NEW YORK (AP) — Putting out music in a pandemic, without the ability to connect directly with fans through touring, felt sort of like a tree falling in the forest with no one around to hear it. Experiencing music in 2020 became a solo experience, for good and for bad, and music that was able to transcend the physical bubbles we all put around ourselves felt rare and special. Associated Press music writers Mesfin Fekadu and Kristin M. Hall dissect the best of an extremely unpredictable year in music, predicting that Taylor Swift will win Album of the Year and are split on which honors Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles might take home.
