Rating 2020 Top Songs About Relationships

100% of the top 25 songs played on Spotify on 2020 were talking, in some way, about relationships - and actually, 100% of all songs are in some way about relationships. But if they’re all talking about relationships, what are they actually saying?

From party songs, to break-up songs, to songs with veiled meanings about busking in the streets of Australia, today we are going to take a look at the biggest songs of last year and unpack the messages they are sending about relationships. I'm even going to give our team's picks for the best and worst songs from the Billboard Hot 100 list based off of what they have to say about relationships!

The top track of 2020 on both Spotify and the Billboard Hot 100 lists was the song “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd.

With its catchy rhythm and synthwave vibe that is seems very nostalgic for the synthesizer fueled pop music of the 80’s, lyrically this song is vaguely ambiguous. Many listeners have suggested that this song seems to be referencing his on-again/off-again relationship with model Bella Hadid, but whether it is specifically talking about her or not, there does seem to be a desperation for a relationship that is no longer in his life and his desire to have that again.

For listeners, it is easy to get lost in the trance like sounds of The Weeknd’s hit track without paying very close attention to what is being said, but the number 1 song of 2020 does at least give voice to our natural need for love and commitment. The same cannot be said for a majority of the chart topping songs from last year.

Roddy Rich’s “The Box” came in at number three on both the Spotify and Billboard lists for the year and it’s lyrics are rife with anger, misogony and glorifying the common tropes of the genre.

With multiple references to oral sex and repeated slurs against women, this is just one of the many songs from last year that continues to promote a self destructive lifestyle as the only way of getting ahead. The overall message seems to be “look out for number 1” and a general “get all you can by any means necessary” type of attitude.

The problems with the message of this song and others, like ROCKSTAR and Life Is Good, is that they often portray women as sex objects, money and power as the ultimate goal and, in this worldview, life becomes very empty very quickly. Some of these artists defend their work by saying that they are only playing a role while others double down and commit to the part. At the end of the day, while many of their listeners may think that they would want to live out the lifestyles that are presented in these songs, when you look at the personal lives and relationships of these artists, most of us would not want all the baggage that comes along with it. If it really was as glamorous as it is made out to be, you would think their lives would be fulfilled and satisfying without the need for the drugs, alcohol and self-destructive behaviors.

Lewis Capaldi had a great year with 2 tracks breaking the Spotify top 25 but after listening to them, it’s easy to see why. “Before You Go” and “Someone You Loved” are musically much more stripped back than many of the other top songs of the year which highlights the raw emotion of his voice coupled with the weight of his lyrics.

Thematically, the songs both seem to be about break-ups, with “Someone You Loved” focusing on the loneliness and grief while “Before You Go” deals with the questions we usually ask internally about what we could have done differently. In a year when many people were already dealing with separation, seclusion and recognizing the need for connection but being unable to have it, these songs seemed to strike a chord with many listeners around the world.

And, if the songs weren’t heavy enough on their own, the music videos added yet another punch straight to the gut as the lyrics were interpreted there to reflect not the end of relationships due to break-ups but death. While dealing with the hardest aspects of relationships, Capaldi’s songs do give weight to the value that they carry. The songs hit so hard because we have all experienced relational loss in one way or another and can easily put ourselves in the shoes of the singer. The music videos hit even harder by elevating the relationships described from the cycle of common young adult break-ups to the finality of a love that was cherished but taken by death.

So, first the worst, and no song could come close the the absurdity and vulgarity of WAP. This track by Cardi B. and Megan Thee Stallion took the bar for gratuitous and profanely exploitative depictions of sex in music and brought it to an all new low. While many of the song's proponents have said it is celebratory in allowing women to own their sexuality, it continues the trend and further pushes the line of thinking that it is good and desirable to separate love from the act of making love. It promotes unhealthy behaviors and treats promiscuity like a virtue. WAP is trash!

Now, for the song that made the top 20 in both the Billboard and the Spotify songs of 2020 with the most relationship affirming message...

“Intentions” by Justin Bieber featuring Quavo. This song by Justin Bieber easily gave the most positive view of a healthy relationship and the fact that it was clearly written about his wife, Hailey, adds the weight of not just a committed relationship, but one that is loving and enjoyable as well.

Well, that wraps up our 2020 review of relationships in music. Tell us what your top tracks were, who you thought had the best relationship song and what you thought about our list! Next week we will look at how the movies were portraying relationships. 2020 was a weird year in the history of cinema but whether they were released in theaters or streamed at home, we will look at the top films of last year and give you our picks for best and worst!