A Cultured Christmas: 10 pop picks for your music collection

Irish artists took on the world in different ways, while mainstream music looked to the past for inspiration: Mike McGrath-Bryan takes a look at a staff selection of 2020 releases.

Denise Chaila, in rehearsals for a live-streaming show at the National Concert Hall, Dublin. Pic: Mark Stedman

Denise Chaila - Go Bravely (Narolane) 

2020 belonged to rapper, singer, spoken-word artist and academic Denise Chaila. From self-monikered single ‘Chaila’, daring listeners to put respect on her name, to lockdown gigs in the National Library of Ireland and the National Concert Hall, and appearing twice on The Late Late Show alongside collaborators GodKnows and MurLi: years of hard work have paid off, and Chaila looks set to bring her poise, articulacy and confidence into 2021.