HIGHLIGHTS OF 2020 | ONE WRITER’S YEAR IN LOCKDOWN
Remember 2020? A remarkable year! In amongst all the remarking, many people suddenly found themselves with extra time to sink into their faves from the worlds of music, TV etc. Buzz writer Tonicha Luffman was one of those people, and she hereby offers some highlights from her personal 2020 in pop culture.
It’s safe to say that everybody has waited for this year to end since the first lockdown started. It has been the worst year I think any of us have ever experienced. But there have been some memorable moments that have made all of us come together and smile…
BEST MUSIC OF 2020
HARRY STYLES – Watermelon Sugar
My favourite song of the year without a doubt has been Watermelon Sugar, by the saviour of music in 2020. I’ve always liked Harry’s music, but from the moment I heard this song I knew it was going to be a hit. It instantly became my favourite on his entire Fine Line album, and was sufficiently big to get to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
LITTLE MIX – Break Up Song
Although few artists have recorded much this year, Little Mix [top] made sure fans had new music to listen to. Latest album Confetti has many fine songs, my favourite by a mile being Break Up Song. Its video was created during early lockdown, meaning each member was filmed separately, but they still know how to make a fantastic looking video. I also love all of the 80s references, from big hair to a copy of Jackie magazine.
BTS – Dynamite
Generally speaking, I really do not understand the appeal of BTS at all, but I do know how dedicated their fanbase is – almost as dedicated as One Direction fans, and that’s saying something. Dynamite, nevertheless, is really catchy: I first heard it unaware it was BTS, and was most surprised on learning the truth. Still can’t see myself listening to many more BTS songs in the future, but Dynamite will likely be a heavy playlist feature for me.
HARRY STYLES – Falling
Up next is another Harry Styles song… I’m sorry. (I’m not actually.) First performed at the Brits in February, and the best performance of the night in my admittedly biased opinion, not only is the song amazing, the video is too. Set underwater, thus confirming that Harry Styles is capable of singing in an aquatic setting without the use of gills. Is there anything he can’t do?
HARRY STYLES – Golden
So yes, Harry features a lot in this section. Why? Because everything he touches turns to gold, especially this year. Accordingly, Golden: I love its line “I know that you’re scared because I’m so open”. That’s one of the things that I love most about him, he doesn’t care what people think of him, nor should he.
BEST TV OF 2020
THE UNDOING (Sky Atlantic)
This had me hooked from the first episode; I’m so glad it was featured on Gogglebox, as it might have passed me by otherwise. If you love a whodunit, The Undoing is certainly worth a watch – with one caveat, the fact that they essentially tell you who the murderer is at the beginning. So, if you like the element of surprise, this may not be for you.
THE CROWN (Netflix)
One of those shows you cannot miss, The Crown takes documented events and exaggerates them for entertainment purposes. Series four concerns Prince Charles meeting, then marrying, Diana Spencer while continuing his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles: the viewer feels as sorry for Diana as they do resentful towards Charles and Camilla. I can’t wait for series five, where it’ll be very interesting to see how they tackle Diana’s death.
THE STRANGER (Netflix)
At the start of the year, everybody was talking about this show. For the benefit of the unwitting, the stranger of its title tells a man a secret which has a devastating impact on his life, and leads to his wife’s disappearance. The final scene, showing the stranger observing a football match from afar, bodes well for the possibility of a second series in the future; she is definitely planning something, and I for one need to know what that is, among my many unanswered questions.
QUIZ (ITV)
Based on one of the greatest TV scandals of the 21st century, Quiz tells us the story of how Charles Ingram and his wife cheated ITV out of £1 million. Who knew a couple of cleared throats could make you a millionaire – and then lose you that same bounty? The Ingrams’ particular method of gaming the system might not have been the most concerning coughs around this year, but it was entertaining nonetheless.
THE THIRD DAY (Sky Atlantic)
Gripping and promising, then weird and confusing, Jude Law stars in this miniseries about a father who visits a mysterious island and meets some very unusual locals. He tries desperately to get off the island multiple times so he can return to his family – but the people who live on the island won’t let him leave. It’s almost as if he’s part of their family. Who knows?
BEST FILMS OF 2020
I haven’t been to see many films this year, due to the cinemas being closed, but did catch two before they shut…
HARLEY QUINN: BIRDS OF PREY
Margot Robbie is a such a fantastic actress, and she has made me love Harley Quinn. Birds Of Prey takes place after Quinn’s break up with the Joker: she is trying her best to move on from him, but things turn complicated after a young girl steals a valuable diamond. I’m not a massive superhero/DC fan, but this film has put Suicide Squad on my to watch list, mainly just so I can see Harley Quinn in action again.
THE INVISIBLE MAN
Elisabeth Moss’ character is stuck in a violent relationship, but one night she manages to escape. She believes that her former boyfriend committed suicide, but when an invisible figure tries to harm her and everyone she gets close to, she knows it can only be one person. A great, tense film whose simple idea is executed perfectly.
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM
It’s been 14 years since the first Borat film, so the announcement of this sequel was a brilliant surprise. Any film that Sacha Baron Cohen is in is going to be hilarious, and Subsequent Moviefilm was definitely that. Introducing Borat’s daughter Tutar for the first time, my favourite scene in the film involves a cupcake and a baby. Trust me, if you need a laugh, search this scene online. It will leave you in fits of laughter.
BEST/POP CULTURE MOMENTS OF 2020
TikTok became a thing… unfortunately
Love or hate TikTok – I’m leading towards hate, but that’s just me – you can’t deny its popularity. When lockdown started, we were all bored out of our minds: some of us turned to Netflix and Disney+, others downloaded TikTok. There have been so many dances and challenges, I’ve lost count. But when young people claim knowledge of classic songs, purely on the basis of having heard it on TikTok – now that’s where it goes too far.
Captain Tom
Hearts were warmed in April when a 99-year-old war veteran raised money for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. Colonel Sir Tom, as he is known now, raised over £32 million, quite the increase on his original target of £1000, and is now a national treasure. We salute you!
Clapping for the NHS
It seems like yesterday that we all had our pots and pans out and were clapping on our doorsteps, but it was way back in March. Every Thursday at 8pm, without fail, you could feel the spirit of people coming together. It was nice while it lasted…
Jordan North’s happy place
If I were to say “AHHHHH TURF MOOR, HAPPY PLACE, HAPPY PLACE, AHHHHH”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? This time last year, Turf Moor was known as the home of Burnley FC; since the last few months, it is now known as Jordan North’s happy place. Jordan North had us all crying with laughter during this trial on this year’s I’m A Celebrity. I’ve lost count at how many times I have seen it. If you’re ever in a bad mood, search that trial on YouTube, along with Jessica’s and Shane’s drinking trial, and you will instantly feel better. TV Gold moments at their finest.
Celebrity Bake Off – Joe, Alison, Alex and James
I love Bake Off, and the celebrity versions are equally as brilliant. An episode featuring Alison Hammond, Joe Sugg, Alex Jones and James Blunt was a particularly funny highlight. The celebrity bakers had been in the tent for less than five minutes before Sugg sliced a fingertip off and fainted; thereafter Hammond misplaced her oven door, Blunt started to talk to his cakes and Jones’ cake mixer smashed into a million pieces. In short, a most successful episode, one which more episodes of Bake Off would ideally follow.
Sharon?
Another hilarious 2020 TV moment happened on Celebrity Mastermind, Amanda Henderson from Casualty becoming an instant meme when she called Greta Thunberg ‘Sharon’. Greta’s sense of humour was later aired when she changed her Twitter name to Sharon, which is brilliant.
This Morning during lockdown
It became a routine for me to wake up and turn on This Morning. If it wasn’t for Holly and Phil, mornings would have been pretty dark: they are the perfect breakfast presenters, always cheerful and laughing. Some people call it unprofessional, I call it hilarious. One of the programme’s most memorable 2020 moments saw John Torode almost burn down his house with a tea towel, while Josie Gibson had us all in stitches riding a rollercoaster at Blackpool, its velocity dragging her facemask over her entire face. The fails on gameshow Spin To Win were also hilariously annoying. All you have to do is say the pass phrase and not say “hello”. Simple to understand, right? Wrong.
Zoom reunions
This year, we have been blessed by stars reuniting via Zoom. My personal favourites include the cast of Back To The Future, with some help from Josh Gad, and the cast of High School Musical. Zac Efron even made a brief appearance, which was nice of him. (It’s the least he could do, considering he missed the 10th anniversary reunion special in 2016. But I’m not going to get into that.)
words TONICHA LUFFMAN