Tag: spotify

HAYDEN JAMES

This is kind of a “best of both worlds” situation for me. I have been loving Hayden James’ music for quite some time now, so I was thinking he would be a perfect edition to Ones To Watch. THEN, today, he decided to release a whole new album. Previously, he had only a few singles, some remixes, and a baby EP. So, here I am, listening for the first time and writing an AUTHENTIC review of his music. In my last album review, I had listened to it weeks prior, and based my opinion on their previous work. In this case, I only have a handful of songs, most of which are debuted on this new album as well.

So why do I think he’s an artist to watch? His music has beats that make you want to party by the pool all day, combined with lyrics that sometimes make you sit and say, “Wow. I’ve been attacked.” Which is totally a good thing. That means he is making relatable content that you can sing your heart out to, if you have any oxygen left from dancing. Let’s talk about some songs that were out in the world before this album. The reasons I became a fan, and the reasons I believe he’s going to be popping on Top 40 charts soon.

The first song I had ever heard by him was actually a remix. I heard ODESZA remix “Something About You”, which lead me to wonder who he really was. The crazy thing is, the different effect both songs have on me. When hearing the ODESZA remix, it gives me some sort of nostalgia that gives me a little lump in my throat. However, when I go and listen to the actual version of the song, it makes me feel super relaxed. The type of feeling you get when you’re just laying by the pool tanning. By now, this song is probably pretty popular, due to the fact that the remix blew it off the charts. However, if you haven’t already heard, I suggest listening to both, and deciding which one you like better! That single came out in 2015, and it looked like he had released one single per year since then, until 2018. He released a whopping TWO. However, these two are probably my favorite songs on this planet, not to be dramatic or anything. Starting with the song, “Just Friends.” This song was released toward the end of 2018, and for some reason it REALLY spoke to me. At this time, I was boy drama free and had no reason to particularly relate to it…yet. If you were to ask me if I can relate to the song now, I’d tell you to mind your business. This song is just everything. I don’t even know how to use proper terms to describe it. At the time it came out, I would play it on repeat 24/7, not listening to anything else. Now that I don’t do that anymore, whenever it comes on shuffle, it feels like a jolt of electricity. Just hearing the beginning I think, “Oh shit, here we go.” The lyrics are so self explanatory that I don’t even think it’d be necessary for me to talk further about it. JUST GO LISTEN TO IT OKAY?

Now, let’s get into the build up of the album today. Then, we’re going to tear it apart. For some reason, I like to think that 2019 just started. That’s how fast it’s blowing by. So, while I was listening to Gryffin Radio, a bomb station that curates music based off that one artist’s style, I found a new gem. It’s called “Nowhere To Go.” When I first heard it in my bathroom, I was STOKED to find out it was by Hayden James. I knew it had to be relatively new, but when? How did I miss this? Turns out, he just released it in May. I wasn’t missing out for too long. This song has been my obsession lately. It lyrically has almost a similar vibe to “Just Friends,” but a little bit different. That was his last single before today, June 14th, when he blessed my ears this morning.

He kicks off the album with a voice I recognize immediately, Boy Matthews. The beautiful voice on “Just Friends.” The awesome thing about this album is there aren’t any real slow songs to kill my vibe. Lately, I’ve been wanting something upbeat that will keep me going throughout the day, not put me to sleep. Who am I kidding, that’s ALWAYS how I’ve been. I can appreciate a good slow song from time to time, don’t get me wrong. However, it is unique to have an artist come up with all upbeat stuff, that lyrically is amazing too. The album is filled with his singles he’s released this past year, but the new songs are just as exciting. I think my favorite on this new album would have to be “Hold Me Back,” which is his album kick off. Sometimes, the first song on an album can be hit or miss.

Overall, I think Hayden James is going to be a real hit on the more dreamy side of the House Music charts. While he does have 2 million monthly listeners, I still feel like he belongs on a Ones To Watch. I just don’t hear his name as much as I should. However, not to toot my own horn, but I am usually the one who presents new names to my friends. I also don’t see him on as many release radars as he deserves. So here he is! If you haven’t heard of him, now you have. As always, I am leaving a little playlist radio down below. So, if you’re lazy, you don’t have to go far to listen to him. Or, if you don’t have Spotify, this is your chance to download. Honestly Spotify, sponsor me already. #AD

$5 Therapy

It is no secret that mental health is important. It is probably one of the most important things for us human beings to maintain. Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more people posting mantras about self-care. Which led me to thinking about how I personally take care of my own mental health. While some people find that going to a therapist soothes their mind and overall well-being, I never felt as though that approach was the one for me. To be completely honest, my way of easing my mind and taking care of myself is probably more expensive than sitting down with a professional.

When I have just about HAD IT with thinking for the day, I tend to go on a nice lengthy drive and blast music. Whether it is the middle of the day and I can roll down the windows, or late at night and I am enveloped in the sound, driving is my therapy. I guess you could also say good music is a form of therapy for me as well. What many people don’t know about me is, I tend to overthink everything. This can be extremely stressful for me, whether I decide to show it or not. I could treat myself to an extra cup of coffee and then proceed to overthink about how that $3.50 is going to affect my bank account in 6 years. While my brain is constantly in overdrive, I have a hard time putting my thoughts into actual words when I am feeling overwhelmed. Most likely because I don’t even know where I would begin. That is part of the reason I never felt the need to sit down with a therapist and talk about all the things bothering me. I know how to alleviate the stress and I also know my brain loves to make a bigger deal of things than necessary.

Now, you might be thinking, isn’t driving and listening to music just a temporary fix? To which I would say, yes. However, for myself, if I can settle my mind and space out for even just thirty minutes, then I can come back to reality with more clarity. When I get a chance to relax, that is when I can decipher between what is an actual pressing issue in my head, and what is just being dramaticized.

I titled this $5 Therapy, thinking I was being super clever because of the fact that Spotify for students is only $5. However, if you’re including mileage of my relaxation drives……I don’t want to talk about it. I think it’s good to find what works for you when it comes to mental health. Some people can swear by going to a therapist, but still leave the session feeling as if something was left unsaid. Now I know late night/mid-day drives may not be for everyone. I just thought I would shine a little light on what i do for self-care. Essentially, taking care of your mental health is the base work of self-care days. If your brain isn’t in a good state of mind, your whole body will be out of line. I wish I could say that this was going to be another post in which I include a playlist I made for my therapy drives. However, every music streaming service I know of has sections of playlists that are made specifically to wind down. If you’re into that kind of thing. Personally, I always will be listening to something upbeat. I’ve only mentioned that about nine HUNDRED times here.

Whenever I head to my local bookstore, I always like to read a little bit about music and the mind. I always used to think I was crazy for believing in the power of a good playlist more than the next person. When reading, I always find little facts that differ from book to book. However, the most common fact they always state is, to listen to your body. Every person’s mind and body reacts differently to certain types of music. Apparently, those goosebumps you get during your favorite song, is a wave of adrenaline washing over you. Which in a scientists perspective, is a really good sign. So, they basically say to strive for that feeling whenever listening to something that you intend to make you feel better. I know this blog is starting to look like an anti-sad music kind of page, but I have never gotten goosebumps from a sad anthem. The artist could win best vocals at the Grammys for a sad song and I still would be thinking, “Can we change this to something else?”

What was the moral of this story? Ummmm that music is the cure for everything?? The moral of all my stories on here?? The moral is, therapy isn’t always black and white like some people make it out to be. When people talk about taking care of mental health, you always read about therapists and going to see one. For the people that find that method helpful, I say keep at it! However, for people who do not see that as something they think would be the best self-care method, try something else! I also say, while venting to your friends can be super helpful, essentially the only person who knows your situation is you. Friends can offer some great advice, but at the end of the day they still may not have the full picture. Nobody can feel what you’re feeling, so make sure you are getting the right care your brain needs. For me, that care is blasting music and taking a break for a little. Find what works for you and keep at it!

Billie Freaking Eilish

As some of you may know, Billie Eilish is an artist that took 2018 and made it her bitch. For someone like myself, it is always fascinating to watch artists blossom. Sometimes, when it happens this quickly, it really has me wondering how it happened. Was it just luck? Opening for the right act? Becoming friends with the right person? How do these small breakout artists really take the charts by storm?

Believe it or not, “Ocean Eyes,” Billie’s take-off single; came out in the year 2016. However, it didn’t fully reach popularity until artists in 2017 started remixing it. Around this time of sudden popularity, Vanity Fair decided to interview her as an up and coming artist. Still naive to the inner workings of the industry, Billie gave an enthusiastic interview about who she is and what is to be expected from her. Cut to 2018, they conducted a follow-up with the same questions, but exactly 365 days later. Almost 20 million people have seen this side-by-side interview and the comments are eye-opening. However, we will touch base on that later.

So, who is Billie Eilish? Why is she so popular now? Apart from her amazing music, I really wanted to pick apart who she is, with the little information she probably shares about her true self, on social media. For starters, I believe breaking out on the charts has to do with calculated luck in the algorithm. Every streaming service for music has one. I started to believe that Billie was just popping up on people’s feeds at the right time. Which, very well may be the case. However, I think a lot of it had to do with the people she was touring with and the festivals she played. People do not recognize how powerful the combination of word-of-mouth and social media can really be. Say Billie Eilish was performing at Lollapalooza one year and there is a celebrity in the crowd. All that person would have to do is post about how amazing she is, and off go people to Spotify or Apple Music to stream her songs. That is where the algorithm starts to come into play. If in a short time frame, people are all of a sudden streaming this one artist, the app is going to assume EVERYONE is going to want to do the same. Eventually, Billie ends up on Ones To Watch, and Top 40 Songs playlists overnight.

Now that she is so popular, she has to decide what she wants her image to be. In the 2017 Vanity Fair interview, her personal style was already a tad tomboy-ish. She was wearing chains, big sneakers, and baggy clothing. However, her silver/purple hair and subtle/glowy makeup were still very feminine. On her Instagram, @wherearetheavocados, you can kind of see her transform through social media’s eyes. With every picture, her clothes get baggier, and her smile becomes more non-existent. Personally, I do not like her style at all. I have a couple friends who agree, and we have all had heated conversations about it. However, I always say the same thing, it’s her “brand.” When Lady Gaga first came into fame, her style was WACK. Now that she has become more established and self-aware, her fashion has changed completely. I think when it comes to self-image, Billie is just trying to figure out who she is, while still maintaining this boy-ish vibe.

Now let’s talk about her music. Her voice has to be one of the most angelic voices I have ever heard come out of a 17 year old. When “Ocean Eyes” became popular, it was such a beautiful melancholy tune. At the time, I would have labeled it as something more “Indie.” The more she released, the less I was able to categorize her into a genre. However, referring back to her 2017 interview with VF, that is part of her vision. Not being confined to a definitive musical box. My two favorite songs of hers at the moment are: “Bellyache” and “bitches broken hearts.” With the song “Bellyache,” I love how beautiful her voice is in comparison to the tragic lyrics. She even stated herself, the lyrics are simply about murder. She is singing an upbeat tune about killing her friends. What’s not to love about that? Again, FBI agent in my computer, I am just kidding. When listening to her album though, you will realize that a lot of her songs are very sad. It could be reflective of what she is going through in the industry. The way she is handling growing up in the public eye. In her 2018 interview with VF, she flat out said that everyone in the industry is sad. Other artists may be hiding it by singing about the great times in their lives, however, Billie is very transparent about the things going awry. With the song, “bitches broken hearts,” she is really tapping into that melancholy vibe. With little instrumentals in the background, her voice takes center stage. She simply is singing about someone missing her, but being in denial. It’s honestly an empowering song, with a rainy day attitude.

Lastly, I want to talk about the controversy surrounding her 2018 follow up interview. I had watched it when it came out and thought about how much she had changed looks-wise. Her style was edgier, her hair was blue, and her eyes looked tired. However, recently a friend of mine has become really enamored with Billie Eilish’s presence. She was talking about the interview, which brought me to watching it again. The comments stunned me. The majority were talking about how sad she looked now, and how naive she was in 2017. To me, yes, she does look a little bit more sad. Becoming famous overnight had put a lot of pressure on her, as she states herself. I can’t imagine how tiring it must be trying to figure out who you are, while also trying to battle the pressure of what the world wants you to be. While I do think she looks exhausted and sad, I also think that is just a part of her age. She is so young and growing up in front of now 12 million people. Talk about overwhelming.

When it comes to Billie Eilish, I have always been in awe of her voice. I think that this is just the beginning for her, and her talent is going to take her so far. I think she is going to take 2019 by storm. With the many festivals she is set to play, Coachella being a big one, she is going to have a busy year. I think it will be interesting to see how she grows musically and fashionably in the next several months. I also hope she doesn’t let the pressure of the industry get to her. The world can sometimes be a cruel place, but I think she will use her art to heal herself and her fans this upcoming year.

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.