Sound of 2020

Fresh From Home: JP Saxe
He's from Toronto. His success with If The World Was Ending was a coincidence at a time of global crisis. He likes being able to travel the world as an artist, as music opens doors.

Back To Mine
This time, Vick met Awa, Tom Walker and Biig Piig, and Niko B had to busk his chatter on his tod. Some seemed to be suffering more with lockdown than others.

Back to Mine
The 4th episode saw Vick chat to Mimi Webb, Dan D'lion, and Cam from Sigma & John Newman. ZieZie was included but got no chat with Vick. Perhaps starkest was the Sigma chat, as Cam's fellow member Joe was suffering with covid. John was in the studio with him to sing their new song. Perhaps this series will only be finite as lockdown eases, but it's a marked improvement on the usual.

Fresh - This Month
Another run of performances, some more ornate than others, whilst still keeping to social distance. Ella Henderson, Ava Max, James Bay, Zara Larsson, Sports Team, PS1 ft Alex Hosking and The Vamps all did their latest single or thereabouts.

Fresh From Home - Beabadoobee
September's choice has had a hit with help from Powfu, but hardly pulling up trees on her own account. She was self-taught on the guitar by following video tutorials. She came from the Philippines, but lives in Londdon now. She was surprised to get a Brits nomination (presumably for the Rising Star type thing).

Back to Mine
Episode 5 sees Josie Man and Delilah Montagu managing their bits without talking to Vick, whilst Foxes and Lady Leshurr did chat to her. Odd that the newer acts were left to their own devices really. Leshurr has subsequently been announced for the next series of Dancing on Ice in early 2021, along with Jason Donovan and others, so maybe fame is finally around the corner for her?

Fresh This Month - October
Big names like Billie Eilish and B Young, but nothing too exciting, even if something fresh from Katy Perry made a nice change.

Fresh From Home - Bree Runway
October's choice, marking Black History Month, is a Londoner with blue hair. Her cousin gave her the name. She has performed for Michelle Obama. She misses the live buzz of performance. She did a couple of tracks, neither of which were Ain't It.

Back to Mine
The final episode saw Vick talking, sometimes with Griff, Matilda Homer, The Snuts and Jess Glynne. They were in odd locations like sheds, churches or rehearsal studios. 

Overall it's been a good series which I suspect will be back in 2021, as circumstances still permit.

Later w/Jools Holland - Celeste
Her winning of "Sound of 2020" seems a very long time ago, but she discussed her story to date, which seems to have been via Youtube and Soundcloud. She did the Stop This Flame video in New Orleans. She picked performances by Alicia Keys, Eartha Kitt, Willis Earl Beal, Alabama Shakes and slowthai.

Fresh From Home - Tate McRae
She's a dancer from Canada, and had her own YT channel. She was contacted by 11 labels, and signed to RCA. She started writing at 13. Her big debut his You Broke Me First, though how she follows that up remains to be seen.

Fresh This Month
November's selection emphasises the rather generic form this segment has grooved into, but at least Sam Smith and Celeste were worth the exposure, another spot for Tate McRae, and Billie Eilish's brother Finneas, doomed to be so described forever more.

The yearly wrap-ups are already starting (though I guess Christmas won't affect these too much).

The UK Music Video Chart of the Year, in association with Youtube

01 LIFE IS GOOD Future ft Drake
02 HEAD & HEART Joel Corry ft MNEK ******
03 RAIN Aitch ft AJ Tracey + Tay Keith
04 I DUNNO Tion Wayne ft Dutchavelli + Stormzy
05 BLINDING LIGHTS The Weeknd ********
06 RAIN ON ME Lady Gaga ft Ariana Grande *
07 TOOSIE SLIDE Drake *
08 AIN'T IT DIFFERENT Headie One ft AJ Tracey + Stormzy
09 YUMMY Justin Bieber
10 SAY SO Doja Cat

11 PHYSICAL Dua Lipa
12 THE BOX Roddy Ricch
13 LAUGH NOW, CRY LATER Drake ft Lil Durk
14 BREAK MY HEART Dua Lipa
15 LONELY Joel Corry
16 LIGHTER Nathan Dawe ft KSI
17 DINNER GUEST AJ Tracey ft MoStack
18 WEST TEN AJ Tracey ft Mabel
19 DYNAMITE BTS
20 THE WOO Pop Smoke ft 50 Cent + Roddy Ricch

Hey, a double dose of much of the same:

UK Hotlist of 2020 (based on streaming)

01 BLINDING LIGHTS The Weeknd ********
02 ROSES (REMIX) Saint Jhn **
03 THE BOX Roddy Ricch
04 ROCKSTAR DaBaby ft Roddy Ricch ******
05 WATERMELON SUGAR Harry Styles
06 HEAD & HEART Joel Corry ft MNEK ******
07 BLUEBERRY FAYGO Lil Mosey
08 ADORE YOU Harry Styles
09 TOOSIE SLIDE Drake *
10 LIFE IS GOOD Future ft Drake

11 DEATH BED Powfu ft Beabadoobee
12 ROVER S1mba ft DTG
13 GODZILLA Eminem ft Juice WRLD *
14 BREAKING ME Topic ft A7S
15 RAIN ON ME Lady Gaga ft Ariana Grande *
16 LONELY Joel Corry
17 SAVAGE LOVE (LAXED - SIREN BEAT) Jawsh 685 ft Jason Derulo ***
18 RAIN Aitch ft AJ Tracey + Tay Keith
19 SAY SO Doja Cat
20 FLOWERS Nathan ft Jaykae

UK Hot List - Kiss Edition of 2020 (much the same, but only a certain section)

01 BLINDING LIGHTS The Weeknd ********
02 THE BOX Roddy Ricch
03 ROCKSTAR DaBaby ft Roddy Ricch ******
04 BLUEBERRY FAYGO Lil Mosey
05 TOOSIE SLIDE Drake *
06 LIFE IS GOOD Future ft Drake
07 ROVER S1mba ft DTG
08 GODZILLA Eminem ft Juice WRLD *
09 SAVAGE LOVE (LAXED - SIREN BEAT) Jawsh 685 ft Jason Derulo ***
10 RAIN Aitch ft AJ Tracey + Tay Keith

11 WEST TEN AJ Tracey ft Mabel
12 MOOD SWINGS Pop Smoke ft Lil TJay
13 I DUNNO Tion Wayne ft Dutchavelli + Stormzy
14 GO CRAZY Chris Brown ft Young Thug
15 AIN'T IT DIFFERENT Headie One ft AJ Tracey + Stormzy
16 GREECE DJ Khaled ft Drake
17 LAUGH NOW, CRY LATER Drake ft Lil Durk
18 LEMONADE Internet Money ft Don Toliver, Nav + Gunna *
19 THE WOOD Pop Smoke ft 50 Cent + Roddy Ricch
20 BALLIN' Mustard ft Roddy Ricch

Top of the Pops Christmas
The annual treat reflecting on 2020, and besides performances (Jamie Cullum, eh?) there was also a rundown of the Top 10 of the Year (apparently):

01 BLINDING LIGHTS The Weeknd ********
02 DANCE MONKEY Tones & I ***********
03 ROSES (REMIX) Saint Jhn **
04 BEFORE YOU GO Lewis Capaldi *
05 DON'T START NOW Dua Lipa
06 ROCKSTAR DaBaby ft Roddy Ricch ******
07 HEAD & HEART Joel Corry ft MNEK ******
08 SOMEONE YOU LOVED Lewis Capaldi *******
09 OWN IT Stormzy ft Burna Boy + Ed Sheeran ***
10 WATERMELON SUGAR Harry Styles

More round-up of charts:

Yo! 2020's Biggest Rap Records

01 AIN'T IT DIFFERENT Headie One ft AJ Tracey + Stormzy
02 PEE PEE M Huncho
03 DINNER GUEST AJ Tracey ft MoStack
04 CHINGY (IT'S WHATEVER) Digga D
05 FRONTLINE Pa Salieu
06 ROVER S1mba ft DTG
07 Y PREE Millionz
08 COME FOR SHAY Shaybo ft Skip Capone
09 AIRPLANE MODE Nines ft NSG
10 RAIN Aitch ft AJ Tracey + Tay Keith

The Official 2020 Streaming Chart

01 BLINDING LIGHTS The Weeknd ********
02 DANCE MONKEY Tones & I ***********
03 ROSES (REMIX) Saint Jhn **
04 ROCKSTAR DaBaby ft Roddy Ricch ******
05 DON'T START NOW Dua Lipa
06 BEFORE YOU GO Lewis Capaldi *
07 SOMEONE YOU LOVED Lewis Capaldi *******
08 HEAD & HEART Joel Corry ft MNEK ******
09 THE BOX Roddy Ricch
10 OWN IT Stormzy ft Ed Sheeran + Burna Boy ***

11 LIFE IS GOOD Future ft Drake
12 SAVAGE LOVE (LAXED - SIREN BEAT) Jawsh 685 ft Jason Derulo ***
13 ROVER S1mba ft DTG
14 SAY SO Doja Cat
15 WATERMELON SUGAR Harry Styles
16 LONELY Joel Corry
17 ADORE YOU Harry Styles
18 RAIN ON ME Lady Gaga ft Ariana Grande *
19 PHYSICAL Dua Lipa
20 WAP Cardi B ft Megan Thee Stallion ***