2020 arts wrap-up
The year 2020 has been a rather odd one, to say the least. With the pandemic affecting everyday life for a majority of the year, the end of 2020 looks very different from the end of 2019. One thing, however, remains: art. Even if you stopped consuming new art in favour of the comfort of old favourites, or found it difficult to keep up with the changing release schedules, 2020 was a great year for art. Here is just a small selection of the best art that came out this year.
First, for all the podcast listeners and rom-com lovers, Romancing the Pod is something you have to check out. Each week, hosts Michael Randolph, Paige Wesley, and Todd Schlosser watch a romantic comedy, then recap and discuss the movie on the podcast. Reviewing everything from old favourites, such as Pretty Woman and Ever After, to new release Holidate, to the downright strange affairs of So I Married an Axe Murderer and Joe Vs. The Volcano. It is a delight to hear people with varying opinions on rom-coms come together and discuss these movies in a way that is both funny and touches on some of the rom-coms’ more insidious aspects.
Next, a Netflix animated show that saw its entire run this year, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, is a family-friendly post-apocalyptic story about a girl who finds herself in a vibrant world of mutated animals and human survivors. With its colourful world and striking character and creature design, the thing that is most exciting about this show is its writing. While being generally light in tone, it’s not scared to disrupt the status quo at every turn and properly explore characters and the full potential of their interpersonal relationships. Despite this being an apocalypse story, much of the message is promoting prosocial solutions to the problems that the characters face, as opposed to the more antisocial, do-everything-yourself message that has become cliché in these types of stories. Also, there are punk rock snakes, lumberjack cats, and bats obsessed with aliens.
Despite the destabilization of the publishing industry, there were some great books that did see publication this year. Felix Ever After is one of these books. Written by Kacen Callender, the book follows trans teen Felix as he navigates life in New York, falls in love, and deals with the aftermath of being outed and dead-named (referred to by a name he no longer uses) at school. There are so many remarkable things that this book manages to accomplish, touching on different kinds of transphobia, the general messiness that comes with being a teenager, and, most critically, the continuation of questioning one’s identity, even after someone has already come out.
Another fantastic book from this year was Tiffany D. Jackson’s Grown. Told from the point of view of the protagonist, Enchanted Jones, the story follows her life after meeting celebrity Korey Fields and the very bad things that happen as a result. Exploring important topics such as how people in power use that power to do unspeakable things, this is not an easy book to read, but it is one of the best thrillers of this year.
If you haven’t checked it out already, Spanish Love Songs’ album Brave Faces Everyone came out back in February and remains one of the best releases of the year. This pop-punk project touches on themes of mental health, addiction, and poverty, underscoring it all with brash instrumentals and a frontman who doesn’t so much sing as yowl in anguish at the state of things. At once thought-provoking, comforting, and cathartic, this album has become an instant classic and has not faded from memory over the past months.
Lastly, Dorian Electra released their new project, My Agenda this year. Another example of somewhat dissonant instrumentals, the hyperpop project features production by Dylan Brady of 100 gecs. The album also showcases guest features, including big names such as Pussy Riot and Village People on the titular track — and Rebecca Black. While not as personally resonant as their 2019 debut album, Flamboyant, this album still manages to be an entertaining listen. Dorian Electra is one of the most interesting artists working today, and it is worth it to listen to either of these albums.
2020 has felt like a very long year. It will be interesting to continue to watch as people go back to look at the art that was produced this year, as well as the art that this year will inspire. If nothing else, this year has been a year to consume new art.
