Round 3, let’s go! Thanks to everyone who has joined me for this music series so far (you can check them out here) - every click makes my heart happy, so I truly appreciate your support. I’m returning today to some of the songs that got me through 2020, and this week’s selection come from right in the summer. They evoke memories of warmer weather, long cycle rides, and dreaming about summer’s still to come. Check it out!
Say It – Flume, Tove Lo
This song epitomised for me what summers have the potential to be – heading off somewhere hot and sunny to party with your friends, dancing under the strobe lights as the insane beat drop of this song hits. Sure, we might have had to have forgone some of this in 2020, but this song felt both nostalgic and optimistic for the future. I might have been the only one dancing to this song in ‘Club Ciara’ but at least I had a good time doing so.
By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50285609
Friends Don’t – Maddie & Tae
When I think of Maddie & Tae, I think of harmonies; and whilst their latest album The Way It Feels is chock full of them, I had to pick just one song for this list. It was a hard choice (seriously, the whole album is great), but Friends Don’t pipped the post because I love that it deals with a theme that I really haven’t heard in many songs – the sometimes obscure line between friendship and more. Maddie & Tae perfectly describe the confusing emotions that come with this, and wrap it up in a catchy song that’s just perfect for a shower karaoke session.
Cover art courtesy UMG Nashville
Deserve – Chase Fouraker
I really have to give my thanks to Spotify for introducing me to this song, because I spent most of the summer absolutely loving it. Usually I’m listening to music in the background for whatever I’m doing – working, writing, painting – but for this song, I had to stop and give it my full attention. Deserve combines the production value of the likes of Charlie Puth with the songwriting that I love in country music. Definitely up there with one of my favourite new songs of the year, and I can’t wait to see what else Chase puts out in the future.
https://www.amazon.com/Deserve-Chase-Fouraker/dp/B087SYZ47D
The Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala
I know I’m late to the Tame Impala party, but
I never thought that this would be the kind of music I’d like – I mean,
psychedelic pop (Wikipedia’s words, not mine) – what even is that? But Spotify
thought I might like it, and as per usual, it was right. Even though I kind of
hate the word, ‘vibey’ is the best way to describe this song and I get how
people can totally zone out to it with its incredibly catchy guitar solo (I’m
sensing a theme…) Would also recommend New
Person, Same Old Mistakes for equally trippy listening.
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49623672
2007 Mary J. Blige came in to save 2020 with this absolute happy-inducing track. Whilst the world outside may have been on fire, Mary reminded me that actually, everything is probably going to be okay in the long run, and I’m probably going to be okay. Quite frankly, that’s exactly what I needed to hear. I’d paste the whole lyrics here if I had space, but this about sums up my feelings of this song: “You know I love music, and every time I hear something hot, it makes me wanna move, it makes me wanna have fun.” Listen whenever you’re having a bad day.
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15156329
Twenty Two –
Pierre
I am actually disgusted that this song has less than 500 views on YouTube. Less than 500 views??? And some of them are definitely from me. That is criminal. Twenty Two is peak contemporary country and any and every fan of Dan + Shay, Morgan Wallen, Devin Dawson, Thomas Rhett – basically any male country-pop artist – needs to here this song. It is beautifully crafted, catchy, and has some lyrics that had me thinking for days: “I never ask you to change the way you change your mind, try to hold you back just to call you mine. Maybe we’d work a little further down the line, but I can’t catch you at 22.”
https://open.spotify.com/album/3fZVvTiuPtaKQKxj9RgmnI
American Avenue – Leaving Austin, Cassadee Pope
Speaking of criminally underrated, can we talk about Cassadee Pope for a minute? She has such a strong and unique voice, and let me tell you that the competition is severely tough in country music, and yet I doubt she’d be on many people’s radar if I asked them to list some of their favourite country artists. Well, if you don’t know Cassadee yet, let me suggest you take American Avenue as a good entry point. You’ll get introduced to Cassadee and smooth trio Leaving Austin, and get a great song reminiscent of summer nights and movie scenes – what more could you want?
http://www.themcollective.com/press-releases/2020/7/1/0kubtah0wvl0pn0xuiwpg81lkxq3l8
Goes Without Saying – Old Dominion
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62136449
Wow, looks like summer for me was all about lyrics, and honestly I’d go as far as to say that I learned a fair bit from listening to these songs. Friends Don’t taught me listen to my gut; Deserve to know my worth; Just Fine that no-one can take away the way you feel about yourself; Twenty Two that we’re not the same people we were at 22. I hope this post, and the other blogs in this series have encouraged you to check out some music that maybe wasn’t on your radar – I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a message in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Thanks so much for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment