (6:56)

Let's just take a quick break and then we can come back and we'll talk about some of the other songs that we loved from 2020.

Unidentified Guest 2 (7:03)

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Unidentified Guest 1 (8:08)

The following message come from Rosetta Stone. The perfect app to achieve your language learning goals. No matter how busy your schedule gets, it's designed to maximize study time with immersive 10 minute lessons and audio practice for your commute. Plus, tailor your learning plan for specific objectives like Travel. Get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off and unlimited access to 25 language courses. Learn more@RosettaStone.com NPR all right, Stephen, what else?

Robin Hilton (8:37)

Music Wise takes you back to 2020.

Stephen Thompson (8:39)

Well, maybe my favorite song by one of the most decorated country stars working right now.

Chris Stapleton (9:07)

Well, the road rolls out like a welcome man.

Robin Hilton (9:10)

Oh, Chris. It's Chris Stapleton.

Stephen Thompson (9:13)

Yep, very good.

Robin Hilton (9:14)

Give me a minute on the title.

Chris Stapleton (9:17)

And I ain't got no kind of plan that I've had On with this town I can stand silent or no.

Stephen Thompson (9:29)

Getting farther away from it.

Chris Stapleton (9:33)

We can jump in the water and see what flows we've been saving for rainy day let's beat the storm and be on.

Unidentified Guest 3 (9:46)

Our way.

Chris Stapleton (9:50)

It don't matter to me Wherever we are is where I want to be and honey, for once in.

Robin Hilton (9:56)

Our lives take our Starting over.

Stephen Thompson (9:59)

Yes.

Robin Hilton (10:00)

Oh, God. It just came to me.

Stephen Thompson (10:03)

It's the last thing he says in the chorus, so I'm just gonna leave over.

Chris Stapleton (10:08)

Starting over.

Robin Hilton (10:10)

Boy, what a run he had these last five, 10 years too. All the records produced staggering works by other artists while releasing his own staggering works.

Stephen Thompson (10:20)

Yeah. And he has not. The quality has not faded.

Robin Hilton (10:24)

No, not at all. I could have picked anything from the Max Richter album Voices that came out that year. Incredibly powerful, powerful, powerful record from him. I mentioned Atheist by Christian Lee Hudson.

Unidentified Guest 2 (10:37)

Oh.

Robin Hilton (10:38)

Rafiq Bhatia of the band Sun Lux. He had a solo EP called Standards Volume One that had this incredibly haunting version of the first time ever I saw your face.

Singer/Performer (Njimale or other artists) (10:52)

And the first time.

Singer/Performer (Phoebe Bridgers or other artists) (10:57)

Ever I kissed your mouth. I felt the earth move in my hand. Like the trembling heart.

Robin Hilton (11:28)

And then I also think of the song by Njimale called To Meet yout There.

Singer/Performer (Phoebe Bridgers or other artists) (11:33)

Yeah.

Singer/Performer (Njimale or other artists) (11:33)

After death, after life I was up half the night Hurricane never came not for me, not again. I celebrate your celebration I revel in your revelation I holler in your hallelujah in plain view you're azaleas grew wide Believe you now have I been unyielding.

Stephen Thompson (12:30)

2020 is also the year the Chicks came back.

Robin Hilton (12:33)

Oh, right.

Unidentified Guest 2 (12:33)

As the Chicks.

Robin Hilton (12:34)

As the Chicks, yeah.

Unidentified Guest 1 (12:35)

Yeah.

Stephen Thompson (12:35)

They took Dixie out of their name and came back as the Chicks and put out a record called Gaslighter that I heard in my car probably 350 times in 2020. On the rare occasions I ventured out of my house.

Singer/Performer (The Chicks) (12:47)

Gaslighter, Denier Doing anything to get your ass Father Gaslighter big timer Repeating all of the mistakes of your father we moved to California and we followed your dreams I believed in the promises you made to for that night Till death drew us part but you La la la la.

Stephen Thompson (13:16)

You know, they were clearly planning, you know, they were going to do a giant stadium tour and like so many plans in 2020 that that got dashed. But that's definitely a record I listened to a lot that year.

Robin Hilton (13:27)

I always think when I finally came back to the building, like a year and a half later, it was like deep into 2021, there was this massive bin full of mail that I'd gotten just before we all had to vacate the building. And there was a postcard in it from someone that said, here's to a great 2020. I just thought, yeah, about that.

Stephen Thompson (13:47)

Here, here. Enjoy this box of fresh fruit.

Robin Hilton (13:52)

Anyway, so so much that we could play and talk about from 2020, but this gaslighter song feels pretty good. So until next time when we look back at 2021, thanks, Stephen.

Stephen Thompson (14:01)

Thank you, Robin.

Robin Hilton (14:02)

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered.

Singer/Performer (The Chicks) (14:06)

I think it's pretty cruel? And you know you lie best when you lie to you? Cause boy, I know exactly what you did on my boat? And boy, that's exactly why you ain't coming home? Save your tired stories before you knew someone else? Cause they're la la la la la. Look out you little gas lighter denier, do anything again you're a father. Gas spider, big timer repeating all of the mistakes of your father. Yes, Spider, you bro.

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