Charli XCX

The 50 best albums of 2020: the full list

Our countdown is complete, topped by a mercurial work of sprawling invention by a woman who has dug deep to survive. Taken as a whole, these choices contain drama, solace, poetry and fire, a fitting selection for a turbulent year

Ben Beaumont-Thomas and Laura Snapes

18, Dec, 2020 @8:07 AM

Michael Kiwanuka wins 2020 Mercury prize

Folk-soul singer wins £25,000 prize on third attempt for the album Kiwanuka, described by the Guardian as one of the best albums of the past decade

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

24, Sep, 2020 @6:36 PM

Hardcore pop fans are abusing critics – and putting acclaim before art | Ben Beaumont-Thomas

Taylor Swift superfans are ganging up on critics who haven’t given her new album a perfect score – a symptom of a culture obsessed with quantifying our lives

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

03, Aug, 2020 @9:54 AM

The Guardian view on lockdown creativity: a freedom for female musicians? | Editorial

Editorial: For some the domestic space has offered artistic liberation at odds with the home’s reputation as a place of constraint for women

Editorial

02, Aug, 2020 @5:25 PM

Mercury prize 2020: Stormzy, Dua Lipa and Michael Kiwanuka among nominees

More female artists nominated than any other year, including a fourth nomination for Laura Marling

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

23, Jul, 2020 @10:30 AM

Mercury prize 2020: where are the albums dragged from the fringes?

Yes, it boasts more women, but this year’s list of nominees doesn’t offer much in the way of surprises

Alexis Petridis

23, Jul, 2020 @10:30 AM

From Justin Bieber to Haim: how seven top artists made video clips in lockdown

One set up a home green screen. Another taught herself animation. Not even pandemic-enforced isolation can stop some people creating

Katie Cunningham

23, May, 2020 @8:00 PM

Charli XCX: How I'm Feeling Now review – truly a work of its time

The ‘workaholic party animal’ has, under the glare of social media, put together a quarantine record to beat them all

Kitty Empire

16, May, 2020 @1:00 PM

Coronavirus cabin fever: the best celebrities to follow, from Robbie Williams to Florence Pugh

Stars – they’re just like us! As in: losing their minds with boredom and making increasingly hysterical content. Here are some of the best regular feeds

Sinead Stubbins

25, Mar, 2020 @1:23 AM