How do you rank a song that's well-written and well-sung but has lyrics that hit uncomfortably close to home? Marcus Eaton's cover of Sting's "Fragile" will be in my favorite music of 2020 countdown in December. It's too strong of a rendition not to be included. The song's range is ideal for Eaton's voice, and he sings it with gripping solemnity.
Where in the countdown will it fall, however? At the moment, I have no idea. I remember the chills I felt hearing Sting's version shortly after the September 11, 2001 atrocities. Those chills returned recently while listening to Eaton's cover. The lyrics about how fragile all of us are and how life can change instantly for the worse are disturbingly apropos for this pandemic. When ranking it among my favorite songs of 2020, should I place it above a song that's more fun to listen to but has less depth lyrically? Or, should I put more weight on how the song makes me feel and rank it below a more lightweight tune?
Fortunately, I still have another four months to decide.
