The last time Pantone selected two colors was Rose Quartz & Serenity in 2016, and we all know what a tranquil, serene year that was; so 2021 will presumably unleash the curse of an ancient mummy on the world, or see us collide with the Sun.
2020’s color, “Classic Blue”, probably wasn’t much of a color of the year unless it happens to be the color you painted your home office. If the company had genuine foresight, it might have opted for the blandest beige it could find — in fact in the Summer paint brand Dulux almost opted for that for 2021, naming “Brave Ground” its color for next year, but for beige’s “resilient” qualities rather than any lockdown boredom.
Perhaps that’s why Pantone’s PR department opted for two colors in 2021: a nondescript grey to keep us going until we’re all vaccinated, and a wildly luminous yellow for the latter part of the year.