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At BYT, we like stuff! (We even LOVE stuff!) And we think you might, too, so here we’ll share with you what we’ve been reading, watching, listening to and more. (Sometimes there will be guest stars! Exciting!) Today is extra-special, ’cause we’re talking about 2020 superlatives // GET PUMPED!
 
We also wanna know what YOU are loving right now, so let us know in the comments, or share with us on social media! (@brightestyoungthings on IG, @BYT on Twitter)

HERE WE GO:

SVETLANA LEGETIC

Best book I read all year: The book I keep thinking about is True Story by Kate Reed Petty (read Alan Zilberman’s interview with her here) because it simultaneously scratched all my favorite itches: thrillers, movie nerddom, and literary fiction, and done so innovatively and ambitiously but also never stopped being a page turner. Some of my other picks here.

Favorite TV show of the year: Ted Lasso always and forever for the laughs and humanity. I also finally saw Euphoria and could not look away in good and worst ways.

Favorite movie of the year: Split between Kajillionaire and Lovers Rock for pure quality and creative effirmations, Eurovision Song Contest: Fire Saga for reconnecting me to my childhood in the best way possible (crappy euro pop music and a sense of wonder). 

Favorite song, album and/or artist of the year: “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, and that entire record.

Best thing that happened to me this year: All the reading and creative thinking I got to do? Does that count. 

What I’m looking forward to most in 2021: It not being 2020 anymore.

MARISSA RUBENSTEIN

Best book I read all year: Oh man, definitely by a long shot it was Girl in the Tower, the second book in Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy. Magic, horses, history, an attractive and emotionally unavailable Frost Demon? It has my heart forever. 

Favorite TV show of the year: White Lines on Netflix. This show was absolute perfection and I think severely underrated. A English/ Spanish murder mystery set in Ibiza with a soundtrack by the legendary Junkie XL? I loved every second of this show.

Favorite movie of the year: 6 Underground on Netflix. I love love love terrible action movies, and 6 Underground was bad yes, but it was a super fun roller coaster ride and a wonderful escape.

Favorite song, album and/or artist of the year: Song – On My Mind by Diplo & Sidepiece. I heard this in Diplo and MK’s set maybe in January? February  and I checked up obsessively until it was released. It’s just so good and instant dance party vibes. Artist/ Album – Duke Dumont / Duality. I listened to this album repeatedly for weeks and weeks and weeks. I love Duke Dumont’s creativity (the best song off the album is Let Me Go, but you’ve probably heard Ocean Drive)

Best thing that happened to me this year: As someone who lived off of coffee and adrenaline for a solid 5 years, I was lucky enough to be able to take this time to slow down and focus on doing some really cool projects. I think the Airspace + Diplo album we helped connect the dots on was probably my favorite thing BYT did all year. 

What I’m looking forward to most in 2021: I would love to um be able to see my over 65 parents without worrying about killing them.

ALAN ZILBERMAN

Best book I read all year: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Catherine Webb. It turns out repeating the same life over and over again has its drawbacks!

Favorite TV show of the year: The best TV is I May Destroy You. Not only is it moving, but it pushed the medium further toward artistic maturity.

Favorite movie of the year: The best movie is Da 5 Bloods. You can read the reasons why over here.

Favorite song, album and/or artist of the year: SAULT – “I Just Want to Dance.”

Best thing that happened to me this year: Got a new day job 🙂 

What I’m looking forward to most in 2021: Jumping into a mosh pit.

DIYA EGGLESTON

Best book I read all year: I’ve pretty much exclusively read parenting books this year (sorry not sorry). So it’d have to be Gina Ford’s Contented Little Baby. Thanks to which we haven’t had a sleepless night even once. 

Favorite TV show of the year: The Outsider struck the right notes with murder, mystery and the paranormal. 

Favorite movie of the year: We managed to see Tenet at a cinema with a glass of wine in hand during a tiny slice of time when London wasn’t in lockdown…so as an experience it stands out!

Favorite song, album and/or artist of the year: Fellow new mom Grimes’ Miss Anthropocene. Weird music for a weird year.

Best thing that happened to me this year: The birth of my first child Sienna.

What I’m looking forward to most in 2021: Baby No 2 arriving in March!

MEGAN BURNS

Best book I read all year: I was into all the books I read this year (which were mostly about like, science, grief, food and/or queer stuff), but I’m gonna say Figuring by Maria Popova was my favorite since it combined like 800 of my interests. (Seriously, so good.) Like Svetlana mentioned, we did a deep dive into our favorite reads from this year, so you can read more about Figuring and all the other books I super enjoyed in 2020 here. (I also recommend everyone to read The End of Policing.)

Favorite TV show of the year: Honestly, TV kind of saved my life this year? I wish I was exaggerating! (I mean, I am exaggerating, but only just.) I’ve enjoyed too many British shows to count (shout-out to my VPN!), but I’ll stick to the motherland in terms of crowning a favorite. And…it’s a tie! I’m going with a split between I Am Not Okay With This and Teenage Bounty Hunters, which (v. frustratingly) have BOTH canceled after just one season each. (Seriously, Netflix, WHAT THE FUCK.)

Favorite movie of the year: I think for me it’s gotta be Kajillionaire. (For the record, I would’ve called a tie between that and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, but technically Portrait of a Lady on Fire was a 2019 release. SO.) 

Favorite song, album and/or artist of the year: I mainly spent this year watching live-streamed DJ sets from isolation, so I’ll just go ahead and give a shout-out to Boiler Room and HÖR (and too many DJs to list) for bringing me the bulk of my 2020 living room-based joy.

Best thing that happened to me this year: Discovering British panel game shows. (Related: getting the aforementioned VPN.) Also the Eurovision: Fire Saga Song-Along.

What I’m looking forward to most in 2021: Seriously speaking, I am looking forward to literally everything that everyone else is looking forward to most (a new administration, the vaccine, etc.). Superficially speaking, p. stoked for Timothée Chalamet in Dune.

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