It’s the most beautiful time of the year—and before you ask, no we aren’t talking about the holidays (though who among us doesn’t love a little eggnog).
We’re talking about our countdown to Nexus Radio’s Top 100 list, our favorite way to look back at the smoothest, most brutal, most boundary-breaking, and dance-inspiring tracks of the year. With only a few weeks to go until 2024, we’re hard at work putting together our list, but first, we had to take a trip around memory lane and flashback to our lists of years gone by, starting with 2020.
It’s hard to remember 2020 as a big year for music, given the limitations of the pandemic, but it was a year full of surprises and sweet tracks. Our 2020 Top 100 list-toppers represented a variety of styles and artists, so without further ado, let’s take a look back at the five top tracks of 2020:
Jax Jones & Ella Henderson – This is Real
Topping our 2020 list and featuring mayo-inspired album art, Jax Jones and Ella Henderson’s “This is Real” is a vibrant dance-pop anthem that radiates infectious energy, effortlessly combining Jax’s talents as a producer with Ella’s powerful vocals and compositional chops. Peaking at #2 on the UK Dance Chart and breaking the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, “This is Real” is the seamless soul-house fusion that lifted us up during dark times.
Luca Debonaire – I Found You (Dark Intensity Radio Edit)
Released through Tazmania Records, “I Found You” is a pulsating dance track that channels the essence of electronic euphoria, having emerged straight from the genius mind of Luca Debonaire. The Dark Intensity Radio Edit of “I Found You” takes the track to a whole new level, adding a level of depth and mystery to a track already primed for the dancefloors of the world.
Becky Hill – Better Off Without You ft Shift K3Y
English singer-songwriter Becky Hill first found her spotlight on the Voice UK, joining Jessie J’s team and going as far as the competition’s semi-finals. Fast forward a few years, and her “Better Off Without You” reached the #3 spot on our year-end list in 2020. Featuring the brilliant production touch of Shift K3Y and poetic, self-empowering lyricism, “Better Off Without You” is a chart-topping hit that places Becky’s jaw-dropping vocals front and center.
Meduza – Born to Love ft SHELLS
Ranking at #4 on our 2020 Top 100 List was none other than Meduza’s “Born to Love” featuring SHELLS. Another brilliant track from this Italian production collective, “Born To Love,” features Meduza’s signature deep house sound and SHELLS’s haunting vocals. The song is as danceable as it is dark, easily becoming one of the year’s favorites.
Lastlings – No Time (Original Mix)
The emergence of Australia’s brother-sister electronic pop duo Lastlings was a highlight of 2020, bringing to our ears a series of fascinating and immersive tracks that beautifully combine Amy’s ethereal vocals with Joshua’s production landscape. “No Time”, ranking at #5 on our 2020 Top 100 list, is a standout track from the duo’s debut album, First Contact, offering lush synth arrangements and signature pulsating beats as mesmerizing as dark.
To keep up to date with all things electronic music, including exclusive coverage of some of the genre’s biggest festivals and more flashbacks of our Top 100 lists as we get closer to 2024, check back here at Nexus Radio.
