The 10 best songs of 2020, including Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Cardi B

While we struggled to finish a 1,000-piece puzzle in lockdown, major stars including Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, BTS and Bad Bunny released multiple albums, singles and even films this year. In spite of the pandemic, it was a fruitful and rewarding time for new music, which lifted our spirits, brought us to tears and encouraged self-reflection during these unprecedented last 10 months.

We've already shared our picks for the best albums of 2020, led by Swift's wondrous "Folklore" and "Evermore" in a tie. So here are 10 of our favorite songs, encompassing pop, hip-hop, rock and spaces in between.

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10. Christine and the Queens, 'La Vita Nuova' (feat. Caroline Polachek)

On this "Thriller"-esque anthem, sung partly in Italian and translating to "The New Life," singer Hélo?se Letissier bemoans a noncommittal partner, imploring them to show her affection. ("I don't give a damn until you don't give me your hand / All the heartbreakers, I never take their answer for sure.") It's sleek and catchy electropop, enhanced by our favorite music video of the year.

9. Run the Jewels, 'Ooh La La' (feat. Greg Nice and DJ Premier)

Rappers Killer Mike and El-P let loose on the swaggering, Gang Starr-sampling "Ooh La La," which imagines an anti-capitalist utopia without money or class divides. "I used to love Bruce, but livin' my vida loca / Helped me understand I'm probably more of a Joker," Mike playfully raps on the track, taken from the duo's incendiary protest album "RTJ4."

8. HAIM, 'Gasoline'

A sultry, summery slice of folk rock about wanting to hit the brakes on a toxic relationship that you keep coming back to ("I can't look past what I'm sad about / You did me bad and I did it back"). The song's funky bass line and woozy guitar feel like driving on a warm day with the windows down, providing a breezy escape from our winter in isolation.

7. Bob Dylan, 'I Contain Multitudes'

Now in the twilight of his career, the 79-year-old Dylan made an unexpected return to music this year with his mournful, meditative 39th album "Rough and Rowdy Ways." The folk icon is quietly heartbreaking on the cheeky, rambling "I Contain Multitudes," taking stock of his many loves and passions. "I paint landscapes and I paint nudes," he sings wryly. "I contain multitudes."

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6. Taylor Swift, 'Invisible String'

Frankly, this list could be filled entirely by "Evermore" and "Folklore," from the soul-baring "Tolerate It" to the wistful "Cardigan," whose aching third verse makes us cry every time. But instead, we'd like to spotlight Swift's simple-yet-ethereal "Invisible String," which gorgeously illustrates a cosmic love connection, and the wisdom and maturity that only comes with having your heart broken.

5. The Weeknd, 'Blinding Lights'

The Weeknd's total shutout from this year's Grammy nominations is equal parts embarrassing and exasperating, particularly for this neon-colored new wave throwback. It's a jolt of '80s nostalgia that's punchy and never pandering, with crooning vocals and a shimmering synth hook that get lodged in your brain.

4. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, 'WAP'

No song created a bigger pop-culture tidal wave in 2020 than Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's outrageously fun ode to female anatomy and unabashed sexuality. The charismatic rappers launched a thousand memes with their raunchy bars soaked in sexual innuendos, which had conservative pundits and male hip-hop artists laughably clutching their pearls.

3. Chappell Roan, 'Pink Pony Club'

A rapturous dance-pop anthem from Missouri native Roan, earnestly celebrating queer culture, acceptance and chasing your dreams. Play this song for anyone you know – we guarantee they won't be able to resist it.

2. Dua Lipa, 'Levitating'

Dua Lipa led 2020's retro-pop revival with sophomore effort "Future Nostalgia," a near-flawless collection of disco-house euphoria ("Hallucinate") and coltish come-hithers ("Pretty Please"). The starry-eyed "Levitating" is a soaring standout that has soundtracked more than a few of our pandemic living-room dance parties, capturing the dizzying highs of falling in love.

1. Billie Eilish, 'My Future'

The overwhelming loneliness of 2020 can be summed up in Eilish's midsummer single "My Future," in which the 19-year-old reflects on her past and an uncertain tomorrow. With her brother, cowriter/producer Finneas O'Connell, the pop wunderkind continues to experiment and evolve her sound in compelling new ways, incorporating elements of jazz and funk into the song's upbeat second half.

But part of what resonates so deeply about "My Future" is Eilish's hopefulness, as she learns to be content with just herself. ("Know I'm supposed to be unhappy without someone," she sings. "But aren't I someone?") It's a self-love anthem without the schmaltz that perfectly encapsulates this dumpster-fire year, reassuring us that Eilish will be OK even if we don't see her for another "couple years," as the song's haunting final line suggests. We sure hope it won't be that long, but in the meantime, we'll be feeling a little bit better about ourselves thanks to her music.

Ten more we loved, in alphabetical order: Bright Eyes' "Pan and Broom;" Carly Rae Jepsen's "Fake Mona Lisa;" Charli XCX's "Claws;" Fiona Apple's "Fetch the Bolt Cutters;" Lady Gaga's "Enigma;" London Grammar's "Baby It's You;" Perfume Genius' "Describe;" U.S. Girls' "4 American Dollars;" Waxahatchee's "Fire;" Wye Oak's "Fear of Heights".

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best songs of 2020: Billie Eilish to Bob Dylan, 'WAP' to The Weeknd