Megan Thee Stallion has defined music in 2020 – there's no ifs, ands or buts about it. From the moment she dropped "Savage", the world was proclaiming their own levels of sassiness, bougieness and ratchetness along with her. A few months later, she linked up with Cardi B to produce one of the indisputably biggest songs of the year – so widely circulated that it permeated US politics. And all this in a year where the world around her crumbled under the weight of revolution and viruses. Despite the tragedy – personal and societal – Megan is delivering her debut album Good News… and good news it is.

But first, she has to clear some stuff up. In an absolute no-nonsense monologue with opening song "Shots Fired", she candidly addresses the worst moment of her year: her alleged shooting by rapper Tory Lanez. The incident was surrounded by rumours and red herrings, and Megan remained quiet for months. But, she tears the whole thing down as – all over a sample of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Who Shot Ya?". She raises her eyebrows in case you still want to try her and, when you inevitably stay quiet, she proceeds with a 16-song onslaught of rapid-fire bars and stone-cold conviction over a colossal array of beats.

Her unwavering skill is on show on "Circles" over a barely-there looping sample, before she switches it up over a carousel of synths on "Sugar Baby". The Eazy E-sampling "Girls In The Hood" is Megan at her most aggressive, as growls over a beat that was once used for a song that is rife with stale and dated attitudes towards Black women. She reclaims her own sexuality and showcases it with levels of strength and bravado that soars far higher than any of her male contemporaries.

Megan's brightest shining solo moment on Good News is, by far, the dizzying and infectious "Body". With a hook that's so repetitive it almost becomes gibberish, Megan delivers a hot girl summer anthem as the sun begins to set on "WAP"-mania. It explodes with self-love: "If I wasn't me and I would've seen myself, I would have bought me a drink", and self-lust: 

"Took me home, did me long, ate it with the panties on". The song is very much a hip-hop song, but the way it flirts with pop songwriting means you should probably prepare yourself for the #BodyChallenge sooner than later.

Megan also flaunts her versatility across Good News by working with an incredible mix of collaborators. She reunited the dream team by once again linking up with DaBaby for "Cry Baby", where they match each other's cheekiness and humour. She embraces the hypersexual with Miami's City Girls on "Do It On The Tip", and even dips her toe in dancehall with "Intercourse" alongside Jamaican legend Popcaan. The song's subdued nature is very left field for Megan – who thrives on high energy and sharp delivery – but she pulls it off with ease. 

Perhaps most importantly, Megan links up with her idol, Beyoncé, for the previously heard remix of "Savage" that ultimately feels like a passing of the torch – from a Houston music legend who helped millions learn to love themselves to a future Houston music legend who is carrying on that same message.

2020 has been a year full of devastation, and Megan Thee Stallion's Good News provides some much-needed respite. It's polished, refined and explosive, showcasing Megan as the rapper to watch. Here Megan feels unstoppable, like nothing is out of her reach. So, while Good News the album has finally arrived, it seems like Megan Thee Stallion's best is yet to come.

Listen to the Megan Thee Stallion's latest album, Good News, in full here: 

Written by Jackson Langford, music contributor at MTV Australia. Hot takes at @jacksonlangford and hotter pics at @jacksonlangford.