Spotify’s Best Songs For Travel 2020

It’s the 279th day of quarantine period in our region. We just hit the end of the year and we’re still here, locked in our provinces. Even though we can just travel in our dreams today, I still want to continue my yearly routine of sharing my top ten songs for the year. This may be a food and travel blog, but I always say that music is part of our lives, may it be travel.

At this point in time when it’s almost impossible to travel farther, one of my favorite bonding with my boyfriend is still singing along to Spotify while we are on a road trip.

Listed below are my most listened songs in my Spotify travel playlist for the year, 2020.

10. Ikaw at Ako – Moira Dela Torre and Jason Marvin

I’m starting off the list with an OPM duet from the lovely Moira Dela Torre and her now-husband, Jason Marvin. Honestly, I’m not a fan of Moira but I can’t deny that she has a one-of-a-kind voice and impressive songwriting skills. We can truly feel the love with the couple’s song, Ikaw at Ako. It’s soft and mild but that’s exactly what we need.

9. Gravity – Kim Jong Wan of NELL

For me, the best Korean drama sound track ever produced is Goblin’s Stay With Me, even after many years. I won’t say that The King: Eternal Monarch’s Gravity has overtaken it but they sound similar. Both songs give me chills and calmness at the same time. Whenever I hear them, it’s like their respective series are rewinding in my mind. But when it comes to series, I think, The King: Eternal Monarch is better.

8. Rare – Selena Gomez

The song, Rare, is all we need after all that happened to Selena Gomez. She’s rare and special, indeed. Can we also talk about how fairytale-like its music video is? Go watch and look at all those colors, lights and pixie dust. The whole Rare album makes me feel so happy and good about myself. Every song is relatable. She has executed each of them perfectly.

7. RITMO (Bad Boys for Life) – Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin

Black Eyed Peas is back and is on fire! I’ve always liked Black Eyed Peas’ kind of music from their Where Is the Love? days to I Gotta Feeling days to Imma Be days. I must say that the group knows how to adapt to today’s music trend without leaving their style. That’s why RITMO was able to catch the hearts of the new generation. 

6. Not Your Barbie Girl – Ava Max

As I grew older, I come to realize the true meaning of Aqua’s song, Barbie Girl. We’re thankful that this generation has Ava Max to correct the lyrics and to create every woman’s version of Barbie Girl. Inside or outside TikTok, this song needs to be recognized. It has cool beat and awesome voice. Great job, Ava Max! I’m a fan since your Sweet but Psycho days.

5. To The Bone – Pamungkas

I didn’t see myself adding Southeast Asian song here apart from OPM because I’m not familiar with their music, to be honest. But I’m happy to discover such talent from this Indonesian singer named Pamungkas. His song, To The Bones, sounds western so it easily garnered international attention. There is something in it that pierces the soul when you listen to it.

4. Ice Cream – BlackPink feat. Selena Gomez

Oh! There are two Selena Gomez’s songs in the list! She deserves it. But we already know Selena Gomez did well this year so we’ll talk about BlackPink because finally, they released another album after two years. Each of them has powerful vocal, which can be heard individually. The group also surprised us with an energetic and bubbly music video. Their song, Lovesick Girls, is smashing as well.

3. Rain on Me – Lady Gaga feat. Ariana Grande

Rain on Me is one of the greatest masterpiece of Lady Gaga since her Born This Way era. I like that she kinda adopted cyberpunk to her latest album, making us see this side of Lady Gaga’s singing prowess. Rain on Me showcases both Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga’s unmatched vocals. This is what happens when two powerful theatrical artists collaborate for a song!

2. Levitating – Dua Lipa feat. DaBaby

Over the years, I fall in love more and more with Dua Lipa’s voice. She isn’t the type of singer who screams just to prove herself. It’s her deep but catchy voice that defines her, not to mention how supermodel-looking she is. Levitating is my new jam. I listen to it whenever I want to feel good. It has a disco vibe that make us feel we’re in the 80’s. It’s indeed a future nostalgia.

1. POV – Ariana Grande

Oh damn, Ariana! This song has so much feels. I can feel that after all her past relationships, Ariana Grande has seen her happiness and I could feel it her song, POV. But POV didn’t come first in my list just because of that. The song is indeed beautiful. Ariana amazes me her voice without even trying hard. The lyrics is heavenly. It has full of emotions.