Metacritic Aggregate: 2020 New Music: Blues/Gospel/R&B

Notes

For information on what lists are consulted, and what the various abbreviations and notes mean, click here.

For reissues and compilations, click here.

Sub-Lists

Some breakdowns by genre:

Ranking

  1. Chloe x Halle: Ungodly Hour (Columbia) {133}: Alt:58, AM:+, AV:5, BB:17, BS:28, C:14, Cl:1*, Cmp:15, Dz:6, EW:*, Fa:34, Fld:10, G:12*, GC:20, Gg:15, Glm:11, GQ:8, GTV:91, HDX:+, HV:8, Id:12, Ins:9, IR:+, Jun:18, LBF:9*, Ne:45*, Ni:35, NPR:23, NPR_l:40, OC:23, Okp:2, PB:1, PCv:5, Pf:28, Pf_r:21, PO:+, Ps:1, PW:23, RS:19, RSh:4, T:*, Up:9, Up_r:1, UpC:17, YF:14; am_r:+, asp:4, atl:+, bbc:+, dnw:9, hc:3, now_a:5, npr_lh:4, p:4;p_p:+, ti:2, ust:9, usw:9, v_cw:9, vcj:5, via:8, vrj:8, vsk:10, vu:+, wo:+, wwl:17, xsa:+ -- A:81/7, M:80/4, TH:*
  2. Kehlani: It Was Good Until It Wasn't (TSNMI/Atlantic) {51}: 45:28, AM:*, BB:32, Cl:*, Cmp:23, Dag:6, DS:+, DW:26, E_UK:37, G:*, GC:36, HDX:+, HS:6, I:*, LBF:*, Okp:11, PO:+, Ps:39, Rx:42, Sg:48, T:*, Up:37, Up_r:3; am_k:+, hyb:9, is_h:16, sl:+, st_r:9, vamp:5, vhg:9, vmdv:2, vmrv:7, xjdc:48 -- A:74/11, RC:A-, TH:A-
  3. Teyana Taylor: The Album (Def Jam) {35}: AM:+*, BB:36, Cl:20*, Dag:4, EW:*, G:47, HDX:+, Mu:49, NME:*, Okp:13, Ps:30, Up_r:20, YF:*; am_r:+, asp:2, sl:+, vak:9, vdvn:1, vjly:4, vu:+ -- A:75/8, M:77/4, TH:***
  4. Victoria Monet: Jaguar (Tribe -EP) {31}: AM:*, BS:19, Cl:*, G:*, GQ:14, I:39*, LBF:28*, N:10, NME:*, NPR:20, Okp:18, PCv:19, Up_r:11, YW:83; am_r:+, asp:9, npr_bc:3, npr_sm:8 -- A:80/6, M:82/6, TH:**
  5. Fantastic Negrito: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? (Cooking Vinyl/Blackball Universe) {24}: AD:*, AS:*, ClR:13, Gl:++*, L:18, Mj:*, MO:*, N:86, Rf:8, SE:135, TL:30, U:*; am_b:+, vkt:4 -- A:77/7, M:77/8, TH:***
  6. Swamp Dogg: Sorry You Couldn't Make It (Joyful Noise) {19}: Btz:47, ClR:*, DB:*, GTV:*, Mj:*, P:*, PM:*, PO:+, SE:88, Sp:*, TS:+, U:*; am_a:+, aqd:+, bg_u:+, pm_s:19, rc_s:9 -- A:76/5, M:79/8, TH:**
  7. Brandy: B7 (Brand Nu/Entertainment One) {18}: Al:*, AM:+, BB:42, Cl:*, HDX:+, O:*, Okp:+, Up_r:19; am_r:+, bg_j:+, hc_g:3, key:+, via:9, vmdv:7, vti:+ -- A:75/6, M:72/4, TH:*
  8. Mourning [A] BLKstar: The Cycle (Don Giovanni) {18}: AM:*, Btz:23, FB:78, PM:36, W:3; am_r:+, ca_d:5, owl:+, pm_s:4, vak:7, ycct:1
  9. Alicia Keys: Alicia (RCA) {14}: AD:*, Al:82, I:*, HDX:+, LBF:*, Mj:*, MO:*, NME:*, NYT:*, PO:+, TL:26, V:* -- A:74/10, M:77/12, TH:**
  10. Brent Faiyaz: Fuck the World (Lost Kids) {12}: Cmp:26, Em:*, HS:10, N:19, NPR:36, Up_r:6, vcj:8 -- A:78/3
  11. 79rs Gang: Expect the Unexpected (Sinking City) {11}: PO:4; ygc:3, yjrs:5 -- A:70/1, TH:***
  12. Don Bryant: You Make Me Feel (Fat Possum) {11}: AM:*, AS:*, Mj:51*, PM:*, TL:52; am_b:+, am_r:+, npr_lo:9, pm_s:9, xtl:+ -- A:85/2, M:83/7
  13. Bobby Rush: Rawer Than Raw (Deep Rush) {11}: AM:*, Cpu:18, PO:+, SE:46, TL:88; am_b:+, mj_b:10 -- TH:***
  14. Robert Cray Band: That's What I Heard (Nozzle) {10}: AM:*, ClR:*, Gl:*, PM:*, U:*; am_b:+, tbm:15 -- M:83/6, RC:***
  15. Shemekia Copeland: Uncivil War (Alligator) {9}: Mj:*; am_b:+, mj_b:1, so_d:1 -- TH:*
  16. Sonny Landreth: Blacktop Run (Provogue) {9}: AM:*, CS:*, ClR:*, Cpu:10, Mj:*, U:*; am_b:+ -- M:77/4
  17. Steve Arrington: Down to the Lowest Terms: The Soul Sessions (Stones Throw) {8}: AM:*, Ex:*, PO:+, TL:67, U:*; am_r:+, npr_lo:7 -- A:78/3, TH:*
  18. Son Little: Aloha (Anti/Epitaph) {8}: DJ:39, Mj:*, PM:*, U:*; pm_s:15, xbf:+, xsa:+, ysh:9 -- A:70/2, M:80/5
  19. Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite: 100 Years of Blues (Alligator) {7}: AM:*, SE:54; am_b:+, mj_b:3 -- TH:**
  20. JoJo: Good to Know (Warner) {7}: Clv:44, G:*, Id:44, MO:*; asp:5, vamp:10 -- A:80/2
  21. Toni Braxton: Spell My Name (Island) {6}: G:*, V:*; asp:1, vti:8 -- A:70/2, M:71/6
  22. Jacob Collier: Djesse (Vol 3) (Hajanga) {5}: Al:*, Rf:58; tg:+, vuk:2 -- A:90/1
  23. Dion: Blues With Friends (KTBA) {5}: AD:*, AS:*, ClR:*; am_b:+ -- A:87/3, TH:*
  24. Che Ecru: Til Death (F Plus) {5}: Up_r:10 -- TH:**
  25. K Michelle: All Monsters Are Human (EOne) {5}: AM:*, HV:19, PO:+; am_r:+
  26. Cristina Vane: Old Played New (Blue Tip) {5}: Cpu:23; tg:+ -- TH:***
  27. Emma Donovan & the Putbacks: Crossover (Hope Street) {4}: DJ:3
  28. Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters: Rise Up (Stony Plain) {4}: AM:*, AS:*; am_b:+ -- A:80/2, TH:*
  29. Al Gold: Al Gold's Paradise (self-released) {4}: -- TH:A-
  30. Johnny Iguana: Johnny Iguana's Chicago Spectacular (Delmark) {4}: AM:*, SE:55; am_b:+ -- TH:**
  31. Jimmy Johnson: Every Day of Your Life (Delmark -19) {4}: DB:*; jhm:6 -- TH:**
  32. Queen Naija: Misunderstood (Capitol) {4}: AM:*, Up_r:13; am_r:+
  33. Wild Billy Childish and the Chatham Singers: Kings of the Medway Delta (Damaged Goods) {3}: Mj:*, Q:*, VLR:49 -- M:78/4
  34. Lonnie Holley: National Freedom (Jagjaguwar) {3}: LQ:*, Pf:*; aqd:+ -- A:81/3
  35. Early James: Singing for My Supper (Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch) {3}: AM:*; am_b:+, mj_a:8
  36. Kem: Love Always Wins (Motown) {3}: AM:*, TL:64; am_r:+
  37. Troy Kingi: The Ghost of Freddie Cesar (Allgood Absolute Alternative) {3}: rnz:1
  38. Partynextdoor: Partymobile (OVO Sound/Warner) {3}: Up_r:9 -- A:55/2
  39. They: The Amanda Tape (Island) {3}: LBF:26, Up_r:17
  40. Dedicated Men of Zion: Can't Turn Me Around (Bible & Tire) {2}: npr_lo:3
  41. Tinsley Ellis: Ice Cream in Hell (Alligator) {2}: AM:*; am_b:+
  42. Fireboy DML: Apollo (YBNL Nation/Empire) {2}: Pf:*; n_sp:+ -- A:83/1
  43. Kirk Fletcher: My Blues Pathway (Cleopatra) {2}: mj_b:5
  44. Vivian Green: Love Absolute (SoNo) {2}: AM:*; am_r:+
  45. The HamilTones: 1964 [One Nine Six Four] (Ghetto Allstars) {2}: AM:*; am_r:+
  46. Ian Isiah: Auntie (E1 Entertainment) {2}: now_a:10, ny_c:+
  47. Leven Kali: Hightide (Interscope) {2}: Al:57* -- A:90/1
  48. Ledisi: The Wild Card (Listen Back Entertainment) {2}: AM:*; am_r:+
  49. Angela Munoz: Adrian Younge Presents Angela Munoz Inspection (Linear Labs) {2}: Bc:+*
  50. Loren Oden: Adrian Younge Presents Loren Oden: My Heart, My Love (Linear Labs) {2}: AM:*; am_r:+
  51. Ojerime: B4 I Breakdown (Fang) {2}: Cl:48; cmp:+
  52. Thorbjorn Risager & the Black Tornado: Come On In (Ruf) {2}: AM:*; am_b:+ -- A:80/1
  53. Duke Robillard: Blues Bash With Duke Robillard & Friends (Stony Plain) {2}: AM:*; am_b:+
  54. Justine Skye: Bare With Me (Nynetineth) {2}: Up_r:18
  55. Trey Songz: Back Home (Atlantic) {2}: Up_r:16
  56. Bryson Tiller: Anniversary (RCA) {2}: Up_r:14 -- A:60/2
  57. Walter Trout: Ordinary Madness (Provogue) {2}: AM:*; am_b:+ -- A:75/2
  58. Cristina Vane: The Magnolia Sessions (Anti-Corp) {2}: -- TH:**
  59. Benny Walker: Chosen Line (Independent) {2}: DJ:12
  60. Summer Walker: Life on Earth (LVRN/Interscope -EP) {2}: Cl:*, NME:* -- A:76/3
  61. Sunny War: Can I Sit With You? (Hen House Studios -EP) {2}: bc_s:*, fa:+
  62. Watermelon Slim: Traveling Man (Northern Blues) {2}: mj_b:2
  63. Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin: Live From Austin (Yep Roc -EP) {1}: YW:71
  64. Quinton Barnes: Aarupa (Grimalkin) {1}: Bc:*
  65. Frank Bey: All My Dues Are Paid (Nola Blue) {1}: DB:*
  66. Zachary Cale: False Spring (All Hands Electric) {1}: aqd:+
  67. Cassowary: Cassowary (Fat Possum) {1}: pm_s:11
  68. Danielia Cotton and the Church Boys: A Different War (self-released) {1}: se_fp:+
  69. Franck L Goldwasser: Sweet Little Black Spider (Slimbyrd) {1}: mj_b:9
  70. Hurricane Ruth: Good Life (American Showplace Music) {1}: YW:86
  71. Keb' Mo': Oklahoma (Concord -19) {1}: jrm;+
  72. Ben Levin: Carryout or Delivery (Vizztone) {1}: mj_b:7
  73. Errol Linton: No Entry (Brassdog) {1}: ygc:+
  74. Branford Marsalis: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom [Original Soundtrack] (Milan) {1}: YW:62 -- TH:B
  75. Gerald McClendon: Can't Nobody Stop Me Now (Delta Roots) {1}: DB:*
  76. New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers: Vol 1 (Stony Plain) {1}: YW:127
  77. John Petrucci: Terminal Velocity (Sound Mind Music) {1}: lwr:+
  78. Roomful of Blues: In a Roomful of Blues (Alligator) {1}: DB:*
  79. Sectiontoo: Cascade Effect (self-released) {1}: bc_s:*
  80. Dave Specter: Blues From the Inside Out (Delmark -19) {1}: DB:*
  81. Brother Theotis Taylor: Brother Theotis Taylor (Mississippi) {1}: tg:+
  82. TeaMarr: Before I Spill Myself (Atlantic) {1}: Ps:43
  83. Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald: Push the Blues Away (Ivy League) {1}: ysh:7
  84. Kim Wilson: Take Me Back! The Bigtone Sessions (MC) {1}: mj_b:8