A few months after the release of her debut album, With a Hammer, Yaeji just returned with a one-off single. “‘Easy Breezy’ feels like a sequel that weaves a thread through my past releases (and my past selves),” stated the electronic musician. “Sonically, the song connects a thread between me now and me back in middle school —when I discovered bossa nova, drum and bass, and house through Korean and Japanese pop electronica. “easy breezy” is a thread, a tribute, a recollection of memories, and an encouraging push for us to bring forth change with courage and laughter. we hold the power in our hands, and we should never doubt that. change is now.”

The track also comes with a self-directed video, in which Yaeji and her dod ride a scooter in Brooklyn.

Let’s not beat about the bush: 2020 was the worst year of my life and I think it might be the case for a lot of people around. As a music fan, not being able to attend any concerts, seeing some of my favourite venues and festivals endangered and reading that up and coming talents are struggling more than ever has been a big bummer. I’m not even mentioning all the emails starting with “hope you are well during these strange times”. Well, guess what? We aren’t!

Even if we have spent most of our time locked at home, streaming more music than ever, not sure the smallest DIY artists will see the difference when they’ll receive their royalty revenues. All of that to say that artists need you more than ever. As we always repeat it, streaming is good but it’s not enough. Buy your vinyls, cassettes and merch and so on on Bandcamp special days (so they get 100% of the amount) or via your local record store (yes, they’re also having a hard time), attend virtual shows or, even better, send direct tips to the artists.

Some good news, though: 2020 has been pretty amazing music-wise. While it’s not always easy to support everything or to keep up with all the weekly releases, our staff tried their best to introduce you to some promising up and coming talents and bring the best new music to your ears throughout the last 12 months. Today, we are presenting our favourite EPs and mixtapes of 2020, with some obvious picks and a few overlooked discoveries to keep an eye on in the future. Thank you for reading us. Hope you enjoy and discover some cool new stuff. You can also check our Best Albums and Best Tracks selection.

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40. Ferrari Garden – “Longest Slow Dance”

39. ascendant vierge – “Vierge”

38. quinzequinze – “Le Jeune”

37. Sedona – “Rearview Angel”

36. Gabriels – “Love and Hate in a Different Time”

35. Julia-Sophie – “y?”

34. Pearly – “prettydarksexymusic”

33. Sports Boyfriend – “Seek No Answer”

32. TDJ – “TDJ001”

31. Zsela – “Ache of Victory”

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30. Sofia Kourtesis – “Sarita Colonia”

29. Bumper – “pop songs 2020”

28. Planet 1999 – “Devotion”

27. Alaska Reid – “Big Bunny”

26. Tomberlin – “Projections”

25. DVC Refreshments – “Hits Only”

24. Isla Den – “Virtual Garden”

23. Alpen Glow – “Amertape 2020”

22. Lysandre – “Maison-Dieu”

21. Forever – “Close To The Flame”

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20. Nilüfer Yanya – “Feeling Lucky?”

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19. Shygirl – “Alias”

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18. 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – “How Can I”

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17. Molina – “Vanilla Shell”

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16. Murmur – “Behind Your Back”

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15. Jockstrap – “Wicked City”

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14. Magdalena Bay – “Mini Mix, Vol 2”

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13. Isola – “EP1”

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12. Penelope Trappes – “Eel Drip”

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11. Eris Drew – “Fluids of Emotion”

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10. Couch Prints – “Tell U”

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9. Blue Hawaii – “Under 1 House”

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8. Japan, Man – “The Bad Days”

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7. Christine and the Queens – “La Vita Nuova”

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6. Charli XCX – “How I’m Feeling Now”

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5. Zelma Stone – “Dreamland”

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4. Laura Groves – “A Private Road”

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3. Yaeji – “WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던”

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2. oklou – “galore”

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1. Bullion – “We Had A Good Time”

A few months ago, Korean-American producer and vocalist Yaeji made her debut on XL Recordings with her very first mixtape, WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던. Like many artists, she was not able to play this excellent record on stage though – no need to explain why.

Yesterday, she teamed up with Boiler Room – 3 years after her incredible performance in NYC – for a special broadcast from home. “This one isn’t like the show we were going to tour with, but it’s something special made for ‘What We Drew’, made for me and you,” she stated.

During this event titled Yaeji in Place, the artist was virtually joined by some guests from the mixtape and surrounded by dancers and fun emojis and drawings. It was also an occasion to raise money for The Bail Project™ National Revolving Bail Fund, a critical tool to prevent incarceration and combat racial and economic disparities in the bail system. Watch below.

We’re only 6 months into 2020 and it actually feels that the world as we know it is about to collapse. Who knows what’s coming next? For better or worse, a lot of things are simultaneously happening around us and music has been an essential way to find hope and kill time. In 2020, artists need us more than ever and, in case you did not figure it out while being stuck at home, we also need them. Can you really imagine a lockdown without music? We can’t. As we’re now at the mid-way point of this exceptionally horrible year, it’s time to share with you, like every year, the 30 tracks that have helped us to hold on so far. If you need more to cheer you up, you can also explore our other favourite tracks of 2020 via our Spotify and Apple Music playlists below.

070 Shake – “Guilty Conscience”
Agar Agar – “Nap”
Annie – “American Cars”
Boyish – “AnDroGay”
Caribou – “Never Come Back”
Charli XCX – “forever”
Christine and the Queens – “People, I’ve been sad”
Cindy – “Never Let Me Go”
Cindy Lee – “I Want You To Suffer”
Couch Prints – “Of Drawing”
Discovery Zone – “Blissful Morning Dream Interpretation Melody”
Dua Lipa – “Physical”
Fiona Apple – “Shameika”
Geranium – “Separate Life”
Kate NV – “Sayonara”
Magdalena Bay – “Airplane”
Moses Sumney – “Virile”
MOTHERMARY – “Catch Fire”
Perfume Genius – “On The Floor”
Phoebe Bridgers – “Garden Song”
Planet 1999 – “Party”
SAULT – “Wildfires”
Soccer Mommy – “circle the drain”
TOPS – “Direct Sunlight”
Waxahatchee – “Can’t Do Much”
Yaeji – “When I Grow Up”
Young Ejecta – “Crayon Cactus”
Yves Tumor – “Gospel For A New Century”
Zelma Stone – “Dreamland”
Zoee – “Rio’s”

After the single “WAKING UP DOWN,” which was released early March, the Korean-American producer has now unveiled a video for the title track “WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던.” “This song is about sharing love and gratitude with the people you call family,” she detailed. “Dawn and our friends helped bring my nostalgia for Korea to life.” Watch the DQM-directed visuals, which feature Yaeji and her grandfather, below.

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Two years after the release of her single “One More,” Korean-American multi-talented producer Yaeji returns with a brand new track and video, “WAKING UP DOWN.” This new single deals with all the small actions that one needs to accomplish in everyday life. The accompanying visuals were produced by Studio Yatta and feature some illustrations by Annie Zhao and Yaeji herself. This release acts as the first single of her first full-length mixtape WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던, due out next month. Watch and check the full tracklist of the project below.

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Yaeji – WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던 mixtape:

01 MY IMAGINATION 상상

02 WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던

03 IN PLACE 그 자리 그대로

04 WHEN I GROW UP

05 MONEY CAN’T BUY [ft. Nappy Nina]

06 FREE INTERLUDE [ft. Lil Fayo, trenchcoat and Sweet Pea]

07 SPELL 주문 [ft. YonYon and G.L.A.M.]

08 WAKING UP DOWN

09 IN THE MIRROR 거울

10 THE TH1NG [ft. Victoria Sin and Shy One]

11 THESE DAYS 요즘

12 NEVER SETTLING DOWN

Yaeji has released the music video for her first track of 2018, “One More”. According to the artist, the visuals were “made completely independently, with a group of loving and talented people” including director Alex Gvojic. Join the party below.

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Following up on her remix of Charli XCX‘s “Focus“, Korean-American producer Yaeji has just shared her first track of 2018 and the first original song since her two GODMODE’s EPs “yaeji” and “EP2”. The latter notably features “raingurl” that we named our favourite track of 2017.

Starting with hazy soundscapes and autotuned singing both in English and Korean, “One More” quickly introduces her edgy signature touch as well as some brand new sound elements in its last part. About the track, she detailed: “‘One More’ is about enduring and coming to terms with pain until you have the strength to forgive and move on”. Tune in below.

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