Originally, this was going to be something related to life after graduation. With corona virus going on and everybody learning from home, I wanted to do a collection of motivating songs about school to get through it. It's something I've been collecting over the years, and now seems like a great time to share that. Music has a strong influence over my productivity and flow. It really depends on the mood. Either way, at the end of the day, the work still has to get done. My personal favorite on the list is "I Can" by Nas. It's powerful, resonating, and always applicable. I feel it gets better with age too. Maybe you find something interesting here, even if it's just for fun. Proud of U - EarthGang feat. Young Thug I'm proud of you Dreams - Solange I grew up a little girl with I Can - Nas I know I can NCAA - 2 Chainz NCAA, yeah, we the young and dangerous, yeah Bigger - Beyonce If you feel insignificant, you better think again More - Mereba Freedom to fight more Good luck on the studies, work, and general wellness. You can do this. Have a beautiful day. Thanks for reading.
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2019 was the end of an exciting decade for music. Here are some of the album highlights which I found particularly favorable. Over It - Summer Walker
Ni**as be insecure Anti - Rihanna
Don't get it twisted Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
We'll run to the future, shining like diamonds Lemonade - Beyoncé
Platinum Fire - Arin Ray
Say what's on your mind so I get the message (Uh) Pink Friday - Nicki Minaj
All these bitches is my sons Whack World - Tierra Whack
Worry 'bout yourself and don't worry about nobody Fever - Megan Thee Stallion
I keep it realer than real P3 - PartyNextDoor
How hard is it to let you know when I'm coming home Hozier - Hozier
When my time comes around Thank you for visiting - Happy New year - Enjoy!
Valentine's Day brings out the best R&B music. The following are some smooth vibes to relax to. In love or not, most everyone can appreciate a quality, sensuous song. Valentine's Day can be about romantic love, but also it should be about friendship love and familial love. There are so many different types of love in the world that it seems shallow to make a holiday only about romantic love when there is so much more. With this concept in mind, I present an array of romantic love songs and more. There were three songs that I had in mind that I wanted to share, sort of as inspiration for this post. Not too long ago, Ari Lennox with J.Cole released the song called Shea Butter Baby. Just this past week, they released the music video for it illustrating a deep and complicated love. Another song recently released was Quin and 6lack's song called Mushroom Chocolate speaking on intimacy over lower vibrations. The last song I had in mind for this post was YNW Melly's 772 Love. He is rapper, but the beat is very catchy and sweet. I have been playing it nonstop these past few weeks. These songs bring me a lot of joy, and I hope it does for you. Shea Butter Baby - Ari Lennox ft. J.Cole The visual for the song is absolutely stunning, as a side note from the content of the track. I love the warm sensuality and layers of perspective within each person. Even more, I appreciate the male love interest's character how he is masculine and sensual without being dramatic or crass. The video emphasizes the portrayal of everyday love. Her voice reflects confidence as she sings, speaking with authority and knowledge. This song may be about moving forward onto something better, and reflecting back on those that have caused you pain. Or, as I take it, the song is about a complicated love. Neither options are exclusive to each other, and that is art. Who Hurt You? - Daniel Caesar Daniel Caesar is the current king of sensual love songs. He not only has released "Get You" which became the song that promoted him into the limelight, but a whole slew of tracks with similar vibes accenting intimacy. His voice relaxes the listener, easing into the song with a casual grace. The warmth in the lyrics and the tone is the centerpiece. 772 Love - YNW Melly My recommendation for this song is to listen to it the first time around as just audio and no video. Without the visual stimulation of what the artist wanted you to see, you can assess the song solely on your opinions. The unique process of judging whether you rock with the song or not is special because it's based from our individual views and experiences. Judging the value of a song should be a special process because impressions of a song last forever. What I realized I appreciate most about this song is the flow. I listen to this song in the present moment, meaning that I don't expect or anticipate a story line to tell me what is going to happen next. This song is meant to make you feel a certain way in a simple way. Sometimes meanings don't have to be deep. I like to remember that simplicity is okay sometimes, and life doesn't need to be harder than you make it. Real Games - Lucky Daye The funkiness Lucky Daye presents here is infectious, and a person cannot help but to groove to the rhythm. I appreciate the sass and affection as well. He has a Bruno Mars flair which is likely why his music comes off as so fun and rhythmic, because of their similar styles. Mushroom Chocolate - QUIN ft. 6lack The brand new release by Quin and 6lack is a Valentine's Day jam. The two match each other in tonal quality, lyrics, and attitude. It seems the story they are presenting is lowkey but passionate. They both speak about finding someone that speaks your language and is good for each other. Roses - Arin Ray Arin Ray is one of my absolute favorites. He is incredible with amazing songs and endless talent. This song was released around Valentine's Day to celebrate the holiday. It contributes to the R&B branding he has been serving us. "Roses" is a nice song to relax to, cook dinner to, dance in the morning to, all of it. Stand Still - ZAYN This song may be pop, but I'm convinced it is R&B. It has smooth vocals, a flowing bass foundation, and the lyrics are about humanity's favorite topic: love. What I find most interesting about this song is the eerie quality. It makes me think perhaps he is singing about a distant affection. His words trigger something in the heart that makes a person ache for more. You - Jacquees Jacquees offers a serious rivalry to Daniel Caesar for the biggest influence of R&B in within the last few years. This man has consistently been releasing amazing songs of high quality and importance. "You" continues that legacy with intriguing beat patterns and expressing the complicated aspects of relationships. The water drop sound layered in the beat is the most fun feature of the song. Again, I would recommend listening to the song first without the visual so you can judge on sound content alone, and not the content of the video.
Hopefully one of these song brought you happiness. Sending love to those who need a lil extra right now. This year has been a lot of growth for me in the form of recognizing my goals and desires. I started this wonderful little blog this year. I changed my major to something I feel will fulfill me in the long run for life. I embraced more of the person I have always wanted to be. Along with that, a lot of amazing music came out. Eventually, a few became anthems and background music to my experiences this year. Below I wanted to share the best tracks and most influential lyrics of the year. Turn up, be safe, flourish. 2019 is going to be a wild one. Keep Ya Head Up - Jhene Aiko (Tupac cover)
Out - Yung Bans
Stop Trying to Be God - Travis Scott
Grateful - Dave East
Wine Pon You - Doja Cat
Purity - A$ap Rocky, Frank Ocean
Cocky AF - Megan Thee Stallion
The Bloodiest - Jay Rock
Hungry Hippo - Tierra Whack
Communication - Arin Ray, DRAM
I want everyone to work towards their goals and accomplish them in 2019. Prosperity. Health. Happiness. Defining what you want out of this life and taking it. May music guide you, inspire you, and help you thrive. Welcome to a new year!
It should be well known at this point in time that it's Pride month. The Pulse nightclub shooting (June 12, 2016) and Stonewall riots (in June 28, 1969) provide evidence of a community in need of support and proper attention. Even if there weren't any violence related events, people still need love and care to thrive! I dedicate this post to all those who identify as part of this community. To celebrate life, one needs music. I want to highlight artists of the community, but also some who are valuable allies - who spread their support and kindness through music. A reminder that this is only one perspective of one person. I often find many messages relatable and valuable, even if I have not personally experienced what the artist is singing about. That is empathy: understanding and valuing something impersonal. With that being said, please enjoy. Also, if you have feedback, I would love to hear it! :) "I KNOW THAT I'M WORTHY I KNOW I'M DESERVING" I found an artist on Instagram some years ago. He had liked one of my pictures, so I investigated further who this person was. What I didn't realize was I had already been listening to his EP When I Get it Right for a while. An Earmilk article articulated well the value of his work. This fabulous artist is Michael Blume. His music touches my soul. It makes me yearn for a better world. It makes me feel more loving towards myself and other people. It inspires me to seek for more meaning in this life, the reality I live. I listen to his music daily. It's understanding, uplifting, motivating. Maybe you can see what I mean. I really can't emphasize specific lyrics because everything he writes communicates so much power, I'd end up putting the whole song down, and that seems excessive.
"Girls Like Girls Like Boys Do" I've known about Hayley Kiyoko for a little while now. She has a pop kind of sound which can be nice at times. Presently, she is known as a gay icon in the music industry and is dating Kehlani at this time of posting. They made this fabulous song together called What I Need. I love their chemistry at the end of the video. It's just nice to see something real.
"I'm so claustrophobic" I'm not so sure what to say about this. It kind of speaks for itself. Doesn't really need the extra fluff. I will say that this song does point out some inconsistencies within subcultures of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies: racial inequality and misrepresentation. Miserable America (to me) is a sad song in a way because, even though his homosexuality may be accepted, he still gets mistreated as a black man. "Sticky Like Caramel"
"You Are Beautiful In Every Single Way"
Frank Ocean
There are so many beautiful songs celebrating love and boss attitudes that I wanted to create a mini playlist of additional songs which deserve attention. Instead of a spotlight, they get a warm welcome.
1. L-O-V-E -Joss Stone 2. When Love Takes Over - David Guetta, Kelly Rowland 3. R U Mad (Remix)- Michael Blume 4. Wish You Would - Mykki Blanco, Princess Nokia (this is a good supplementary article about Mykki Blanco) 5. My! My! My! - Troye Sivan (acoustic) Thank you for sticking around. Again, I recognize this is not a comprehensive list of top songs ever for the LGBTQ+ community or that it best demonstrates anything. Simply, I like these songs and artists who happen to be connected to this culture. It is time to give them more attention and respect they deserve, both as artists and people. I've been listening to slightly older music lately. My playlists have become so familiar to me that I wanted to seek out something I didn't know. I already love R&B so much, and when I read about what inspires artists to do what they do now, they always bring up older artists. Sometimes I am familiar with them and sometimes I'm not. My thing is I'm constantly haunted by the thought that so much music already exists which I am unfamiliar with, but other people have been on for awhile. I decided to dive in and see what more I could discover. I started with an 80's Jamming playlist on Spotify. That was very exciting because I knew a bunch of the songs which I didn't know I already knew. The power of unconscious absorption from TV show soundtracks and end of movie credits is def key here. I had found this Carl Carton song while at work. It was playing during the credits of a popular movie (I forget which movie. I feel like a Sandra Bullock film??). It caught my attention because of how uplifting and fun it was. Then on the Spotify playlist, this Michael Jackson song was at the top as well. I had heard this before, but never stopped to appreciate it. It makes me want to spin around in circles and shrug my shoulders to the beat for how warm it sounds. This article talks about the sounds behind P.Y.T. and new technology available to decode the hidden sounds in the track which made it such a hit. Michael Jackson really deserves his own post. For now, this will have to suffice. The one downside to listening to these songs again is a few have been ruined forever for me. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen was used in an exercise routine in Middle School while forcibly doing exercise routines to 80's music. Every time I hear the beginning beat, I am brought back to pushup position at 9:30am in gym clothes for monotonous months. Not the best to remember. Unfortunately, I actually like the song but it has been banned from my playlists. This is why we should use caution when applying quality songs to a situation because music is so influential in initiating flashbacks. (Shooby dooby dooby doo doo dooby) *Like this deeply meaningful and metaphorical lyric* But really, these are songs I would happily play during summer while driving to the mall with the windows down, sunglasses flashing, hair up- mostly because I'm not trying to use my air conditioner and potentially waste gas mileage.
As it happens, a lot of this music is multi-genre. It can be a mix of Funk, Pop, R&B, or even soul. Others know more about this than me, and there are way bigger hits than what I've provided. Specifically, I appreciate this funky vibe and want to highlight it. These songs bring light into my life, and I hope they do to yours. Additionally, I want to bring up images to channel that 80's vibe while listening to these songs. Listen to a new genre this week you've always been curious about, or that new album you haven't gotten around to listening to yet. Life is in the little daily adventures. Music festivals are exhausting. I went to my first one over this past weekend, and it was one of the best experiences of my life, despite it being absolutely exhausting. I think I may have damaged my vocal chords too. The pitch of my voice lowered perceptibly, so now I definitely sound like a raspy man whereas before it was questionably low. It was Sol Blume's first festival, held in Sacramento. BOIIIII LEMME TELL YOU SUMTING!! SHIT WAS POPPIN'. EVERYONE DRESSED CUTE AF. EVERYONE SMILIN' HAVIN' A GOOD ASS TIME. Dis was so amazing. I hope there is one next year bc hot diggity damn I wanna go again. psa: These pictures of the artists were taken by photographers- not me - and are linked to the respective artist or Sol Blume Instagram page which tags the originators in the comment. I hope to go to more in the future. It's never been something I saw myself going to- this faraway dream of music and happiness. It definitely was all of that. My only thing was I did not hydrate myself properly. I just wasn't interested in waiting in the lines for water while my fav artists were playing like no thanks. I'd rather die lol lowkey almost did... ANYWAYS, I have pictures (not that great ones because we weren't allowed to bring in nice fancy cameras) but I want to share the songs and artists I had been dying to see perform live. Some have been mentioned here in previous posts, but that goes to show how lovely these precious humans are. This was supposed to be the lineup. It didn't exactly happen that way, but it was figured out eventually (btw I love the natural flower theme of spring/summer euphoria; it made the vibe so genuine and exciting). I waited in line for it to open with two of my friends. I had to get there early because I was DYING to see Arin Ray and didn't know how long it would take to get in. Arin Ray I first became familiar with his music when he released We Ain't Homies as a single, and kinda forgot about the song after a little bit. When Sol Blume came up on my radar, I looked him up and saw that at the time, he had a new album to be released soon. I waited to check it out and BOIIIIII WAS THAT SHIT GOOD. I immediately fell in love. A cool bonus is that he's fine as hell so it was extra spectacular to watch him perform. My favorite songs of his are probably Take with Ty Dolla Sign and Communication with DRAM. My heart was so happy hearing these played live. Berhana I have been a fan of his for the longest time. His sound- warm, light, but soulful makes me so happy. He was fun to watch as well. I first got onto his music awhile ago when Wade Green showed up on my radar, and slowly he became a permanent fixture to my playlists. Grey Luh and Janet are probably his most popular, according to Spotify, with millions of streams. Despite this, I think 80s is my favorite. It's beautiful, effortless, nostalgic. I will honestly say that I enjoyed every minute of this one day music festival. I feel so blessed I was able to attend. Kalin White was next. He seemed to have a lot of really great things going for him. I liked his style and sassy sort of persona he had going on. I thought it was very cool that he came out in the crowd after his set. Unfortunately, it seemed that his set had issues with music balance or volume or something, but we could still hear everything fairly well in the crowd. I wasn't very familiar with his music, but I'm so glad I learned more about this artist . Xavier Omar After Kalin White was Xavier Omar and OH MY I WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE MY HOMEBOI!! I have been a huge fan of Xavier Omar for the longest time!! Blind Man is in my top 10 favorite songs like bruh. My. Heart. Cried. It was everything I have ever wanted to hear him sing it live. He was known as SPZRKT originally which is why his single cover doesn't have his present name on it. And this dude's energy on stage was something else! I was hyped for sure. Smino I was feeling hyped after Xavier Omar, but also looking forward to seeing Smino again as I had seen him on tour with SZA last year in the fall. He has a smoothness, a dreamy, almost a dirty vibe about him. It's very self secure and like idgaf type of way. I respect it for sure. Honestly, Smino has so many great songs- bangers on the real- that it's hard to pick just one or two that's a fav. I've been a fan of his since blkjuptr came out, so his music is close to my heart. Anita and Netflix & Dusse are def the ones that gets the crowd excited. I know I was!
Sabrina Claudio Dis biinch. Lord. She is ethereal to say the least. Her presence demands attention. Her gaze demands power. If Xavier Omar broke my heart, she threw the pieces away. Maybe she put them back together? Either way, I hope to never forget the beauty and grace of her set. Everything she did seemed effortless and calculated. That was her power. I have mentioned her in previous posts, and I hope she continues what she's doing so I can keep talking about her because what. a. babe. She played my favs and some of her newer ones, those being All to You and her song Don't Let Me Down with Khalid. After Sabrina Claudio was The Internet. I liked their set. It took them awhile to get things set up. This stage seemed to be having technical issues since it started, but eventually they began and everything was right in the world while they were playing. I really liked Steve Lacey's jacket. It was bright blue with big sunflower print. I kinda wanted it. He took it off at some point and was wearing this faded black t-shirt with a sparkly midnight black long sleeve under it with white jeans. This man's style is an inspiration and I fuk wit it so much!! I was most familiar with Girl which happens to be their second most popular song with over thirty three million streams on Spotify at time of posting. It was so lovely to hear it live. Jhene Aiko What a beautiful soul. True life. I feel honored to hear her perform. She has been putting out great music for awhile. Her most recent album -Trip- feels so personal, and she brought that to the stage.
Before beginning, they laid out flower stalks, ferns, basically a garden to set the vibe. I have little words to express the happiness I was feeling while watching and listening. Also at this point, I was extremely exhausted from standing for 9 hours straight and dehydrated, but I had to stick it out until the end. I had been waiting for this moment for months. When she started singing, it was what I would imagine divine beings would sing like. She played While We're Young, Sativa, Psilocybin, OLLA, W.A.Y.S. and little bits of other songs she's featured in. It was almost therapeutic, like for this moment in time, we were only right here. She said at one point, while we were together, nothing else exists. This is our reality. I very much appreciate our planet (hey extraterrestrials, you welcome too). Earth Day happens to be one of my favorite days of the year, mostly because Disney usually releases an animal documentary every year, but also because it's so important we take care of our home and treat it with love. I have been curating a playlist on Spotify over the year involving themes about nature, whether that involves mentioning leaves, the sky, outer space, whatever. These songs mention nature in someway usually comparing some object to nature rather than talking about nature directly. Either way - abstractly or literal - the interpretation is a continual reminder to appreciate the many ways which nature manifests in our lives. I'd like to share some of my favorite songs with these themes in celebration of Earth Day. Sometimes it's only one line which talks about nature in some aspect, but for whatever reason, it made an impact on me. Hope y'all enjoy!
Other really amazing songs related to nature are: 1. Natives of a Windy Forest- Willow Smith 2. Frozen - Sabrina Claudio 3. When the Night is Over - Lord Huron Additionally, I'd like to share some of my fav pics I've taken around this planet. What's good everyone? A lot has happened in the past couple of days. Lil Yachty released his album, Logic released his Bobby Tarantino 2 album, and SZA has released bonus tracks and verses from her Ctrl album. Exciting things!! However... I've been thinking about International Women's Day, about the great woman in music that inspire me every day. I went looking through the top charts on Spotify for R&B, Rap, Hip Hop playlists looking for SZA, Rihanna, and women in general who are major influencers. I was sorely disappointed to find that almost all the songs were by men. Those names who I love weren't getting much of the shine they deserve. 'Tis a tale as old as time though. I wanted to give this moment to cherish those whose craft stands out. Music is as powerful a communication tool and creative outlet as painting or photography. To the women in our lives, forever and always. I'm a huge fan of many women in the music industry, and one of those lovelies is SZA. I have been a fan since her Z album, and everything she has done since has made me a wholehearted supporter. I'd like to share some of my favorite songs of hers, why she is such an inspiration, and why she deserves even more than what she is being served right now. Done with these n*ggas First of all, this video is absolutely stunning. I love the aesthetic of her with the butterflies, and Travis joining, just existing. It gives a vibe of existing in the moment, like a slow motion version of exactly right now. Whatever right now is. When I first watched the video, I was pretty into it, like okay I can roll with this. The end completely threw me off and I loved it even more because of that. So that's cool. The single album cover is super beautiful too. I personally loved it so much, I went looking for stickers music related and found the single album cover on Redbubble. It's almost like little metaphors, with varying influences of importance on your daily life, but nonetheless plays a factor. I have no idea the inspiration, but that's what I like to think of. Her single cover designer also designed her tour poster. The link to the Instagram should be active if you click on either picture, allowing you to check out the artist herself. I guess I fell in love with Love Galore immediately. She hadn't even released her album yet, it was only her single, and I was bumpin' that shit for months before the album release. Sometimes you know a banger when you hear one! I appreciate her graceful approach of take me or leave. My next song of hers from this album that I died over was Doves in the Wind featuring Kendrick Lamar. These two have collaborated previously on her album "Z" on the song called Babylon. Real spicy (the video gave me hella wide eyes), but this right here is the good good we all should get behind. How many niggas get mistaken for clitoris in a day? Like truly, how fucking savage. I love that Kendrick hypes it up as well. The rhythm and flow, powerful ass bars. This song is the a neatly wrapped gift, ends tucked in nice and neat, but is so underrated for how perfect it is. It's not big and flashy, but bold. I def fuck wit bold. *major heart eyes* My other favorite song off this album is Normal Girl. Probably not the most artistically metaphorical or interpretative, but that's okay. I genuinely enjoy it. She did not make one bad song off this whole project, so the "best" songs are only based off personal preference in my opinion.
Normal girl I love the flow of this as well. The background has a light twinkle sound, almost magical, like running through a green pasture in the spring, but the reason you're running is because you're a princess running away from the burdening responsibilities of the kingdom, and you def just want to run off wit yo' man. Almost a Sound of Music/Julie Andrews scene. Makes me feel a little wistful. The interview is on the Breakfast Club as she talks about her album and the meanings of different songs, her background and whatnot. The video is very long, but it should start right at the part where they begin to talk about the meaning and interpretations behind Normal Girl. This woman is an artist of melody and rhythm. The vibes are wavvy, able to transport you to another dimension completely. I cannot wait for more from this gift of a human. Legit, this girl is real af. The rest of her post can be found on her Instagram, linked if you click on the picture. She is transparent enough to allow you to understand her honest struggles in justifying making music still. She almost quit making music. I also have so much love and appreciation for her style. Her hair is her trademark at this point- well known for having big natural hair- and a comfortable but edgy fashion sense. Her aesthetic is ethereal and grounded at the same time. She puts off this angelic vibe but also very secure in her sense of individuality. I respect that a lot. Her Instagram is one of the best displays of that, but I would like to share some of these beautiful examples. This video link magnifies it. These last few pictures came from a Fader article about her album Ctrl - link in pictures. She has a dark sweetness that is alluring.
In addition to her album, she has featured on some poppin' ass songs. 1. Consideration - Rihanna (btw this video is fukin DOPE AF and kinda weird/ not sure if official but looks like it) 2. All the Stars -Kendrick Lamar (my heart hurt watching this video out of love, symbolism, and vivid visual quality) 3. The Need to Know - Wale 4. 9 - Willow Smith 5. What is Love - Kingdom Honestly, there are so many interesting and cool things to learn about SZA, in addition to building a deeper appreciation of the music craft in general. It's mesmerizing. Bless those who helped her get to where she is, and bless SZA for believing in herself. With this brief overview of a wonderful woman, I conclude with more fantastic images of a living goddess. |
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