I listened to Chloe’s debut album yesterday and I’ll say it up front: I think it was good.
This 24 year old woman is undoubtedly incredibly talented. As a protégée of Beyonce, how could a person be anything less than outstanding ?? In Pieces is solid, and I hope wonderful things for her future career.
I appreciate her talent and her potential. I think I liked the last half a bit more than the first half, and that’s okay. I’m going to play this album on repeat, and I just KNOW it’s going to grow on me more and more.
My top favorites are: 1. Pray It Away 2. Feel Me Cry 3. Looze U 4. Told Ya 5. Make It Look Easy I think it’s interesting because I can hear the influence of early 2000’s Queens like Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston (all who she lists as influences in her Apple Music interview with rapper Latto). She has ballads where she belts songs from a place of power. The intro to Make It Look Easy reminds me SO MUCH of Beyoncé’s Lemonade film where she interludes each song with a melodic poem. It has that similar righteous anger, detachment, and pain riddled throughout expressing the emotional turmoil she feels. Pray It Away
This song was the first single released from her debut album. I LOOOVVEEE this song. She radiates this powerful anger and sense of revenge but trying to act better than how she feels. It’s great.
The line where she says “can’t talk to my friends because they hate you too” IS TOO real. If you’re going through something and confide in your friends about your experience, it’s likely they’ll have some feelings about the whole bit as well. They don’t want you to go rounds with this person either. This entire album gives Cancer zodiac sign so hard. Feelings being hurt and wanting to do the worst for revenge but “praying it away” before doing something crazy. I love it for her. “I just learned to hate from you” is such an underrated statement in this song. But it’s so true. Sometimes you don’t even know the depth of an emotional expression until someone takes you to that place. Wild. Feel Me Cry
I admit, I have had this song on repeat since I first heard. At first I thought “oh that’s nice” then I heard it another time and went “yeah this is really good.” By the third time I was singing the lyrics LINE BY LINE.
I think it really speaks to the depth of love a person feels when all they wanted was to be understood, to empathize with the pain they’ve caused. At least, that’s what I thought until I read the lyrics word for word and it’s much more sexual and less sad than I initially thought. We attribute meaning to art and music, so whatever it means for you, that is valid. Looze U
Looze U reminds me of the early 2000’s girlies like Destiny’s Child. It feels classic and warm. The cadence, melody, overall production, even her tone really lends itself well to that era.
The bar in the beginning that gets me every time is “how you be so sweet and be this mean to me?” If you know, you know. The sadness, disappointment, and confusion that one line alone delivers is gutwrentching (at least to me it is). I feel like the song just goes in on the dynamics of a truly doomed, toxic relationship. It’s not just a couple silly quirks someone has that makes life difficult, it’s everything. The highs are super high, and the lows are hell. Another bar that conveys this hopeless hope for better is “we wanna fix it but we don’t know how.” She goes on to question herself, if she’s too dumb to know. There’s an acceptance towards the end that some things are better apart. That’s facts. Despite how much you and this other person may want to be together. Ms. Chloë reminds us of self-love and doing what’s best for yourself, regardless if it hurts. She says “if I don’t save myself, I’ma just play myself.” And that’s right. Told Ya ft. Missy Elliot
She brought out Missy to remind us of our power! A bop to dance to and feel your most confident self in.
It’s fun, energetic, sassy and a great summer song. I particularly like how she spells out the word independent, showing more of the early 2000s influence. Missy Elliot adds depth and texture to this lighter, fun song. Her references are solid and makes a statement to her longevity of being a boss. The beat change up at the end grounds this elevated song in deeper feelings of feeling constantly judged and connects to the inner monologue more. Make It Look Easy
We need to talk about this intro!! Miss Beyoncé protegeé!!
Her solemn statement intro adds so much power to what we’re about to hear in the song. “No matter how many times I break, I put myself back together again every damn time,” is so much like B’s Lemonade film and the poetry interludes between each song. It doesn’t feel copied or unoriginal either. It feels fresh, interesting, genuine, but still influenced like showing respect in the direction of the great women that have come before her and made it possible for artists like her today. I’m obsessed with it. Then the content of the song as well reflects someone who feels constantly on display but still struggles internally. There’s insecurities, fears, and layers to it. I think that’s something most people can relate to and find some truth in it for themselves.
I hope you enjoyed this and found something new to listen to or think about.
You can find the instagram @yedheads for more music & monthly playlists. have a great day
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First and foremost:
First surrender, then detachment. I read this post from we are the urban on Instagram. Their words always inspires me. Sometimes it’s too much to read and sometimes it hits just right. I’ve realized recently I will hear one word and everything clicks into place. That word for me today was surrender.
In the context of relationships, surrendering was one of the first healthy practices in love I have had to learn. Now stay with me because there is a safe and healthy way to surrender, but there is also a dangerous and unhealthy way to surrender. The difference is you have to feel your way through it, navigating the blindness like cutting your path through a jungle or breaking trail in deep snow. Once you’ve made that healthy path, walked those steps, know what the journey is like, it’s much easier the next time around to choose the right path for you. The first time is hard though. It takes a lot of cognitive, mental effort. There’s so many choices to make, decisions and confusion about which way is the right way or which decision will lead me where I want. I think we start the journey again every time we start a new relationship with somebody. In this context, it’s a romantic relationship. You begin the journey of learning somebody’s communication style, behaviors, and just how they are. You also have learned how you operate in relationships, your expectations and communication style.
But what makes all the difference is the feeling of surrendering. I use surrender in the way that you are not making any effort to control the situation or asking somebody to meet your needs. You know the difference between surrender and control because you can feel it inside of you. There’s no second guessing of intentions, there’s no over analyzing someone’s specific words, there’s so confusion or guessing anything really. It’s simple and clear. Surrendering control in a relationship may seem difficult, and it can be at first, but the results make life feel easy as breathing. This is for my anxious attachment people specifically. It’s hard when you’re in the midst of a situation to imagine letting go. But you’re not surrendering the person you love or the relationship with them. You’re surrendering any hold you think you may have on keeping things together. I can bet at some point you’ve been white knuckled, tight gripped, clinging to a relationship and the hope you have for it. Imagine loosening your grip on the relationship between you two. There’s tension there, anxiety, stress. Let it all go as you inhale and exhale. One finger at a time if you must. This is the first step in detachment which will ultimately save you the rollercoaster of heartbreak in the end. I’ve been through this mess before and what I didn’t realize was how detachment would save me. But it first started as surrender. I know my first moment of surrender came at the rock bottom of my romantic relationship. It was quite literally emotional hell in every sense. I had become a shell of the person I was a year prior. I felt at the end of my rope, the ends frayed and hanging on by a thread to this relationship I wanted to work so badly. I would have done anything to make it work and tried to make every healthy decision possible I could think of or read about. There came a day where I put emotional distance between me and this person I loved. It’s hard because we all desire closeness. But because I was pulling so hard to be close, I left no room for them to move towards me. There wasn’t any space for intimacy to grow to draw us together. So there came a day where I gave up. I gave up bringing us closer together. I gave up trying to make it work. I gave up the desire to make sacrifices for another person. I gave up the need to make this relationship work no matter what. I let go of my grip on hope. It was truly a sad and depressing moment. It’s not a happy feeling or enlightening joy by any means. I guess the last thing I sacrificed in my relationship with this person was hope. I felt myself loosen my white knuckled grip on what I wanted to happen so badly. I let go trying to have a say in this relationship. I released myself from the responsibility of the trajectory of that relationship. I’m not pushing anything along anymore. I’m just here. And it paid off marginally. I saw some improvement in our relationship because of it. Because I’m simply just here. And I think that is the essence of going with the flow. Some people don’t agree with that phrase for many reasons, but the essence is surrender. I was about to begin the process of detachment because I surrendered control of trying to make the dynamic work for us. I let go of responsibility I unknowingly took to make this work no matter what. Because for one, that’s a dangerous place to be in for yourself. To sacrifice so much of yourself for another person is physically, mentally, and emotionally dangerous. I began detachment by surrendering my belief this relationship should go the way I subconsciously hoped it to go. If it is doomed to be in the pits and we break up, so be it. I will continue to live and it will be painful. Detachment keeps us out of the pits of despair. Detachment helps us keep our eye at the end of the tunnel we may feel like we’re in. Detachment shows us there’s always a bright future for us regardless of how bad we feel right now. The desire to guide the trajectory of a relationship comes from, in my experience, the intense hope and desire to make the vision you created for the two of you a reality. You have white knuckled that grip on the dream you want. Detaching yourself from that dream means letting go of the vision you created for you and another person. Surrendering to the time and feelings you’ve invested in this person. In my experience, I wanted it. I wanted to invest myself, my time, my energy, my love with another person. But surrendering to me means detaching myself, possibly surrendering my ego, from whatever outcome may be at the end of the line for us. Instead, I fell to the pits of despair. Eventually I had to claw my way out and up to the light alone. That’s the personal growth journey where inner strength is built and can never be taken away. I knew the pits was the end of my relationship because I had nothing left to give. Everything I had mentally and emotionally was depleted. I surrendered to the feeling of separation from someone I loved and detached. It’s not even a breakup I’m talking about. Sure, that is a part of the process. But I have felt a surrendering even now when I meet somebody. There’s a feeling of emotional separation and distance between you and another person. I do believe boundaries really help with this but that’s another story for another day. We want to hold tight to what we love. We think we can make anything work if we try hard enough or say the right things in the correct order to communicate the perfect idea you want to communicate. The intention is genuine but I still felt lost. Never saying the right thing. Always getting something wrong. Never feeling understood completely. But we’re still holding tight to that desire to be loved right. It’s about accepting the reality that we will be loved wrong. We will be loved wrong no matter how hard we try to make it perfect. We will love others in ways that feels wrong to them no matter how hard we try to make it perfect or even somewhat good. That’s when you come to another realization that life gets better when you can simply be with someone that doesn’t make loving them feel hard. That’s when you realize you want to be with someone that makes loving you feel fairly easy. Yes there are harder parts than others. But the grip on the outcome of that dynamic has been released. Your ego is no longer involved in maintaining the vision you dreamed up for yourself. The ego tells you what you want and what you should have or what you should do. But with the right person, somehow, some way, the walls of ego dissolve. They connect to a deeper layer of your soul your ego can never touch. Because being seen by another soul is the least ego-driven feeling a person can have. There’s nothing there but authenticity and true human connection. It’s seamless. It’s easy. It flows readily between the two of you like breathing. It’s calm and free. There aren’t any layers to it. The connection becomes a question of how deeply can you see this other person for their energy and essence. There’s nothing to hold on to. Surrendering the desire for a specific outcome can arrive at any point. I felt it in the pits of despair. I have also felt in higher points of getting to know somebody new. Letting go releases you from anxiety that may form as a product of this new connection. Surrendering allows you to let go of feelings you may associate to this new person. Detachment allows yourself to feel dynamic in your choices and freedom. Because love grows when it is freely chosen and given. Love is a choice. Loving someone every day is a choice I make. Little things I do communicate to the person I love that I appreciate them. When talking about the vision you want for yourself, it’s an internal pressure, not anything physically controlling or anything that is cognitively intentional. The force I’m talking about is an internal pressure to achieve the loving vision you’ve created. It may manifest in many ways like adjusting your fashion to fit the dream or change your music listening habits to fit the vision you see for yourself and this person. The part that matters is the drive and reason behind changing what you’re doing. Are you doing it because you want to try something new or are you doing it because you envisioned a life with this person and it looks a certain way? After detachment, what comes next? I think the next period is rest. Finding ease in the emotional turmoil you may feel after creating emotional space between you and another person. Until you can find ease and be able to rest in comfort, there is still path to be trodden. Until you can pause along your trail and look out over a scenic view in peace and serenity, there is more journeying to be trekked. However, I believe it’s a cycle. Once you reach peace and can rest with ease, eventually something else will come up. The process starts over again with surrendering how you think this should go. Surrendering your attachment to your vision means surrendering your ego for a deeper, healthier love in the end. Detaching and creating space means sacrificing your personal freedom less and reinvesting time and energy back into your personal journey. Sometimes, we don’t really know what our personal growth journey means or what that looks like until we’ve been in the pits and had to claw our way out. That’s okay. It’s not fun. It doesn’t really even feel good. But there are moments that do feel good where you feel the growth. Something happens when you feel your reaction as a more confident person with more boundaries and more love to give in the future. Surrendering your ego. Surrendering your attachment. Surrendering your hope for your vision. Detaching your grip on the relationship. Let yourself breathe in your space in peace. Detachment leads to comfort. Detachment leads to ease. Detachment leads to growth. Rest in your power. Ease into your confidence. Release your expectations of your ego and expectations of the person in front of you. Allow them to show you who they are and act accordingly in response to who you are.
Surrendering your vision doesn’t mean sacrificing your standards. I mean it in the context of emotionally attaching yourself to one version of reality you want when there are a billion other options how this situation could play out. Some appear more in your favor than others. But I personally believe that we chose the reality we live in based on the lessons we need to learn. Sometimes, we end up in this reality because of lessons we have learned and more are still to come.
I made a little playlist of songs that I think embody this concept. Let me know what you think, I am interested. Again, it’s not a concept you do to somebody else or for somebody else. This is something you do for yourself. Your peace of mind. The instagram is @yedheads. Have a lovely day.
Have you heard of the word simp? I’ve been thinking about it lately and why it has such a negative connotation. Simp is an word used to describe a person that is openly romantic about someone they like. The overall feeling behind this word is that it’s someone who is very soft and spineless because they like someone and they express that in what appears to be a corny way. It’s used as an insult like “don’t be a simp” or “why are you simping for her” kind of thing I guess. At least that’s how I have heard it. I’ve never liked this word for so many reasons.
Dudes, boys, men - all of the above. They use it to crush other men’s feelings even more from expressing any romantic interest in another person and detach completely from any natural feeling. It’s toxic and unhealthy as we all know that men’s mental health is never taken seriously. The world tells men to be emotionless, stoic creatures and expressing feelings of love or admiration for women is weak. And that is really sad. It’s sad we have a new word to weaponize against men and degrade their feelings even more. Maybe I am taking things too seriously, but I can see the effects it has not only in normal conversation, but in the music industry and even on myself. Men are not the only ones affected by this word. Women use it against others, and while it may not have the same sting for women as it does men - mostly due to the fact that it’s socially acceptable and expected for women to express their feelings openly - I feel the impact of the word. When talking about liking someone, and a friend says don’t be a simp, the feeling I get at least is quite disheartening. The kind of feeling that makes your eyes drop lower and shoulders hunch without even realizing the change in body language. It serves to make people feel ashamed for their feelings. With how dating is commonly talked about these days, how hard it can be and how common situationships are (essentially a relationship without the official title), it’s interesting that people expressing romantic feelings about another person is looked upon so negatively. If someone’s natural reaction to getting called a simp is not shame for expressing their feelings, it’s an overbearing bravado of detachment accompanied with an expression devaluing the person’s importance in their life. Again, that sounds like behavior backed by a toxic ego. With the popularity of supporting peoples mental health these days, one might think others would start thinking critically about the words they use and how that can impact others openness to expressing feelings. Why do we keep using this word and why is it so popular? I think it’s a defense mechanism against the isolation and loneliness many younger people feel today in an age of online living (school, appointments, work). It tries to point out people and identify a flaw, point out a fault, and separate them from connecting with people to an even further degree. I don’t like this word at all. It reminds me that people are scared to feel passionate. Maybe the reason is because the person has been hurt before and bitterness to shame someone for expressing themselves. Maybe it’s for a selfish reason to call someone a simp and they’re unconsciously envious. It seems to me that it’s another tool to emotionally repress yourself and others. Because it’s certainly not being used to uplift and support friends and their feelings. The saying “misery seeks company” comes to my mind when thinking about this. Bitter and isolated people want to feel understood and unconsciously act in ways that reinforce that energy in their daily life. Having romantic feelings can threaten that friend relationship and pulls them back from further connecting with others, continuing the cyclical pattern of having isolated and lonely connections just like them. Maybe this is a stretch, an over exaggeration, and I’m completely off the mark. All of this to say, being obsessed over someone isn’t necessarily healthy. It might be fun, intense, and exciting, and everything is a balanced. Perhaps the word simp is expressing the simper doesn’t have any self-respect for their time and energy. What appears to be simping could be toxic behaviors later on, sure. Obsessiveness, possessiveness, a constant need for that person’s attention could all be unhealthy behaviors when taken to the extreme. It could seem desperate to have a crush on someone who doesn’t like you back. Is that simping? Maybe. But honestly who cares? It’s a term used to make people feel smaller and insignificant, and I do not support that. I think people should be proud they can have those feelings and feel excited about something like this. There are people in this world who do not have the emotional capacity to love others or be empathetic. It’s a privilege to love others and express that to them. I think a first step in being more empathetic and gaining more self-awareness is feeling your feelings, acknowledging them and not being defensive when someone comments negatively on feelings you have expressed. That is emotional resilience. It’s knowing that vulnerability and expressing yourself genuinely is what connects people and resonates with others. That is relatable and real. It’s easy to be influenced by people telling you you are too much. But it’s harder to tell yourself how you feel matters and that’s on validating yourself. While all of this is likely a projection of me telling myself this information, it’s a message for people who repress their feelings often. If you’re the kind of person that flies with their feelings, that’s great, love that for you. I hope you don’t feel bad if people call you a simp either. Because there is nothing wrong with being passionate or romantic or cheesy in affection for another person. We could use more of that as our world continues to be further isolated from each other every day. The evidence I can see in the music industry of this simp phenomenon lies in lyrics. I’ve heard women mostly telling the other person to worship them. The energy I get from these songs is really about caring about women as people, their desires, goals, and admiring them. If you’re going to be with someone, love and admire them and not just tolerating their presence like lukewarm milk that’s been sitting on the counter all day. It’s a desire for passion from their romantic partners. It’s saying women deserve better than simply accepting someone’s emotionless presence but stating they want someone engaging in loving them fully. Like “be loyal, be obsessed, think I’m amazing” type of energy. It’s a power reversal of patriarchy where men dominate and are prioritized. This is a reminder that when men and women say the same lyrics, the impact can feel much different between the two because of the imbalance of societal power. As far as when men use the word in lyrics, it’s the same thing as before to not get emotionally invested in someone. It could be argued that any melancholy R&B song is a simp song. But it’s just someone feeling their feelings about their situation, and that’s okay. Living life passionately is much more fulfilling and interesting than pretending to feel nothing at all. That’s really boring and plain. I say jump in even when it feels scary. The idea of living a passionless, flat life is much scarier to me than the fear of risking judgement by others. Most people are afraid to say how they really feel or do what they want to do due to the fear of being judged. Could you imagine wasting away your life out of fear for being judged by others? It’s something I cannot tolerate in my life and wish the best for everyone else on their journey to living a more fulfilled, authentic life.
I made a little playlist of songs that I feel embody the simp vibe. The first one is a lot but the others are a bit more low key and digestible. All of these are great songs overall.
I also wanted to share a couple podcast episodes I love which talk about exploring your authentic self, embracing your feelings, and being true to you. As I mentioned before, if you want to simp, do it. It’s just a word used to make people feel bad about being open and expressive about their feelings. It seems like as long as you maintain your boundaries on what you are okay with, it shouldn’t be a problem. Ri Turner literally makes the best podcast on this planet. I never listen to episodes on repeat but hers are truly something to cherish. I can’t believe she only makes like one per month but truly, this wellness podcast is a gem and my absolute favorite. Her calming voice and authentic self shine brightly in all of her work. I just discovered the next podcast this morning called Psychology of your 20s. While it may be geared towards a younger audience, I think anybody can find value in her words. They resonate beautifully. She even mentions Brene Brown in this episode (iykyk). The last podcast is one I have been listening to for over a year. The two gals are funny and balance lighthearted humor with in-depth reflective conversations quite well. I appreciate them and all that they do.
That’s it. I’m done. The only thing left to say is embarrassment isn’t real when you act from an authentic place in life. If you simp genuinely and not on some fake behavior with ulterior motives, you’re good. You can’t be embarrassed and any power of judgement it seems people have over you dissolves. Okay bye thanks luv u
This month is my birthday month, and I really didn’t want to contain myself to pick my favorite songs I’d been listening to all month. I present to you: bad bitch music for the summer. It’s really the vibe I’ve been feeling lately. All of these songs make me feel good, lift me up, and remind myself like yes - I am that girl. It’s my personal opinion everyone should have at least one playlist that uplifts them and makes them feel good. The front cover page is a collage of all the albums covers. I really feel like album art does not get the attention it deserves. You can tell so much just by looking at the cover art. That is the whole point. It’s supposed to visually communicate a message about what you are going to listen too if you press play. Here, The vibe is honestly pretty accurate all together. I love it. The next slide is all the song titles and artists lined up playlist style, no album visuals. I like the city pop sunset vibe. Next I thought I would try something simple, a breakdown of the titles, the covers, and group the songs together in little sections. They match vibes and feel aesthetically go together well. I designed all of these layouts. It was really a fun twist on the visual playlist project I’ve been doing. If you don’t know, I make a long playlist every month then pick the top songs that fit the vibe and feel important to me at the time. Then, I try to visualize the general feeling in one way or another. I have typically been doing this as hand drawings, but this time I thought I would do a digital layout. Thats’ still art too. Hot In IT - Tiesto, Charli XCX
Ain’t Proud - Ibi Han
Hold You Up - KayCyy, Annahstasia
Lose My Cool - 070 Shake, NLE Choppa
Doja - Central Cee
If you listen to anything on this list, the last song is hilarious by Central Cee called Doja. Maybe it’s just me that thinks it’s funny. Let me know any thoughts and comments you may have. Feel free to reach out on IG @yedheads. Thanks -Ally
June has certainly been an interesting month. With the resurgence of 80’s electronic music, Stranger Things premiere, and more hot girl summer energy, house music is coming back.
Fair - NormaniJeje de Whine - Ckay
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Se Fue La Luz - 070 ShakeTread Carefully - SZAHow do you feel fightin' your feelings? Calling My Name - Drake
As I mentioned before, Drake’s album drop is a cultural indicator of where the sonics are headed right now. This summer will definitely be filled with synths, shakes, and a whole lot of upbeat drum patterns. I’m excited to see what’s around the corner! This little post was short and sweet. Feel free to reach out on IG if you have any comments or thoughts. Xxxoooooo
I need to talk about this Drake album immediately. We have no time to waste. The Drake fanbase seems to be split on whether or not they like it. At first I was hearing bad things - people hated it, Drake was slacking, trash, it's elevator music, all of it. Then I went on Tiktok and LET ME TELL YOU: I found my people over there. I saw one video come across my page before I had listened to the album that put me in the right mindset. I try my best to avoid consuming any media to influence my opinion before listening to an album on first listen. This one happened so quickly I barely had the time to swipe it away before I heard the phrase "this album was made for the gays, theys, and girlies" and it stuck in my head. I was intrigued even further at this point. After hearing that, I had to listen because if something is for the gays, theys, and girlies, I want to know about it too.
My first impression of the album did not start off well because the album cover art is literally so ugly it's illegible. I can barely read the text, the design is atrocious, there is no flavor there. The only cool thing about it is the multicolor aspect but even that looks droopy. So it was not set up well in that regard. I posted on Instagram how Drake really missed an opportunity to uplift a digital artist to make something thoughtful and beautiful. Like someone who actually cares. Because honestly, the CLB cover of his last album was even more atrocious than this one, I could barely tolerate a first listen. I did not want those songs on my playlist, to look at that cover art every time I scroll through my favorite playlist at the moment? Absolutely not. I feared it would be the same case with Honestly, Nevermind. Thankfully, the album was better than the cover art and is the complete opposite vibe. This new Drake album is game changer and an indicator of a culture shift. There are small signs of culture shifting over time if you know what to pay attention to. This album is the clearest sign I have seen yet. DRAKE MADE A HOUSE ALBUM. I don't know if you know what that means but I have so many thoughts and they all collide and conflict with each other. CHAOS has ensued in my mind after hearing this album.
FOR STARTERS:
1. Drake, one of the biggest rap artists in the world is shifting genres. 2. Drake, getting older, is experimenting with his sound and brand. 3. Drake, a rapper, singer, tv producer, director, now house music dj?? 4. Drake, Canadian and American favorite, is going further internationally with his fanbase, expanding beyond the US market appeal. 5. Drake, the man with a grip on the pop culture neck, made an electronic album he believed would sell and be popular with an audience than has not been his previous audience (i.e. rap gurus and r&b babies). 6. Drake is moving away from rap as his main brand and expanding into other creative areas. 7. Drake demonstrates an influence from international cultures and subcultures in his beat production. 8. Drake flexes his range in styles with house music, island vibes, afrobeats, queer subculture dance music. 9. Drake, a renowned straight man, made a house music album that quite literally has songs that, in queer haus ballroom culture, would likely be absolute bangers to vogue to (vogue is a style of dance in ballroom). 10. Drake made an album he knew would be popular with a specific audience. I just want to know WHO he thought it would be because his trap rap fans are NOT a fan and I am sure he KNEW that so I JUST nEED to KNOW it ALL. This might be my favorite example of audience betrayal I have ever seen. Drake KNOWS who is fans are. AND HE SAID FUCK THEM BRO. I'm making new shit I know is going to pop off elsewhere. HE KNOWS artists have an expiration date when people start commenting how they fell off, how the quality of their music has gone down, when the music doesn't hit like it used to and how once world-famous names become something of the past. This man is doing everything in his power to shift directions, maintain his success in other avenues and build his legacy horizontally. There is an idea I have heard in business terminology to build up or to build out, also equating to expanding vertically or horizontally. STAY WITH ME BC THIS MATTERS. Drake is about as big as it gets with present day success. He has so many Grammys. That's not even a goal for him anymore. He sells out stadiums internationally, owns homes in other countries likely. All of these things are building his success higher and higher up the success ladder. There is another way in which to build an empire however. When building horizontally, it's more expansive on one plane of field. Drake is known for making rap albums with R&B flavor right? Building horizontally for Drake means expanding into other areas of music. We have seen him dabble in TV production with Euphoria and his UK show Top Boy. That hearkens back to his acting days from Degrassi. That's cool and all. But now we're getting something fresh and different from an artist we've all gotten a bit tired of! I'm tired of Drake. I don't want to like his music anymore. BUT I CAN'T HELP IT AND THAT IS A SIGN OF A GREAT ARTIST WHEN THE music is so enticing, the listener has no choice but to bop and vibe. That means the sound is fresh, the idea is different, the concepts are world-building. Drake has put himself and his music in a new setting he has not been in yet previously. The adaptability, diversity, and flexibility of this man is truly astounding. I am forced to give a metaphorical round of applause to this man for creative genius. Clearly, this album shows his listeners he is still willing to take risks in his music. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? THIS MAN IS STILL HUNGRY. I'm reminded of so many quotes from successful artists, talking about maintaining that hunger and driver for the creative process, about never dimming your light for success, about constantly stretching the box people will try to put you in as an artst. Let me explain. In the jeen-yuhs documentary on Netflix, there was a clip with Pharrell and Kanye in the studio when Kanye was first starting his carrer. When YE played him a demo, Pharrell was shocked out of his gourd, aghast, taken aback and said something along the lines of "Always maintain that hunger. Whatever you do, Always chase that drive to create." At least, that's how I interpreted his statement. I'd have to go back and find the exact quote in the docuseries (I'm 90% sure it's when Kanye plays Pharrell Through the Wire for the first time) but it's there. This Drake album reminds me of when Pharrell - the industry icon, the main constant throughout the evolution of modern music, the producer of the century, the man that has worked with legends - tells Kanye he has what it takes and to maintain that creative drive however he can. In my eyes, this album symbolizes that creative hunger is still there for Drake. Another quote I was reminded of came from Jay-Z as Kendrick Lamar was releasing his album To Pimp A Butterfly. It came from a popularized tweet from the president of Kendrick's label Top Dawg Entertainment. The conversation went ‘we are about to drop this album that’s going to challenge and possibly piss off our fan base’, he said ‘good! Do it now, and they’ll never be able to put y’all in a box’. [HOV] was right.' (complex article source)." Summarized in my mind, that means "people will try to put you in a box. Never get comfortable or let people box you in with a specific genre. Once they do that, they will never let you out," essentially the genre becomes a prison. Do things differently that challenge people and if they get mad, good. This sentiment was echoed in Tyler the Creator's Grammy acceptance speech for IGOR when his album won best rap album. He said "On one side I'm just grateful that what I made could be acknowledged in a world like this. But also it sucks that whenever we—and I mean guys that look like me—do anything that's genre-bending or anything they always put it in a Rap or Urban category." This man basically made a jazz album - as I understand it - and he won an Grammy for best rap album, essentially structuralizing racism and putting black people into a box that society feels is acceptable for white people to give accolades to non-white people. Tyler follows his statement with "It is just the politically correct way to say the n-word to me. So, when I hear that I'm like, 'Why can't we just be in Pop?' So, half of me felt like the Rap nomination was a backhanded compliment," (complex article source). People expected rap Drake, and that's not what they got. People are hating. Drake gave electronic energy, but not in a Passionfruit way, more in an Ibiza way (ifgiygi). People's reaction to Drake making this album feels like that. It's okay if you don't like House music or even Afrobeats, just say that. Instead of "Drake's album is trash" just say it's not for you. I don't appreciate when people designate music or art bad. I heard this quote once in an interview from a lady (I think she was a poet) who said "if you don't like a piece of art, that just means it's not for you at this moment in time." That really changed my perspective forever on consuming and appreciating art. It leaves space for evolved thoughts and feelings down the road at some point. Sometime in the future, I can revisit albums I don't love now and hopefully I will have different thoughts about it later. It's a less negative, judgmental approach that I prefer. I know that my preferences are based on my experiences, that art taste is subjective based off of my lived experiences, and everyone will have different preferences because of that. Some people don't like house music - and again - that is okay. But recognizing objectively what you're listening to and judging it based off of preconceived expectations of the type of music you think Drake should make is not the move for me. Drake should be judged in other ways like his questionable choices of dating barely legal aged girls but his house music album is okay with me. House music, while it's roots are in disco and underground movements, was created by black people have been popularized by white people. White Dj's at raves. White Dj's like Diplo, David Guetta, who cares who else. I do not like them. Disco and electronic music has evolved to so many different branches though. There is a sound that I have been a fan of for awhile. It's a dance beat, set in ballroom queer spaces to vogue to. I am out of my depth in this conversation however, I just know it exists and I try to seek out this type of music and feeling. There is a specific type of house beat I hear - it's fast-paced, repetitive, thumping, echoing adrenaline pumping heartbeat - that sounds like a rhythm I can imagine being played while people vogue in a ballroom setting. Again, I do not know much about the queer subculture but it has become more and more popular in recent years. I have many ideas why, with the popular show of RuPaul's drag race, the upcoming generation embracing a queer identity and seeking community in that, I think there's a lot of reasons why we're getting this now. 2016 was sort of a golden age of hiphop (Lemonade, Blonde, Life of Pablo, Anti, Views, Untitled Unmastered, Jeffery, etc.), but it's 8 years later and I can see pop culture moving into a different era. I feel this wave of house music, 80's nostalgia, and vogue music. It's obvious to me with The Weeknd's album release in the beginning of this year heavily 80' s influenced. Now we have another synth example for hiphop r&b big name artist shifting to something much more upbeat. I'm here for it, and I think we will see more of this in upcoming releases by bigger artists. I have never been into electronic music before, but in past year or two, Afrobeats has been my go to. If you're not already familiar with the vibes and kinds of beats, it might be harder to pick up if you don't know what you're hearing. There are some drum patterns I hear that are distinctly Afrobeats. This album is giving boat party, summer happiness, carefree living, dance hall, cunty fresh lifestyle. I'll try to point out which songs I think have the Afrobeats influence in my non-expert white person perspective of a style of music I am completely unconnected to other than just being a fan. To start, the Intro clip to the album is nice, I don't find it particularly outstanding but I wanted to mention it since we're talking about the whole album today. I think It's a great juxtaposition as a softer sound to the upbeats that follow. Falling Back
Texts Go Green
Currents
A Keeper
Calling My Name
Sticky
Massive
Flight's Booked
Overdrive
We're sacrificing some time Down Hill
Tie That Binds
Liability
You put your words together like you getting points for that shit, like you playing Scrabble on me Jimmy Cooks (ft. 21 Savage)
Again, I love this album. I love everything about it. I do want to point out that Drake was not the only artist to release music like this. Beyonce dropped a dance track, very similarly of a voguish beat on the same day. THEY KNOW SOMETHING WE DO NOT. And I'll tell you what it is (I watched a Tiktok where this woman did an economic analysis of when other popular electronic dance tracks were popular): it's because we are approaching an economic recession. She analyzed time periods where danceable upbeat tracks (think Like a G6) was extremely popular and found it matched the rise and fall of deep economic recession. People needed something to get excited about. The clubs were popping but the pockets were empty. And that's okay. She even brought up the Jazz period of 1930's, how popular and successful that was, and pointed out how that a period of deep economic recession as well. Music reflects culture which always reflects what is happening in society. Music is going to reflect what is going on in the world and when people feel seen in the music, that is when people connect to it. That is what becomes popular. With recessions, people don't need to feel anything more to be depressed or downtrodden. They need a reason to get excited and happy when there are so many reasons to be sad and poor. I Both Drake and Beyonce know something we don't. The millionaires know something we don't. The worldwide, internationally acclaimed artists know something we don't. I feel like a huge shift is coming and these two indicators of mainstream pop culture confirm that in my eyes.
I also know from my personal experience that all of this follows two full years of pandemic, sadness, heartbreak, controversy, and so much rough water to navigate. Nothing has been easy about these past few years. I think we're going to start seeing more celebratory music because we have been so deep in our feelings for so long now. Here are some of my favorite TikToks I have come across related to the Drake album:
There is one last quote - actually a lyric - that reminds me of the Drake album. In Adele's most recent release, she has this wonderfully beautiful song called Woman Like Me. I love this song deep in my soul. The one powerful bar she sings that, when I think about the Drake album, I am reminded of: "Complacency is the worst trait to have, are you crazy?" I personally can see the continual drive for creative exploration, and how the hunger is still there for him. Complacency doesn't seem to be included in his vocabulary. I think that is really inspiring, to see how someone can be so successful and take creative risks. It doesn't feel fake or like he's trying for nothing. I'm down for it, and I respect the courage to try something new even when you know you're going to get a lot of side-eye from people who are supposed to support you. If this album did nothing else, it made me respect Drake a lot more as a creative.
I'm really excited for the future of music right now. The season feels fresh in a way I haven't felt in a while. People are looking for something different. With the accessibility and availability of so much music in our hands, I think we're going to see a lot of creativity in the beat production world. Again, I couldn't be more thrilled for what's to come. If you know any artists or have more recommendations for me, please reach out I am dying to hear more!! Thanks for reading today. Love u bye Does anyone need my thoughts and vibes on this? No. Is this my blog? Yes. Am I going to do whatever I want? Also yes. If you want to know about Juneteenth, you can google it and kind great reputable sources, just like I did to learn more. I am not a historical source of information! Now that we have that covered, I am going to jump right in. I had been thinking about the history of the holiday and why it exists in the first place. The fact that people were free for two years, labored and suffered for whilst being unknowingly free (being held there against their will). That is more ghastly than words can words can say. Thinking about why this happened: the speed of information and passing messages between people had been incredibly slow compared to current standards of literal livestreaming and instantaneous messages. The Pony Express was the way people were communicating at this time, and that didn't even last that long. I guess telegrams did exist but it's my understanding they had to be along specific wires or something (according this this website). That same website says the Pony Express only took about 10 days to deliver a message from the East coast to the West coast. It took TWO YEARS to let people know they were freed because they lived in a Confederate area that wanted to keep them enslaved forever. Literally, the army marched over there and let everyone know it was a federal proclamation. Freeing people under threat of force. Insanity. You may already know this part but it will never cease to amaze me the things politicians will do as a strategic move, they market it as a morally sound choice for a reason, but it always has some ulterior reasoning that benefits their cause. Literally, Lincoln was just trying to keep the Union together and realized at some point that freeing people would draw them up North and lessen the population pool of military recruits for the Confederates. This entire quote from History.com: "Lincoln confessed 'my paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or to destroy slavery,'" in a letter to a news editor. The audacity to not even care about the welfare of the people he just freed. Anyways, I'm not a history expert or anything but I do try to do research and share when it's applicable, interesting, and necessary. In this case, it is all three. And the fact that white people write about Lincoln as being morally just in textbooks, that just doesn't sit right with me. And the fact that we carved four faces into a mountain that are questionable characters. It doesn't sit right with me!! And the fact that the Mount Rushmore land was taken from Native Americans there is really the cherry on top of the awful mess. Distasteful to say the absolute LEAST. Overall, the thoughts and vibes are not favorable!! Anyone who feels good about things is honestly operating under a state of delusion, for who has been writing the history books they have been raised on and been reading? And especially after Summer 2020? Come on bro. There's no reason to be acting silly or pretending to be dumb. If you've been paying attention and listening, you should know. Or know that you need to know. That's all I have to say. HOWEVER his is a music blog. LET'S GET TO THE MUSIC.
Is it weird for a white person to pick songs about this topic? Perhaps it is. I did consult several popular playlists on Spotify titled Juneteenth that have thousands of likes. They had a mix of Beyonce, TuPac, and other classics. I kind of wanted something fresh though. Like why would I highlight songs that everyone already knows and has on repeat? The freedom song by Beyonce is the exception though bc it did come from the Lemonade visual album and that is very cool. I hope these fit in with the vibe of those playlists that everyone else seemed to love. The songs themselves are a range in empowerment, ease, confidence, and self-love in blackness. I hope that is okay. If you have other thoughts, please share them with me! Have a gorgeous day.
I was traveling all of May so while I may not have had all the time to listen to jams, I made the effort to listen to new music coming out. Some of these were Future's new album (surprisingly I did like), Bad Bunny's new album (1000% YES), Kehlani's new album (R&B vibes HEAVY) and more. It was a nice moment to take actually and slow down to really savor some good music. The drawing was inspired by the time I spent in New Mexico when I mostly was listening to these songs. I was having a hard time getting inspired by what the visual should be and this came to me one day. It felt right. For me, the vibe was half hype in the beginning and then slowing down a bit to get centered and get in touch with feelings. This ten track playlist is the perfect balance of getting ready and excited for the day while also getting in touch with yourself. Mary J. Blige came out with an album that really took me by storm as well. Her song "Good Morning Gorgeous" is the perfect song to wake up to in the morning, especially om the harder days when it's difficult to get out of bed or you're just not feeling it. Enjoy!! I hope you find something new and fun to listen to today :) For A Nut - Future
Carry Anne - Leikeli47
Sleazy Flow - SleazyWorld Go
Andrea - Bad Bunny, Buscabulla
Provenza - Karol G
Good Morning Gorgeous - Mary J. Blige, H. E. R.I completely love this song. Usually, I'm not a big fan of cheesy type songs, big ballads, or really in-your-face messages in songs. I usually go for something a bit softer. However, this works for me because of the theme and how Ms. Blige sings it. Sometimes, in the morning, you really have to be in your own face, direct, and honest about how you're feeling in that moment. It's a practice in confidence building in my opinion. This is the perfect song to sing in the morning to lift yourself up or anyone else that needs to hear it. It seems like I'm always against me Skin and Bones - 070 Shake
Everything - Kehlani
Felt - cktrl, anaiis
Cry - Brenda Lee
These songs to me transition from exciting to get you in touch with your feelings a bit more.
Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment to read. I hope something was interesting and fun to think about or listen to. Have a splendid day and if you have any song recommendations for me, I would love to hear them. Thanks :) I had a mix of affirmation, spiritual type music then rounded it out with boss energy of Megan Thee Stallion's most recent single. It's honestly a great balanced vibe. Everyone needs a bit of hype in their life then circling back to a more grounded kind of energy. The first three songs of this playlist mean the most to me and I hope, out of anything, you can enjoy those. Sun Comes Up remains dear to my heart. Worth It - Amber MarkThis song is the most uplifting, validating, heartfelt song I have heard. It makes me feel good when I listen. I hope it does for others too. This is the kind of song I wish would become more popular and widespread. With the rising rates of mental illness in our communities, everyone would use a little reminder that they are worth it. I know that you get so used to it Sun Comes Up - ShenseeaI completely love this song with all of my heart. It is so beautiful and again, I feel it's another one everyone should hear. It uplifts my soul, reminds me that another day is coming no matter what you are facing today. It's another day to start fresh. It's another day that I can show up for myself just a little better than the day before. It's for my people who need gentle encouragement that you will rise again, no matter how you are feeling right now in this moment. Shenseea gifted us something spiritual. One day you'll know, one day you'll know Divine Feminine Energy - HoneyxbunThis intro is everything is aim for. DIVINE FEMININE ENERGY is the confidence and self-assurance of pure radiant energy emanating from within. That is how I imagine this concept - that is something that comes from within that a person brings out of themselves. They are doing the work to center their mind, body and spirit. I am a gorgeous woman Unlawful - La HaraI get warm summer nights, waiting for the sun to go down as you're laying in the grass vibes from this. Very sunsetty. t makes me feel at ease, like I should have no stresses in the world. That's how I want to feel every day. Crazy - DoechiiIf and when I can, I love to watch live performances of artists showcasing their music. I can't imagine how many hours went into making a song, then addition hours planning this performance, and the costume design and planning on top of that was well. There is set design and for this song, everything works so wonderfully. I am so excited to see Doechii do here thing with Top Dawg Entertainment. This song makes me feel passionate, excited, and it's just an emotional release really. Love a good song like that. Stick - Dreamville, JID, J.ColeNow if you catch me in the car with this song going, you will witness me shouting the hook to this at the top of my lungs. I absolutely LOVE the intro here and the hook gets me every time. It's a banger. The collab album is very interesting but this is by far my favorite track. The energy lifts me up and motivates me to be a badass all throughout the day. Neck & Wrist - Pusha T, Jay-Z, PharrellThe flow here is insAAANNNEEE. It's the mark f Pharrell I'm telling you. That background beat just floats and the vocals catch every beat and ride that wave. As listeners, we're bopping along with the cadence of the speaker. It's amazing and so chill whilst also being sick af. We Set The Trends - Jim Jones, Lil WayneDid I expect to love this? No. But did I anyways? Yes. Lil Wayne kiillllleedddd it OF COURSE. And honestly, DJ Khaled doesn't even annoy me here or sound cheesy so I respect what's happening. It's a bop. It's rad. Frankenstein - Swedish House MafiaHELLO A$AP ROCKY LIKE ????/ He OWNED this song and put his personal touch on the entire vibe. it still feels like a Rocky song while still being Swedish House Mafia. That is just such a sick collaboration. It is pure mastery of such a delicate balance AND still sounding badass on top of it all. Can't wait to hear the remixes. Plan B - Megan Thee StallionLiterally - and I am not joking when I say this - I LOVE Megan. She represents so much to me, and I was THRILLED SCREAMING CRYING when she released this song. Her powerful words strike a cord in my little soul that shouts approval at Megan's audacity. She is a forever icon and I wish only amazing things for Meg. Have a beautiful day. Remember to get hyped and stay grounded.
This year, I've been enjoying a cyber-hyper-pop type of dystopic sound. Something jarring, brazen, loud, crude yet delicate unnatural sound reflects a societal disconnect in my opinion. It's friction between a life lived online and the struggle with managing life in physical reality. The image we create online rarely reflects the reality of the person behind the profile. We all know this, it's not new information. However, because Covid-19 forced a lot of interactions online as mediated communication, more of our life is lived through an LED screen. I was looking to see how this would affect general music tastes and what the younger generation growing through this event would find appealing. It's clear to me that hyperpop is coming into the picture stronger than ever before. I think this is due to these past couple of years with the pandemic. The metallic, grating sounds of hyperpop are nearly cacophonous as they berate your ears. That's the point though. It's an indication of societal dissatisfaction and anxiety for the future as friction grows between online life and physical reality. It's the auditory connection between living a life through a coded reality versus the abstract one we perceive in physical space. We've been forced to move a lot of our interactions online and in many cases keeping the structure for convenience and better life balance (basically even though it's debated). There were hints of this genre growing before the pandemic. My first thought goes back to Ashnikko releasing her EP in 2019. While hyperpop was originally underground and started as anti-mainstream, like anything else interesting and underground, it has been co-opted to fit into a capitalistic marketable structure. That is what we are consuming today. I don't know a ton about undergrounddhyperpop or it's roots, but I would love to learn more. What little I have read has been keenly fascinating and informative. All I know is that it started small, in basements, as an anti-mainstream pop movement against over-produced sounds popular in the 2010's I think. It was using the exact same type of overproduction to make something sound terrible like an egregious act of music-making but still vibable to prove a point. This type of music seems to becoming more popular as well which I think reflects the general societal feelings of imbalance, slightly chaotic, and forced. I feel like this rise of cyper-hyper pop is a different side of the same coin of the self-care movement as people try to navigate an overwhelmed, booked, busy, online world. The self-care movement seeks wellness and constantly working on oneself. While that is fine, it is tiring and not really sustainable to be thinking about and doing self-care 24/7. Both movements seem to be different approaches to the same problem we are all facing. In an increasingly online world, how do we maintain our humanity and stay rooted in what it means to be a human? Seems like cyber-hyper pop and the self-care movement are onto something if you ask me. Maybe it's trying to level the scales between living life online and in person. Here are some of my favorite examples of cyber-hyper pop. Again, while I am not an expert in electronic music, it's something I think is interesting. Pony - SOPHIE Tantrum - Ashnikko SLIME - Shygirl Pink Diamond - Charli XCX Lost Woman Found- Arca I think this album cover is so beautifully and thoughtfully designed. I just like to sit and stare at it, thinking about the concept like what this was supposed to be. The piles of bodies at the base of a robotic mermaid. Interesting at least.
Have a wonderful day :) |
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