Monday 14 December 2020

Songs That Got Me Through 2020 (Part 5)

 Thank you to everyone who has joined me on my musical journey over the past few weeks (you can see all of my previous postsin this series here) – in today’s post, I feel like we’re getting into the part of the year when the best music was being released. Despite only having listened to these songs towards the end of Autumn, some of them ended up being my most played songs of the year, and so definitely deserve a coveted space on my list of songs that got me through 2020. If there were some songs that helped you get through this year, I’d love to hear about them – drop me a message on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Happy reading!


 Mood – 24kGoldn, iann dior

24kGoldn has found a formula for making good music, and he’s certainly go me listening - this year has had me playing City of Angels and Mood on repeat. Why? Honestly, I think they can be summed up with the phrase ‘simple but effective’ – both songs are super short and have simple backing tracks coupled with repetitive lyrics that make them so easy to listen to again and again and again. I’m usually so fixated on song lyrics that I end up focusing more on the lyrics than whatever work I’m supposed to be doing, so I loved having a song that this that I could just switch off and enjoy! 

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65028699

 

7 Summers – Morgan Wallen

I promised you previously (check that out here) that you’d be seeing more Morgan Wallen in this blog series, and here he is again with a song that ended up taking the #2 position in my Spotify Wrapped most played songs of the year. If this series, and indeed this entire blog itself, tells you anything, it’s that I listen to a lot of music, so this is a pretty big deal. It’s certainly worthy of that spot, and I love this song. It has everything I’ve found I look for in a song – a great intro and backing track, stunning vocals, and thought-provoking lyrics. In fact, for a subject matter that really is a bit sad (But I wonder when you're drinkin', if you find yourself thinkin' about that boy from East Tennessee. And I know we both knew better, but we still said forever, and that was seven summers ago… Does it ever make you sad to know that was seven summers ago?), listening to it makes me happy. Happy and sad at the same time. 

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65001911


Want Me Back
– Lindsay Ell

Lindsay Ell may well be the coolest woman in country – she’s rocker chick meets modern country, and that’s obviously a combination that just works. Want Me Back is the perfect song for pretending you’re in a music video, where your love interest has come begging for you back, but obviously you say no because you’re better than that now. With lyrics like ‘If I were you, I'd miss my kiss, I'd miss me keeping you up all night. If I were you, I know that losing me would make me lose my mind,’ this song screams empowerment and knowing your worth, and serves as a potent reminder that we accept the love we think we deserve. If we see ourselves as someone others would want back, we start to become that. 

https://genius.com/Lindsay-ell-want-me-back-lyrics

 

 

Thought This Through – Josh Kerr, Emily Falvey 

Josh Kerr has made his way onto the (now long) list of artists who had somehow flown under the radar but I am now obsessed with. I did some research on him for this blog, and it all makes so much sense now – Josh is responsible for writing/producing songs like Maddie & Tae’s Die From A Broken Heart,  Kelsea Ballerini’s Love Me Like You Mean It, Keith Urban’s Neven Comin Down, and Danielle Bradbery’s Human Diary. I could go on, but hopefully that gives you an indication that his own stuff is certainly worth a listen to. Josh and Emily’s vocals are heaven. 

https://www.amazon.com/Thought-This-Through/dp/B08CRQNXHY


Brooklyn – Patrick Droney

Brooklyn was definitely a contender for my top song of the year, and I think the best way for me to describe this song is like a mix of Frankie Ballard’s voice meets John Mayer’s style. I’m sure that’s something that appeals to a lot of people, and it certainly did to me. This is the song that plays at the end of the movie, when the main character is sitting in the back of a car driving out of the city as the rain pours down. They’ve lost everything, but they’ve found themselves. If that makes any kind of sense to you, you have to listen to this song. 

 https://genius.com/Patrick-droney-brooklyn-lyrics

 

 

Naked – Ava Max 

I think it’s about time we had some straight up fun pop tracks, don’t you? Ava Max, who you’ll love if you like Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa or Ariana Grande, released her debut album Heaven & Hell towards the end of the year, and again, it has so many great tracks – Torn, So Am I, My Head & My Heart, Salt, but I think Naked is my favourite because not only is it really catchy, but it talks about Real. Human. Connection. Definitely something that a lot of us have missed out on this weird year, but here’s a pop song that tells you it’s okay to be vulnerable, in fact, it’s important because that is the only way that you can truly get to know anyone. Listen up. 

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64679881


Never Have I Ever –
Danielle Bradbery

If you’ve been reading this entire series of songs that got me through 2020, thank you so much; and if this is the first post you’re dropping in on, well, you can check out earlier editions here, but you certainly picked a good one. Honestly, I would call so many of the songs on this list my favourites, and here’s yet another one. Danielle Bradbery has one of the best voices in not only country music, but music as a whole, and yet she is criminally underrated. I’d like to see her held in the same regard as Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Lauren Alaina, any successful woman in country (although honestly there are still too few) Never Have I Ever is the perfect song to highlight those spectacular vocals, and if this is your first time listening to Danielle, you’re welcome. 

https://shop.bigmachinelabelgroup.com/collections/music/products/danielle-bradbery-never-have-i-ever-digital-download

 

Sunshine State of Mind – Adam Hambrick 

What’s that? Another of Ciara’s favourite songs? Yes. This song is POWERFUL, and if you’re not pumping your arms to the beat while you lip-sync this song, you’re doing it wrong. This song is perfect for every occasion – getting ready to go to a concert, road tripping down the Pacific Coast Highway, feeling like a boss, doing exercise (this was the song that got me through horrific 3 minute planks). It’s good and it’s fun – what more do you want? 

 https://www.nashvilletv.nl/2020/09/04/adam-hambrick-met-2-nieuwe-songs/

 

 

So many great songs, so little time! I hope you enjoyed learning about some of my favourite songs of the year in today’s post, and hopefully I’ve persuaded you to give some of them a listen. I’ll be back with even more of my favourite tracks next week (it’s another good one) so stay tuned on my Twitter @CiarasCountry to be the first to know. Thanks so much for reading!

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