We are approaching a time where quarantine will soon become nostalgic. It’s kind of inevitable; everything eventually does, it’s just a matter of time. “Right” was at the top of all my playlists during quarantine. It was eerily reminiscent of what everyone was going through, but it was made well beforehand. This wasn’t a cash grab by an artist trying to collectively console a nation, it was Mac Miller at his best, accompanied by Stephen Lee Bruner’s, aka Thundercat’s, incredible work on bass. Put this man on every song.

Heartbreak. It’s so commonly written about in music. What possibly could anyone say more about the subject? The thing about The Weeknd’s “Don’t Break My Heart” is that it is one of the only recent Heartbreak songs, which is: sad but not totally pathetic. He’s not begging for reconciliation here, he even may have learned something from the relationship, and became a better person at the end of the day. I know, gross.

While most people’s morale was at an all time low as a result of the pandemic, Bo Burnham actually found a way to be more creative. He was still feeling what everyone else was feeling, albeit in a very dramatic fashion, but he was able to channel those feelings into one of his most impressive works to date. “Look Who’s Inside Again” is quick but memorable. It is a prime example of someone having their livelihood taken away like so many other people with the pandemic. Here, Bo, at the same time, is trying to cope with the realities of his own upbringing.

I’ve heard “Smokin Out The Window” a million times, but it’s one of those songs where even on the millionth and first listen, I’ll still be into it. It feels like an oldie, but this song will never get old. Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s combination of passionate soul and upbeat pop make for the highlight of their first album together and one of their funniest songs to date.

There is a selfish relatability to this song that I think Drake has lost more recently. For a guy who’s been at the top of the music game for so long, he is surprisingly introspective looking back at his old stuff. Drake is not mad here, it’s not an angry rant, you can tell he’s been thinking this over for a while and still, he doesn’t have the words to describe what he’s feeling. It’s that slow beat lingering in the background that tells the real story.

When I saw Jack Harlow wearing New Balances like they wereJordans, I realized his biggest strength has been his ability to not take himself too seriously. He’s corny, but he knows it. Does that redeem him? Not at all, but “Nail Tech” is another Harlow victory lap, and even in his victory laps he’s going full speed.