Tag: playlist

Orange Crush Baby

Has anyone ever noticed how Orange Crush Soda is always just associated with Summer? I don’t think anyone is reaching for it in the cold Winter months. However, is anyone reaching for it in general? I’ve recently discovered that I am surrounded by people who hate orange flavored things. From Starburst, energy drinks, even to sodas. I feel like an oddball out, but in the best way. 

I’ve always loved orange flavors and colors. If you’re feeling bold, peruse my Facebook. I had a pair of neon pants that would perfectly go with the theme of today’s post. Fortunately, those pants saw the light of a dumpster, many moons ago. However, I won’t say I don’t think about them from time to time. 

Has anyone noticed how oranges are somehow always associated with groovy vibes? Or is it just me? I feel like the 80’s just loved orange more than we do. Any groovy song, whether it’s Pop or R&B always seems to have an orange background, more often than not. I also feel like they just drank way more soda back then, am I wrong about that too? Like what time period were the Fanta girls from? Someone let me know, I’ll wait. Here I am, just trying to draw any connections to my fave era. Let me live.

That was past me, but present me still loves a little orange moment from time to time. My favorite energy drink right now is, Celsius. Apparently the “healthy” version of Redbull, with enough caffeine to put pep in my step at 5:30am. Or, at 9am, you know how quarantine hours work. My favorite flavor? Orange. You just CAN’T do orange flavoring wrong. Does it taste like Cuties? Not really. However, not far off. I mean, c’mon, have y’all tried grape flavors?? WHAT IS THAT? Anyways, we are veering off topic.

When thinking of my love for orange flavored Celsius, I think of songs that put me in an uplifting Summer mood. Isn’t that what we all need right now? Before some of you knew me as the girl who’s head is so far up Dillon Francis’ ass, I was as Indie pop as it came. So much so, that I really didn’t have the mental capacity to enjoy any other types of music. I really went through a phase of only liking underground sounds. However, that’s okay! Now, I’ve morphed into my final form. I can listen to anything, such a threat I know. While I still love to rave in the night hours, the daytime is when I like to center myself. I find it hard to have total peace of mind, while hearing insane WOMP WOMP in the background. So, I busted out my old record player, and reconnected with some older sounds. Suddenly, I was feeling lighter, and more creative. Crazy how that works right? 

That’s where I created this playlist. I have a feeling it has a little something for everyone. While I say that all the time, this time I mean it. Want to do some yoga? Listen to this playlist? Sitting on your floor writing a blog post? Listen to this playlist. Just generally trying to feel some good vibes? THIS PLAYLIST. 

I know a lot of people will never understand this part of my creative process, but I love to go on daily drives. For some reason, it’s when I can really disconnect. With the windows down, COVID-19 filling my car, and the music blasting, I can think. Which is terrifying for all of you. I found out I have so much to say! The song that makes me feel most creative on this playlist is, “I Follow Rivers – The Magician Remix by Lykke Li.” She’s such a classic, good vibes soul. I know what you’re thinking, A REMIX? Don’t worry, it is mellow. However, if you want to zen out even more, you can listen to the original. Just as good. This also wouldn’t be a TRUE Orange Crush playlist, without a couple tracks off of Frank Ocean’s, “Channel Orange.” This album I think pulled me out of my quarantine depression. I hope it does the same for you. 

So, what’s my point? Well, I know most of the world is truly going through IT right now. So, in the midst of the madness, it’s important to find the little things that make you happy. As well as the small things that make you feel centered. It’s all we have control over right now! I also know a lot of us are always trying to become the best versions of ourselves. This awkward time is the perfect chance to do that! It’s totally okay to go back to a version of yourself, you might have left behind. Sometimes, if you mix the old with the new, you create something amazing. For me, I created this playlist. Seems small to you, but to me, it really turned my lockdown around. So, I encourage you to dig into something that once brought you joy, and mix it with your current activities. You may be surprised at the outcome!

YEAR IN MUSIC: 2018

WE MADE IT. WE SURVIVED ANOTHER YEAR.

Is it just me, or was 2018 not AS bad as people were making it out to be? To be fair, we all go through different struggles. With that being said, I just did not think it was the most awful year to date. However, I did think the year in music was a little more garbage than most. Feel free to disagree.

The reason I am under the impression that 2018 was just a giant “bleh” when it came to new music, is because of the Spotify “Wrapped” playlist. Every year, the music streaming platform dedicates a whole playlist to your most listened to songs. In doing so, they also enjoy reminding you of your previous year’s playlists. While I look forward to this EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR, I was a little disappointed to see what 2018 brought me compared to my previous years. My top songs were as predicted. At some point in the year, once I have found a song I can’t stop listening to, I like to see if that said song will become my most played song. Usually, I am never wrong. What can I say, your girl LOVES that repeat button.

Upon looking at my 2018 year in music with a slight hint of disappointment, I decided to take a peek at 2017. Let me tell you, THAT PLAYLIST WAS ABSOLUTE FIRE. It is currently January 17th, and I am still listening to it. So much so, that I am wondering if some of these songs are going to make a comeback on my 2019 playlist. Don’t get me wrong, 2018 had some absolute bangers. I just don’t think there was anything mind blowing. Which for me, is a really big loss. After seeing my playlist, I was talking to a close friend about my disappointment, to which she said she agreed. She basically stated that 2018 just seemed like it was “there” and nothing really amazing seemed to happen. We were kind of talking about life in general, but I think that tied into our year in music as well. I want to save this discussion for a later date, but I think music is a key factor in telling how our lives are going. While 2018 had some of my favorite songs and releases, nothing really struck me as WOW. The Weeknd released a mini album that shook me to my core, but to me that is nothing too influential in the REALM of music itself. Only because he can come out with an album of white noise, and I will go around saying it changed my life.

So why is that? Were musicians just going through an “eh” year like the rest of us? Or, is this post just extremely biased? Like the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” this could have been a year of musical treasure for some people. I also like to think of this as a positive. Usually in years where music doesn’t have that big WOW moment, it generally means musicians are hard at work creating something amazing. For me, with 2017 being such a bomb year musically, most of my artists were probably on tour or in the studio. I literally cannot be mad at that. With that being said, it wasn’t completely awful. I was still so excited to listen to my playlist and reflect on the year itself. What I was experiencing in real life was extremely reflective in what I was listening to. I encourage you to listen to your playlist again and see the same.

I am keeping today’s post short and sweet. Just because I not only want you to go listen to your playlist again and think about how 2018 was for you, but because I am going to as always, link my playlist. Which means, I also want you to try and figure out where you think my 2018 was going, and where it is leading me in 2019. In listening to your playlist, maybe jot down the good and the bad. If there are some sad songs, think about that time you were upset and if you can do anything different in 2019. The happy songs take note of, and think about the good times you were blasting those. Try and keep those good vibes alive in 2019, but maybe with some new tunes. Most of my posts are meant to spark a conversation in your own mind. Since I am always blasting my opinion loud and proud, I want you to think about how yours compares. 2019 we are going to be “WOKE” about our musical opinions and we are going to use that mindset to drive and motivate us in all aspects of life. Buckle up, there are great things in store.