The Good & The Ugly: 2019

Possibly the penultimate installment of this series. I came into this series with intentions of going from 1999–2020 as to follow how music has changed from the year I was born to the present day. I’m uncertain on if I’ll ever go back and do older years, if I’ll make it a part of my end of the year wrap-ups going forward or if I’ll leave it at the end of this year. That is for the people to decide, I guess. For now, we’ll look at 2019, a fascinating year that ultimately felt like a transition to the newer guard of pop stars. There’s always a year that ushers them in. In the early 2010s, the club scene we grew accustomed to was murdered by the weirdness of the internet, funneling out stars of the past in favor of fresher characters. These years are unexpected for any artist, it is solely up to them to sink or swim with the tide. Artists like Drake have done an excellent job adjusting to the new landscapes found in minor musical shifts every year. On the other hand, artists like Katy Perry eventually fizzled out from one of the biggest female pop acts into Billboard obscurity. 2019 saw the careers of new and slightly older acts claiming dominance over the next few years.

Before I dive into the list proper, here are some honorable mentions: Billie Eilish- “Bad Guy”/“Bury A Friend”/“when the party’s over”, Post Malone & Swae Lee- “Sunflower”, Ariana Grande- “Thank U, Next”, Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper…