Always Time to Worry, Not Enough for Music
Usually, this column is about politics and global affairs. This week, I want to take a little break from all of this – because, the world is falling apart, and there is plenty of time to languish over the chaos that is absorbing everything. Instead, let’s talk about music.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I don’t have a great grasp on music from the 70s/80s/90s. This is despite the fact that my parents really only listened to music from that time period. I was never interested in this music; I mean, there is some really great stuff that I enjoy from bands like The Beatles, Queen, Styx, Fleetwood Mac and a whole bunch of other highly talented groups, I just prefer more contemporary things. I’m not asking anyone to enjoy the music I talk about below, but if you’re looking for something new to check out, I think these hits are worthwhile. We’ll hit hard, then slow down toward the end, so if the first few songs aren’t your vibe, that’s okay, we might find something you enjoy!
I’m not sure if many of our readers are familiar with Skrillex, but he has a new song with 90s R&B star Missy Elliot called “RATATA”. This is an EDM – Electronic Dance Music – song, so it may not be in everyone’s favorites but it is in mine.
On the opposite side of the musical spectrum, but also starring a musician from the late 50s/60s; Lady Gaga and Tony Bennet have two albums, and their most recent – “Love For Sale” – was so incredibly good and totally worth a listen. My personal favorite song on this album starring both artists is title piece, “Love For Sale”.
I’m actually a huge fan of Lady Gaga. People can say whatever they want about her personally, but she’s a champion of music and one of the most talented artists of the 21st Century. From her jazz with Tony Bennet, to her EDM music featuring artists like Elton John (the song is called “Sine From Above” it’s a masterpiece in my personal opinion, I love how it blends electro-pop with the melodic chords of Elton John.), and especially her more calm, pop/rock album “Joanne” with hits like “Million Reasons”, “Grigio Girls”, and “Sinner’s Prayer”, Lady Gaga proves that she has a range unlike any other musician in this century.
Another great musician of this time is Taylor Swift. I remember, growing up, hearing a lot of criticism of Swift, but growing up with these criticisms and falling in love with her music was solidified – and in a way justified – by her song “The Man” off the album “Lover”. Swift is known for writing a lot of music about herself and failed relationships she had, again something she explained in the song “The Man” (really, it’s worth a listen), but during the COVID shutdown of 2020, ’21, ’22, she sat down at her desk and just wrote away. I fall asleep to the album “folklore” at least once a week – and this album came out in 2020! In “folklore”, Swift tells a series of wonderful stories, none of which are about herself. Some of these are fictional stories, like “betty”, “august” and “exile”; others are true stories, like the wonderful tale of “the last great american dynasty”. I think it’s notable that all of the song titles and the album title are lowercase, it really caught the mood and emotion of the time, everything was muted but even though it was, there was space for incredible art like this album. “folklore” is an album I recommend everyone listens to. I actually put this album on while writing this, and just as I was about to move on, “the 1” stated playing, I just have to say wow. Taylor Swift is an incredible artist.
Another band that has been hitting hard every single time I put them on is “New Hope Club”, they’re a British band and get a little bit of play time here in the States. I heard them on once while at Hollister in the mall. My favorite song by them right now “L.U.S.H.”, it’s a single they released just a few months ago and man is it good. They’re a solid pop band with hints of calmer music, giving me vibes that are like a more modern take on artists like Sheryl Crowe, like the song, “Getting Better”.
I want to make time for a special shoutout to DJ Khaled’s “I’m the One” featuring talent like Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne. This song has such a smooth vibe to it; even though it came out in 2017, its playing on my phone regularly.
There is so much good music and some incredible sounds out there. These are just a few that have caught my ear and don’t let go. None of these are even from my favorite band! These are just songs that have caught me, and they’re sounds I want to focus on more than the hum-drum of chaos that is state, national, and global politics. There’s always time to worry about the state of our world, and not enough for music.