The closure of 2025 isn’t just the end to another year, we’re halfway through a great decade of music. Over the past five years there has been a surplus of gems all over the genre spectrum. This article will be a personal rewind of albums that have continued to be a gift so far in the 2020s.
The requirements are simple, the album must have been released from 2020 to now. With this sample size it gives songs from each album a chance to either gain or lose their replay value and significance. At the same time this list isn’t just based on replay value, the most perfect songs probably aren’t getting the most casual listens. Each section will have my favorite tracks, underrated or sleeper songs, then lastly my best memory with that album or in its era.
MUSIC, Playboi Carti (2025)
“Carti dropped, Carti dropped!” is what I’ve heard every three months for the last five years, and my response was always the same.
“What and where?”
I could care less for the Instagram and Soundcloud leaks, I don’t want it unless it’s real. So when the streets said it again in March 2025, I just went on about my day and didn’t think twice.
Then to my surprise, a full and official 30 song tracklist with every feature and *recent* unreleased song that could be asked for was right there on my screen. That first hour and 17 minute listen can only be described as a sonic earthquake. Not only was Carti on his A-game, but these features continued to warrant ridiculous reactions.
Travis Scott (5x), Lil Uzi Vert (2x), Future (2x), Young Thug, The Weeknd and Jhene Aiko on a Playboi Carti album? Can’t forget the Lamar stimulus package, one set of ad libs, one verse and one chorus on three different tracks.
MUSIC was released in 2025, but Carti himself has been compelling each year for different songs, features and projects, MUSIC was his final stamp on his indisputable four year run.
My tens: “CRUSH,” “Evil J0RDAN,” “BACKD00R,” “CHARGE DEM HOES A FEE,” “DIS 1 GOT IT”
My sleepers: “TRIM” “TWIN TRIM”
Icing on the cake (deluxe): “2024” and “FOMDJ”
Best memory: First listen, hearing Uzi on “TWIN TRIM” but not realizing until the song was over
One of Wun, Gunna (2024)
Truly any solo Gunna album can have a spot on this list. From Wunna in 2020 to The Last Wun released in August he has not missed (no matter what has been said about him).
Each release was pivotal for his name and career and he didn’t waste an opportunity to deliver. “a Gift & a Curse” was his first album after beating a RICO case (that many, including me didn’t think he would) and he showcased some of his best work. A year later he doubled down on his strengths and separated himself as an individual force that can carry, slide, and float on beats completely unassisted. I view One of Wun as the bridge to his previous life, and a very well executed rebrand showing that high quality work will do more for your name than anything else.
My tens: “collage,” “one of wun,” “hakuna matata”
My sleepers: “back in the a,” “blackjack,” “$$$”
Best memory: Wun of Dem Nights tour show
For All The Dogs, Drake (2023)
This selection might just be my personal favorite from the decade so far. Throw in the six song deluxe, no other album will get more consistent listens than this.
“Slime You Out” came out in September, and somehow still finished the year as my second most listened to song. Each Drake album will have a run of no skip songs, but For All The Dogs has the strongest and most enjoyable run in his discography. I appreciate every song here. “First Person Shooter” (aged horribly, but a great song nonetheless) to “Another Late Night” will all get a repeat before a skip. “Tried Our Best,” “Drew A Picasso,” “Members Only” and “What Would Pluto Do” are all certified diamond over here…
Then the Scary Hours Edition was newer gold on top of still new gold. On five out of six tracks, this Drake can’t be found in such amounts on any other project. No chorus, no bridge, no singing vocals or experimenting. Just pure rap. I’ve been gatekeeping these, but enough time has passed, so I can share it now.
Story telling wise, you can’t do much better than “Stories About My Brother” and “The Shoe Fits,” similar to twin siblings, if you pick a favorite you’re in the wrong.
There was “First Person Shooter” earlier but if you asked me what I would want a Drake and J. Cole collab to sound like it is quite literally “Evil Ways.” And I can’t even digest that gem, because a heartfelt anthem follows. I didn’t have an ex at the time, but will rap “You Broke My Heart” like I had ten of them.
For All the Dogs has not left my Apple Replay since its release. All signs point to it getting more comfortable at the top.
My tens: “Tried Our Best,” “Drew A Picasso” “What Would Pluto Do”
My sleepers: “Bahamas Promises” “Members Only” “All The Parties”
Icing on the cake (Deluxe): “Stories About My Brother” “The Shoe Fits” “You Broke My Heart”
Best memory: His It’s All A Blur tour was the best concert experience I’ve had and may not be topped.
How Do You Sleep At Night, Teezo Touchdown (2023)
Everyone who has “main character” syndrome needs an album to match their delusion. When I feel like my life is a Netflix original, How Do You Sleep At Night is the soundtrack.
There are times it’s good to know someone’s name, voice, and songs before seeing them…because if you see something irregular, you might go the other way and miss out on your new favorite thing.
That was my relationship with Teezo before hearing all his big features. I had no idea who this man was, but got familiar with his name and voice before being promptly recommended his debut album. One listen and I became his new biggest fan…then I saw all the nails he had in his head.
Despite whatever was going on there, I was already hooked and the damage was done. I later saw him perform on four different occasions and was the loudest in the crowd each time, because with him on stage, who’s looking more out of the ordinary than…well, him?
Since I was put on, I haven’t wasted an opportunity trying to do the same for others. I’ll start with the Drake, Travis, Tyler or Don features, then go into one or two of his individual songs. After that I’ll let them see what he looks like on their own to not influence their thoughts. So far, this has been a beneficial method.
My tens: “Impossible,” “Mood Swings” “Too Easy”
My sleepers: “Sweet,” “Familiarity” “Stranger” “The Original Was Better”
Best memory: Telling my friends about Teezo’s hair having nails in it before seeing him at Lollapalooza just for him to come out with a haircut wearing some variant of an Iron Man suit
Icing on the cake: “Up and Down”
Jaguar ll, Victoria Monet (2023)
There are a very small number of artists that have had a better first impression than Northern California’s Victoria Monet.
The original, deluxe, and even the holiday edition of Jauguar ll are all pure and impenetrable. No weak spots to be found.
The versatility displayed pushed the album to be far from a seasonal listen. “Party Girls” is the summer vacation song, “Alright,” “Cadillac” and “On My Mama” are power anthems while “Smoke” and “How Does It Make You Feel” are the calm keepers. She was serious and passionate here, humorous and playful there, but the quality never dipped making this a perfect modern R&B album, no questions asked.
My tens: “Party Girls” “How Does It Make You Feel”
My sleepers: “Cadillac” “I’m The One”
Icing on the cake (Deluxe): All the Above
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar (2022)
I truly believe that if this were the only time I heard Kendrick for the entire the decade, I would still be completely satisfied. The love for this album has no ceiling, the layers of each song, each lesson, and each story keeps the well of enjoyment filled to the brim no matter how many times I visit.
It’s been said that each Lamar album is executed and to be heard in a way more than just an album. Good kid, m.A.A.d city was a storytelling movie. Kendrick’s movie, heard sonically but easy to see, imagine, and visualize. To Pimp a Butterfly was poetry, the best and most entertaining literary work in the genre. DAMN can be received as a parable, storytelling with the purpose and focus on his moral testing.
Following the same chord, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was pure theatre. Not just because of the theatrical transitions, interludes, and dialogues, but through the format and structure as well.
The Big Stepper Tour solidified this thought even more. It was far from just a musical concert…it was an interactive play. Compton’s best coming to a city near you.
Years later the album has continued to age perfectly, ignoring (or not) all the drama, each full listen shares the feelings of fulfillment, relief and awakening similar to a quality therapy session.
Forget the grammy, someone go hand him a Tony right now.
My tens: “N95,” “Die Hard,” and “Savior”
My sleepers: “Rich Spirit” and “Count Me Out”
Best memory: The Big Steppers Tour was my first floor experience at a concert, after this I never went back
MORE BLACK SUPERHEROS, WESTSIDE BOOGIE (2022)
Close your eyes and remember the last time you received a gift that you didn’t use at the time, but now use regularly. One that doesn’t feel like you have to make up for lost time, because you’re in the season you could use it most.
MORE BLACK SUPERHEROS dropped in 2022 but it found its way to me a year later in 2023. I started a new job, was in a new space with new people, so sooner or later I was bound to hear new music.
The first song that stuck was “NONCHALANT,” and continued to stick for the next 365 days. In 2024 discovering Teezo Touchdown, “CANT GET OVER YOU” earned many quality listens as well. These were the only two songs I listened to off this album because they found their way to me. Then towards the end of this year MORE BLACK SUPERHEROS got its first full listen, and I will most likely be giving this album another consistent 365 days.
My tens: “NONCHALANT” “CANT GET OVER YOU”
My sleepers: “AIGHT,” “WINDOWS DOWN”
Best memory: Being recommended a song from the album and it becoming one of my top songs a year later
Dawn FM, The Weeknd (2022)
The eternity of this era and trilogy might be a peak that won’t be matched by many more.
From 2020 and onwards, he didn’t miss once. The singles “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights” (which is one of the biggest songs of all time). He then dropped After Hours, then performed at the Super Bowl.
I bought my concert ticket that night. Covid happened, and it was delayed until 2022 for the Dawn FM tour. This album dropped at the top of the year and lasted a full, nonstop, no-skip, 365 days. I always knew I loved Abel, I just didn’t know how much. Every part of the last five years he has done something legendary, and then he started bringing Carti everywhere. There is not one complaint, nor one bad song…maybe a bad tv show, but musically nobody did it better from 2020-2025.
My tens: “Take My Breath” “Sacrifice,” “Out of Time”
My sleepers: “Best Friends,” “Is There Someone Else” “Don’t Break My Heart”
Best Memory: Catching Covid-19, being in some of the worst physical pain ever but mustering up enough energy to vibe out to “Sacrifice” and sing “Out of Time.”
Certified Lover Boy, Drake (2021)
Crisp and polished, but entertaining and engaging. That’s the dynamic of Drake’s CLB.
On the surface, it’s easy to find memeable and corny moments while sifting select lyrics and titles. But, the majority of the record carries a diverse and mature honesty that listeners may not have related to or appreciated fully at the time of release. “Girls Want Girls,” “Way 2 Sexy” and “Knife Talk” did their job of being quick hits, (still bangers). However, the meat of the album, mainly the solo songs like “Champagne Poetry,” “TSU,” “Pipe Down” and “Race My Mind,” grow stronger roots each listen, as well as the timeless tracks “N 2 Deep” and “Get Along Better.” In terms of overall enjoyment both then and now, this is a top three favorite Drake project and will always get a full listen.
My tens: “Girls Want Girls,” “Pipe Down” “TSU”
My sleepers: “Love All,” “Fair Trade,” “Get Along Better,” “Race My Mind” “IMY2”
Best memory: Kanye posting Drake’s address on Instagram during the CLB and Donda beef, even though it was already public information
Eternal Atake, Lil Uzi Vert (2020)
Clockwork. It’s as if I had an annual exam with my life depending on how much I knew the ins-and-outs of this album. That is how I treat Uzi’s Eternal Atake.
I cannot and will not go more than three months without a full Eternal Atake run. This means the full original then the full deluxe, then back into the original again.
The sonic space journey through the original 18 tracks can’t be replicated by any other artist, because there is only one Lil Uzi Vert. Pressing the first song, “Baby Pluto,” will automatically relocate anyone into the depths of space. Followed by songs orchestrating your journey back to earth. The album was split into three sections breaking up the album into three different parts of the plot. Other artists have done an exceptional job at taking their listeners on scenic journeys, Travis Scott being the overall best to do so. But nothing tops this intergalactic adventure, and on the days I would like to stay home on earth that’s what LUV vs. The World 2 is for.
To put it simply, the Eternal Atake deluxe makes me feel like my pockets are getting fatter and life is getting better. Hearing “Myron” after it being teased for years then following it up with “Bean,” ‘Yessirskiii ” and “Wassup” made for a top tier first listen. It is usually an easy choice to choose between an original or deluxe to say which one is preferred but it’s not so simple here. Eternal Atake as an entire album might be his best work in his discography but LUV vs. The World 2 has a great collection of his best songs. Staying on theme with this Uzi era, in the hypothetical situation that I was launched into space and would only be able to listen to one album for the time being, what would it be? Personally, it isn’t even a question.
My tens: “Baby Pluto,” “Lo Mein,” “Venetia,” “That Way”
My sleepers: “Bigger Than Life,” “Chrome Heart Tags” “Bust Me”
Best Memory: Listening to the album for the first time in English class with my best friend, then her sending me the deluxe before I knew it was released in our first week of quarantine.
Icing on the cake: “Myron,” “I Can Show You,” “Got the Guap” “Leaders”
Delivered by Le’Raun Peron
