BY: Alexis Eichelberger

We’re now six-plus months into 2020. It’s been a turbulent year and many album releases have been delayed, but we’ve still enjoyed listening to some incredible new cuts from some of our favorite artists.

Here are eight of the best albums released in the first half of 2020:

Lady Gaga’s Chromatica

Lady Gaga returns to dance-pop with her electric album Chromatica. It includes the explosive lead single “Stupid Love” and the stellar collaboration track “Rain On Me” that features Ariana Grande. There are also other infectious tunes. We’ve had it on repeat since its release in late May.

Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush

The wait for new music from Tame Impala is always long, but Kevin Parker always delivers. He proved his musical genius once again with another record full of funky psychedelic rock tunes that push the boundaries of genre. The middle of the tracklist includes some noteworthy tracks like “Tomorrow’s Dust,” “Posthumous Forgiveness” and “Breathe Deeper.”

Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher

This year may feel like the end of the world and it’s been noted that Phoebe Bridgers makes the perfect music for these times. Her signature raw and sorrowful style takes on new weight in Punisher, this time with a bit of extra synth thrown in. Some notable tracks include: “Garden Song,” “Kyoto” and “Chinese Satellite.”

Halsey’s Manic

Halsey has become one of the biggest names in pop in recent years and fans have been waiting for her third studio album. Manic shows her most vulnerable side, revealing the ugliness of a breakup and a reckoning with identity. “Finally // beautiful stranger” is a personal favorite because it puts Halsey’s vocal sweetness on full display. Our other picks for the best tracks are the high-speed rock song “3am” and the very personal “929.”

Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia

With her second studio album, Dua Lipa solidified her position at the top of the pop pyramid. “Physical” is one of the hottest tracks of the year. “Don’t Start Now” and “Break My Heart” continue to dominate the charts. With its perfectly selected singles, innovative music videos and coordinated releases of merchandise to match, Future Nostalgia has become an all-consuming era for Dua Lipa.

Mac Miller’s Circles

The release of Mac Miller’s posthumous album Circles in January rocked us. It shows us one last glimpse of the insightful, artistic soul we’ve been missing since 2018. The meandering melody and pondering lyrics of “Good News” continue to transport us to a state of reflection and the title track offers what now feels like a haunting look into Miller’s mind.

Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple unexpectedly graced us with her fifth studio album in April, nearly eight years after her last release. The gritty alt-rock collection takes a deep dive into hard topics like solitude, bullying and sexual assault and confronts them with tongue-in-cheek humor. In the rhythmic opening track, “I Want You To Love Me,” Apple does her best to make sense of existence, while “For Her” features a chorus of voices singing a bluesy tune of striking imagery.

The Strokes’ The New Abnormal

In their first release since 2013, The Strokes offers fans a cohesive nine-track collection of feel-good rock. It’s an easy listen that’s also an instrumental delight and frontman Julian Casablancas sounds thoroughly comfortable throughout. Our favorites tracks include: “The Adults are Talking,” “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus” and “Eternal Summer.”