July Tunes

Um. So the month is over.

I couldn’t tell you where it went or what it did but August is here.

The only good thing about how quickly this year seems to be steam rolling ahead, is that I get to share some of my favourite songs of the month with you all! I won’t babble, let’s jump into it!

Cry Me A River – Davina Michelle: I definitely heard this cover in the background of a YouTube video, but clearly I wasn’t focusing on the video hard enough because I can’t remember for the life of me what it was. This cover though. Her voice, the guitar, how moody and intense it is. I love it. Anyone who covers Justin Timberlake this well deserves the love.

Mud – RAT!hammock: If you caught my post all about my volunteering experience at the CHANGES Music Summit earlier this month, you’d be a little bit familiar with this band. This song was by far my favourite of the set they performed, just because of how mellow the first verse and chorus is, until the bass kicks in and you’re forced to bob your head. It’s a cracker of a tune.

Time – Gretta Ray: Gretta is a family favourite here, and so of course I had to get around her recent single. It’s everything I love about her, amazing arrangement, swelling bass drums, with beautiful lyrics and vocal performance. Her vocals are so full in this song as well if that makes sense, it gives the entire song this amazing warmth.

All Mine – Kanye West: Didn’t think I’d be listening to this song as much as I have when I first listened to it. It’s the chorus I tell you. You can bop your head to it, you can tap your foot, you can have a boogie. The contrast of the how deep that bass is, and how high he’s singing make for the perfect middle ground.

Hard Times – Paramore: A good one. A really, really good one. I don’t know if this song can ever get old for me. It’s pretty recent on the spectrum of Paramore releases, but I love the style, the drums, how singable the chorus is, it makes for a perfect car song.

Sunflower – Rex Orange County: If someone could take stock of how many times I’ve typed the word ‘rex’ ‘orange’ and ‘county’ on this blog and come back with the results, I would be very keen to know.

So Far – Paige: Um. Check out my blog post. All on Paige. All about this song.

The Weekend (Funk Wav Remix) – SZA, Calvin Harris: Okay, it’s not to say I didn’t like the original, it’s just that anything Calvin Harris touches turns to magic beneath his fingers. I revisited this song when trying to figure out what covers I wanted to put in my setlist for my performance (possible blog post coming there) and I fell in love with the bass line and SZA’s voice in this particular song all over again.

Brand New – Craig David: Now was I really born on the cusp of the 90’s, if I didn’t enjoy myself some Craig David? Old Craig David, new Craig David, I’m about all of it. I heard this song in one of my favourite clothing shops, and recognised the voice but not the song, so best believe I tried on a shirt just so I could get right underneath the speaker and Shazaam the heck out of it.

Summer Games – Drake: There are only a few songs off Scorpion that I bothered to listen to. This being one of them. I have an assignment coming up where I need to cover a song and make it my own, and this is at the top of my list. The lyrics are really nice, the flow and the rhythm of it is great and I love the melody.

Summertime Magic – Childish Gambino: Donald came through yet again, not long since releasing This Is America, with two amazing new tracks, ‘Summertime Magic’ and ‘Feels Like Summer’. As is evident with this list, the former is my favourite of the two, not only because of how beautiful his voice is, but because of how good the groove and the bounce gets you when it kicks in.

God Is A Woman – Ariana Grande: I’m sure everyone’s aware of this song, but after watching the music video, I’ve become obsessed with it. I’ve already recorded a really mellow cover of it and I’ve been listening to it on the way to university, on the train, at home, at work. I love it. I’m here for the new Ariana stuff.

Kung Pao – Ceraadi: I’ve been watching these sisters on YouTube for a bit more than a year, and have always loved their music playlists and collections. Of all the songs they’ve released, this is maybe one of my favourites. The music video is hype as heck, and the beat is so catchy.

Emotions – Drake: If it wasn’t the beat that got me with this song, it was the sample of Mariah Carey absolutely killing her song ‘Emotions’ at the begin of the song, coupled with the amazing choir in the background. Amazing work Drake. You did good on this one.

Superlove – Whethan ft Oh Wonder: I was introduced to this song by a friend who told me she could imagine me singing it, which of course turned my heart into a giant ball of mush. She’s also one of my only friends who obsesses over Jake Kodish and the rest of the Millennium Dance Complex group with me, so she found it on one of his dance videos. It’s a bop.

you should see me in a crown – Billie Eilish: Oh goodness she snapped on this one. It’s so moody and intense and the chorus goes so hard. My jaw dropped when I heard it for the first time, and I nearly screamed. It’s one of my favourites my Billie as of this moment.

Sour Diesel – ZAYN: So different. To anything he’s released before. Slightly more rock than we’re used to from Zayn, but it’s still a pretty good song all the same. My cousin and I definitely got a few stares bopping along to it on the train on the way to the football.

Sky Walker – Miguel: Don’t know why I didn’t venture further than Pineapple Skies with that album, but I definitely took my time getting to this song. I watched the making of this song on YouTube, and let me tell you, I could listen to that man talk, let alone sing, all day.

Jim Morrison – Jon Bellion: Um. Self explanatory, especially if you’ve been keeping up with my latest posts. Trust me when I say there’s more to come.

Hand of God – Outro – Jon Bellion: Okay, so like more to come in regards to posts, but also more to come in regards to this list as well. This song is one of my favourites, I’m pretty sure I also saw an interview where Jon said it was his favourite on the album too, and I can see why. It encapsulates the entire album perfectly, PLUS he got the choir who sang on Human Nature with Michael Jackson on the end of it, and it absolutely flies. It’s such a beautiful song, the words, the chorus, the ending, the beat, everything about this song gives me shivers, regardless of how many times I listen to it (which is a lot, possibly too much).

The Way I Am – Charlie Puth: Again, if you’ve been keeping up, you’d understand a lot of these favourites. I listened to a lot of Charlie Puth in June and July, not as much as Jon Bellion, but a lot, because in terms of production this guy is incredible. Not to mention his voice is beautiful and his vision is incredible. Majority of his songs have a great hook or groove to them, and you know that’s what I’m all about.

New York Soul – Pt. ii – Jon Bellion: So remember how I said Hand Of God was one of my favourites? I like this one just as much, if not more. His voice is showcased, his production is showcased, his arrangement and groove is hella showcased, and his rapping takes centre stage and I love every single part of it. I was in my friends car recently and while I took a minute to sob to myself when he told me how much money he’s spent on the car’s sound system, the first thing I did was put on this song. The only way to listen to this song, is loud.

Ex-Factor – Lauryn Hill: Miss Lauryn Hill. Since Nice For What by Drake came out, I’ve been listening to this song on repeat, because as much as I love having a dance and listening to the incredible sample of this song in Nice For What, I definitely prefer the original much better.

Bubblin – Anderson .Paak: I found this song once again through YouTube, when I watched his Genius video explaining the lyrics. I love his song Come Down, though this is a close second. I love his personality and his energy, and it definitely shows through, whether he’s performing the song or even just talking about it.

Fall In Love – Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato: Okay, so I definitely was aware that this song was released, and as much as my 15-year old self loved both those women, I never really went out of my way to listen to it too deeply, only when it happened to be on. So why does it appear on this post? Because, I’ve been listening to it quite a bit this month. Why? Because Jon Bellion is one of the writers and provides backing vocals, that’s why.

So that’s it friends. That’s what I was listening to in July. Let me know if you listened to any of those, if you’ve already heard of those or if you have any recommendations for me. I’m all ears!

x

Priya

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