On Monday, we start off the week right with our #SongOfTheWeek (have you checked out slenderbodies’ latest music video?) and on Friday we end it on a good note with #RecsFriday.
Without further ado, here are this week’s recommendations.
From us to you. With love.
Good Day – twenty one pilots
The intro sounds like something out of a movie about aliens. Then a melody on the piano really kicks off the song, and it’s… surprising? In a good way. And it’s not just because the first few seconds are misleading, it’s mostly because this isn’t what you’d expect a twenty one pilots’ track to sound like. The chipper tune reminds a little of The Beatles, and feels grandiose at times. It’s definitely a stand-out for me on the duo’s new album. Whenever I listen to it, I have this image of what its music video could look like: someone walking down the street, unfazed by things going to hell around them. “Would you say you depend on the weather? / My sunshine is a buzz and a light, I’ll be singing out / I know it’s hard to believe me, it’s a good day.” If denial had to have a theme song, it would be this one. ⬪ Ahlem Khattab
Missing Piece – Vance Joy
If this pandemic reminded us of anything (besides how to properly wash our hands), it’s that being separated from loved ones for long periods of time can get really tough. This song, which was written during lockdown, is an upbeat, almost optimistic take on it. It doesn’t deny or belittle how hard it is to miss someone, but rather focuses on how important it is to hold on until the happy reunion. Hearing Vance Joy sing “Cause we both know / That we’ll be fine when you can finally make it home” really warmed my heart, and that’s only two of the many comforting lines you’ll find in that song. So if you, too, have to settle for phone calls and video chats for now, this shot of hope might make the wait a bit more bearable. Plus, you can totally sing the chorus while washing your hands and break out a couple of dance moves ⬪ Julia Bergier
Enjoy the Silence – Fousheé
One more cover of Depeche Mode’s hit? Yes, but it’s a great one. The Harlem-based singer turns it into a beautiful, r’n’b-infused song. Fousheé gained recognition after her song Deep End went viral on TikTok last summer. In the visualizer she released for Enjoy the silence, she gives a nod to the original music video by the British band through the aesthetic she uses, which I really liked. The track feels to me like a life lesson that is always useful to keep in mind: you can’t make people be quiet, but you can tune their negativity and embrace your own power. ⬪ Marie Bail
You Are – Smoko Ono (feat. Corinne Bailey Rae et UMI)
Sometimes you hear a song, and from the first notes, you know that you’re going to love it. This was one of those instances for me. The melody almost instantly caught my ear, Smoko Ono’s smooth production and the velvety voices of Corinne Bailey Rae and UMI finished the job. You Are is so sweet and chill that it’s addictive. Listen to it once, and you’ll want more. One taste of its fascinating and beautiful world – both musically and lyrically (“You are the mountain, you are the sky / You are the birds the fish the rainbows you are life”) – just isn’t enough. ⬪ Ahlem Khattab
Helicopter – Maisie Peters
This one might have made me cry a bit when I first listened to it; and that’s all thanks to Maisie Peters’ songwriting hitting all the right marks. It’s soft, it’s sweet and it captures just so perfectly how deeply you can care for (and worry about) someone’s wellbeing when you love them. Sure, it might feel overbearing at times, but the British singer reminds us that it’s ok, it’s human. Helicopter is one of the 9 songs the artist wrote for the soundtrack of the second season of Trying. The record came out today. ⬪ Julia Bergier
Well Traveled – Masego
Rise and shine, my dear! This morning I woke up in the nicest way possible: listening to the 5 new songs Masego released at midnight. They are additions to his 6-track EP Studying Abroad, released in 2020, and they come with their own videos. The artist strikes again with his aerial voice, with some his best trap instrumentals. A beautiful surprise that I really wanted to share with you. ⬪ Marie Bail
