Legends Never Die by Juice WRLD: The first posthumous album by late rapper Juice WRLD, Legends Never Die is an ode to heartbreak, drugs, lyrical freestyles and hypnotic tunes that touches fan’s hearts. With songs like “Wishing Well” and “Come & Go,” Juice WRLD didn’t disappoint with this album, alongside features from Halsey, Polo G, and The Kid Laroi. Most of the songs are melodramatic so as to capture the true essence of Juice’s experiences with agony, love/hate and drug addiction. Juice WRLD was a monumental artist whose music helped people cope anxiety and depression, so the title fits properly.

Folklore by Taylor Swift: One year later after releasing “Lover,” Taylor Swift returns with her eighth studio album. The popular artist recorded the album during the quarantine, and announced it on social media hours prior to the release. The song, “Cardigan” stands out from the album, representing a point of view from a character named Betty. She said during a livestream for the album, “There’s a collection of three songs I refer to as The Teenage Love Triangle. These three songs explore a love triangle from all three people’s perspectives at different times in their lives.”

Shoot for the Stars, Aim For the Moon by Pop Smoke: “Woo back, baby!” Pop Smoke’s estate released the rapper’s first posthumous album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. The songs provide tasteful verses of the rapper’s lavish lifestyle. Features on the album include artists such as Roddy Rich,Young Thug, Fivio Foreign,and 50 Cent. 50 Cent was the executive producer of Pop’s debut album. On June 30, Virgil Abloh, creator of the famous brand OFF-WHITE, unveiled the album’s (original) artwork, but fans quickly expressed their disapproval. The dismay led to Virgil’s cover being scrapped. The final artwork simply features a silver rose in the center of a black square.

What’s Poppin (remix) by Jack Harlow, DaBaby, Tory Lanez, Lil Wayne: Louisiana native Jack Harlow remixed his most-popular song, “What’s Poppin”, recruiting popular artists Lil Wayne, DaBaby and Tory Lanez. Each artist gives a different type of flow and creates a new variety for the song.The original song charted at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the remix charted #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Jack Harlow discussed on Apple Music, “Getting DaBaby and Tory Lanez on the record is very exciting, but Lil Wayne is a dream come true. Something I can say was done for the place I’m from, a moment my city and state can be proud of.”

The Bigger Picture by Lil Baby: In the midst of a nationwide protest advocating for the justice of George Floyd and an end to systemic racism harming Black Americans, Lil Baby released a protest song, commenting on the police brutality and systemic racism in America. The track comes just days after Baby went out and protested on the streets of Atlanta on June 8, 2020. At the protest, Baby was a leading force, leading the crowd on his bicycle (as depicted on the single’s cover art) as well as distributing supplies and money to protestors and speaking in front of the crowd when they reached the march’s destination of Georgia’s State Capitol Building.

The Lion King: The Gift by Beyonce: A year after Disney released their motion picture, The Lion King (live-action), Beyonce began to create and produce a new album to accompany the movie. The deluxe version of the album, released on July 31st 2020, coincides with Beyoncé’s visual album, BLACK IS KING, which premiered on July 31, 2020 on Disney+. The film reconnects Bey with many of the artists involved in the album, including Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and JAY-Z.

The Goat by Polo G: Polo G released his second studio album, THE GOAT. THE GOAT debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 during the week of May 30, 2020, after selling 99,000 units in the first week. This is Polo G’s highest charting album of his career so far, beating out his 2019 album Die A Legend. His album features the late rapper Juice WRLD, having him on the most popular song on the album, “Flex”. Another outstanding song on the album is “Martin and Gina”. Other features include Lil Baby, Stunna 4 Vegas, NLE Choppa, and Mustard.

Popstar/Greece by DJ Khaled/Drake: DJ Khaled returns with two brand-new tracks, “Popstar” and “Greece” with the notorious OVO rapper, Drake. “Greece” was teased on Drake’s Instagram Live, hyping up the song for the fans. “Popstar” compares Drake as a pop star and the lifestyle that comes with being one—girls calling him nonstop, sporting credit cards with high spending limits, and buying large numbers of expensive watches. These two songs are lead singles for DJ Khaled’s twelfth studio album, “Khaled Khaled,” which is coming soon.

Wash Us in the Blood by Kanye West (ft. Travis Scott): Kanye West blesses his fans with his lead single “Wash Us in the Blood” with a feature from Travis Scott. The song serves as a taste of Kanye’s anticipated album, “God’s Country.” The title points to West’s Christian faith—to be “washed in the blood” infers acceptance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice since the Bible talks about the cleansing power of Christ’s blood in 1 John 1:7.