10 Songs You Need to Add to Your Playlist Right Now
Having a killer playlist is essential for not coming off as a total musical weeb. When someone asks you "Hey, lemme see your playlist" they will immediately get a sense of what you are about and if you have any respectable taste in music at all. On this list, I have selected 10 songs that will make any playlist even better if it is great already, and boost playlists that are otherwise lacking in any discernible quality. The order of the tracks has nothing to do with how I would rank them because they all kick ass anyways. A link to the Spotify playlist with all these tracks will be posted below.
1. Telepatía
The first song on this list is "Telepatía" by Kali Uchis off
of her record Sin Miedo. A track in
both English and Spanish, the contrasting vibe between the sexiness of the Spanish
and the softer, mellow sound of the English elevate this track to a completely different
level. There are these lovely synthed out horn sounds at the beginning of the track
and during the chorus that sound so groovy, and a lingering, ever ringing chord
in the background really helps steady the rhythm of the track while also giving
off a slightly mysterious and cerebral feel. Some delicate piano keys accent
the aesthetic of the song as it goes as well, coupled with some layered chords
and angelic bells that resonate in the background. The percussion is very
simple, but elegant and sweet, as it hits with such a confident depth and gives off a super funky vibe on this track. Her vocals are infatuating and oh so sexy, referring
to herself and this persons “telepathy” that links them as lovers. The highlight
of this track comes as Kali sings these evanescent, beautiful vocals of “You
know I got a lot to say” and a few lines later “You know I’m just a flight away.” Her
voice here is out of this world and gorgeous, seeming to flutter at the end of
each of those lines, as if she almost can’t contain her love and excitement singing
about this person and speaking to them. Kali delivers a sensual, funky as hell
love song that hits in all the right areas of your soul and you can’t help but
dance along.
"So and So" by Saba is the next song on the list and a great
single he recently just released. A super trippy, synthed out banger, the track
has some hard hitting rapid snares and high hats, combined with some fantastic
bass that hits intermittently and definitely has a psychedelic feel to it. The main
element of production on this track are the echoing keys in the instrumental
that give of this excellent spaced-out vibe while also helping steady the rhythm
of the song as well. This track really shines when we hear Saba’s vocals, his
inflections are amazing and the way he blends lyrics together about staying
true to himself and reflecting on his fame with the melancholy given off by the
instrumental is incredible and highlights is lyrical ability. His flow is
unmatched as well, extremely dynamic and changing as the production slows down
and speeds up. Saba is able to effortlessly change his vocal pattern, adding in
elements of harmony and melody every so often which make this track feel even
more dreamy and infectious. Saba raps “I flip the flow, the flow, the same as
before, at least a plus four, gang, you know, I never went alone to no nigga
show, I don’t be on the phone, you ain’t my bro.” Saba is able to pause and continue
within each bar while putting in vocal inflections that blend the words of each
bar together, while rhyming from previous lines before. The lyrics and
instrumental on this track are masterful, showcasing Saba’s brilliant
songwriting and quality of production he always has in his tracks.
Next is “George Bondo” by Westside Gunn. This is a track off
of Pray for Paris from the Buffalo native,
and it is dirty as fuck. The track has the classic, boom bap drums, creating a
rocking, head bobbing beat and rhythm. The first thing you’ll hear is the
disgusting and menacing piano loop that floats with the percussion, hitting
hard and dangerous. This loop creates the whole entire mood of this track and
makes this gangsta rap banger absolutely addicting. Westside Gunn is also
joined by his fellow Griselda boys Conway the Machine and BENNY the BUTCHER. All
of their flows are ecstatic and electric, with Gunn’s being the fastest while
the other two have slowed theirs down a bit. Westside Gunn’s adlibs are a highlight
here contributing to the unnerving nature, especially at the end of his verse
when he rapidly says “Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom over and over as if he his
unloading a gun into his enemies. Conway raps in his verse “My shooter don’t speak
but you can tell that he dangerous, he just aim steady the stainless (hah),
drive-bys out of minivans, Chevys and Ranges (brr), rap niggas go to the club
in my city, tuck every chain in (hah).” It is clear what the message is in this
track, and these bars here are an example of the life these dudes are coming
from and the tenacious energy they bring whenever they are on a song together.
The next track on this list is “Lemon Glow” by the duo Beach
House consisting of vocalist Victoria Legrand and producer Alex Scally. This track
is one of the less popular, under the radar songs on this list but it is on
here for a reason. This track is very, very experimental. The entire
instrumental seems to resonate, with this one synthed out key hitting
constantly throughout. There are some super soft, feathery high-hats in the
background as well, an odd addition to a track of this nature but it works so
well. The high-hats accent the flow of this track excellently, providing a
steady origin for the track to carry itself with. The depth on Victoria’s
vocals are ridiculous as well, harmonizing with precision while also coming off
as abstract but still maintaining luscious beauty throughout. As the track
picks up, more percussion comes in and we get even more keys and chords
resonating, not as electronic but clearer than before. The lyrics are pretty
abstract, especially when she sings about “The color of your mind” at the end
with “Candy-colored misery, the color of your mind.” Perhaps she is referencing
someone in the track, and the way they make her feel or it is just a song about
a journey of self-discovery. Whatever the case may be, this track and its production
are mind-bending and the only way to grasp the beauty of this track is to
listen to the spaced out dreamy production and come to a conclusion yourself.
5. Désolé
The Gorillaz enter onto the list next with a track off of their
most recent project called “Désolé.” The title is the French word for sorry and
the feature they include on this track is Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara,
fitting with the theme and sounds expressed in this track. The bassline and
drums are clear as day and super funky, combined with these airy chords that
provide fleeting emotions of feeling lost. An elegant piano melody loops constantly
and plays in the track that conveys a feeling of immense sorrow. The vocals
from 2-D are soft and mellow, while Diawara’s voice carries endlessly, flowing
and delivering her vocals in French and Bambara, one of the languages of Mali. The
upbeat nature and soulful feel of this track resembles the style and themes of
music from West Africa, hence the dichotomy of this track feeling like American
synth pop combined with Wassoulou, native to that region Diawara is from. This is
highlighted with the ringing horns that come during the refrain, super happy
and upbeat. The idea this track is trying to convey is that of feeling sorry
for not being able to hold onto the person you love, but still loving them
nonetheless. The beauty of this song comes near the end when Diawara stretches
out the word “Ahaan,” as this finishes off all the lyrics, and the track
follows those slow and gorgeous piano keys, fading off in and evanescent manner.
The next song on the list is from 070 Shake titled “Morrow.”
The track begins with a lovely acoustic guitar melody and a dreamy, faint “ahhh”
sound. This same melody is continued, but with even more depth and texture as the
bass and percussion come in after the first 20 seconds. The bass and drums
sound pretty dirty, but do not reverberate very long, as this helps to make
this track not come off as some generic trap banger. The production is upbeat
and super groovy, while her lyrics are reflective and convey tones of mystique
and delicate emotions. That same angelic hum from the beginning rises and falls
with the rhythm providing a nice layer of instrumentation. When Shake sings the
chorus; “I know it’s hard to swallow, don’t know if I’ll be here tomorrow, here
‘morrow, here here tomorrow, here ‘morrow, here here tomorrow,” we can see the
message she is trying to convey, unsure about what the future holds and not
being sure about what is right around the corner. The vocals range seems never
ending, rising beautifully due to her natural voice but helped along with some
intoxicating auto tune. After the second verse the beat slows and a single
chord echoes about with a grungy bass feel, with Shake saying that “You can’t
scream loud enough.” This is referencing the idea of people not feeling heard
when they are going through troubled times, and Shake desperately wants us to
understand that she feels this way but also knows what others might be going
through as well.
“Anita” by Smino is the next track on the list. This groovy,
R&B style rap song starts with a synthed out “beep, boop, beep” type chord
with some super punchy and short, hard bass. Once Smino’s vocals come in we
hear some amalgamating, dreamy notes and some beautiful background
harmonization. Smino’s voice his absolutely one of a kind, pitched high and slightly
nasally for a male, but gorgeous as well so his sound is unique and unmatched. His
vocal inflections and flows throughout “Anita” are quite impressive, switching
from singing to rapping and doing a mixture of both at the same time. The track
has been thought to be referencing the beauty and perfection of Black women,
but also could be a reference to Jean Deaux, his significant other who also
does some of the singing on here as well. Smino sings on the hook “Anita, I
need her, so flee, don’t flee from me, ice cream, chocolate, Godiva, Godiva,
Godiva.” Here we can see the reference to Black beauty, but the highlight of
this hook is the passion and ability Smino shows in how he rhymes and
annunciates “ice cream,” “chocolate,” and “Godiva” on the ending sounds of each
of those words. As the track ends, both Smino and Jean Deaux continually
harmonize at the same time, layering their voices beautifully spelling out “Anita”
and emphasizing their need to have one and other.
8. New Sky
Next is “New Sky” off of SiR’s second studio album Chasing Summer. The entire record
literally feels like a summertime vibe, and this song is one of the more
heartfelt and features a gorgeous addition with the help of Kadhja Bonet. The percussion
is somber and dreamy, with an overlay that slightly alters its natural sound,
giving it a texture that is reminiscent of a nervous, fluttering heartbeat. The
bassline is simple and slightly quiet, yet ever present in the track. The chords
are immaculate, filled with emotions of love, sorrow and pain all at once,
allowing SiR’s vocals to add to the vibe that comes with a past and familiar feeling
of heartbreak. SiR sounds like an angel pouring his mind and soul into his
lyrics especially when he sings “Bottle away from me drowning, start with a sip
then I down it, land in Toronto I’m tipsy, you never say that you miss me, but I
know that you miss me, I wish you were here with me.” Kadhja features on the
hook and oh my god, she sounds like a Seraphim angel, her beauty untouched by everything
else. She sings “New Sky, new sky, won’t you let the clouds go by? Too soon,
blue moon, don’t need you around, bringin’ me back down, bringin’ me back.” This
track is like a duet almost, SiR calling out to his lover, wanting to move on
but finding out he is still desperate for her love. Kadhja Bonet is this person
who has moved on, but urging him to move on as well, as represented by the passing
of a “New Sky.”
Tame Impala enters the list here with his track “Alter Ego.”
As is standard for many tracks off of Innerspeaker,
we get a catchy guitar riff throughout the track and a sexy drum loop with
classic rock vibes through and through. Resonating in and out the track are some
psychedelic, jazzed up chords, keys and notes floating in and out with dreamy
fashion, further accenting the spaced out vibe of the track. All this together makes
the track sound as if it is building up to something, while continually slowing
down as the track progresses. Kevin’s vocals are dreamlike and shadowy, detailing
an inner conflict within him. He sings “Well it’s true, yes, but you won’t get
far telling me, that you are all you’re meant to be, when the one from my
dream, is sitting right next to me, and I don’t know what to do, ah, oh, alter
ego.” Kevin continually expresses this idea of not fitting in and wondering
about others and how they don’t have any self-doubt. “Alter Ego” is a gorgeous piece
off of Innerspeaker and Kevin Parker’s
dreamy, distant vocals and the synthesized psychedelic instrumentation is
amazing.
The last track on this list is a glorious R&B trap
melody called “Menace” by Canadian singer Roy Woods. The track begins and the
feel is absolutely spaced out and trippy, hitting with a continuous, vibrating
synth note that resonates and feels so far away and gives of a tone of utter
sorrow. The bass is hard and loud, with subtle snares and 808’s hitting intermittently,
accentuating the slow motion feel of this track very nicely. Roy stretches his
beautiful voice over the instrumental, flowing and changing his inflections,
showcasing his ability to harmonize and add a certain amount emotional trauma
and swag to the lyrics he sings. Roy croons about not wanting to be a menace
towards this other person because he feels like he isn’t able to settle down
yet, even though he has already shown this girl he can love her undeniably. The
track carries on and the outro is quite spectacular, ditching his voice for
some menacing auto tune, and now reminiscing about the times he used to spend
with the unmentioned girl, now named as Lola. Roy ends the song by echoing the
words about how he is “raw” and still true to his roots by singing “Still in
the six imma rider.” The track ends and we are left with that same dazing,
vibrating hum that began the track.
Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7jyoOC5Yi9RpsnojB40dfQ?si=EnKEa-jLRHKfR7VMpJI0qQ&nd=1
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