Hello, hello, hope you’re all well! I’ve returned for another monthly tunes post. I listened to my fair share of music this month, some new, some old, some that I was eagerly awaiting and some I stumbled on unexpectedly. Here’s what I was listening to in September.
Don’t Shut Me Down – ABBA: Did I get caught up in Donda/CLB hype? Yes. Was I saved when ABBA decided to release new music? Also yes. This song literally blessed us all and reminded us again why this band is timeless. I love it so much.
Love All – Drake, JAY-Z: This song was one of my favourites on first listen of Drake’s latest album. I think a mix of the song itself and JAY-Z’s verse. I love his voice when he raps so much and he manages to make such an impact on whatever track he’s on.
Monks – Frank Ocean: A return to an old one. I will admit that I never listened to this song much, even when channel ORANGE was first released, but I recently returned to the album and fell in love with this track. The bass, the drums, the entire flow of the whole song. So tasty.
Mung Bean – Masaya: Back again discovering absolute gems. Masaya are a band from New Zealand who I fell in love with immediately. This was the first song I listened to on their Spotify channel and I’m glad I stuck through it because the switch into the chorus is so beautiful. So much energy, incredible vibes, I want the sun.
Gyspy Woman – Tom Misch: I was stoked to see this on Spotify as well as all of Tom’s Quarantine Sessions. This was one of my favourites when he originally uploaded it to YouTube, so to be able to add it some of my playlists was a blessing. So funky. Give it a whirl if you want some easy listening with a sprinkle of funk.
Tweety – Raveena: This song is an instant throwback to some early 2000s RnB and I love it. I was out of the Raveena loop for a second but I’m so glad I’m back. This song will make you float.
All I Ever Wanted – Yebba: It’s hard to put Yebba’s debut album into words. So many beautiful tracks. Such a beautiful artist. Can you tell I’m struggling? This track in particular takes you to places you’d never expect.
Pressure – Ari Lennox: I was so excited to see Ari Lennox had released a new track and this was just what I needed. Everything I love about her. Super slick instrumentation and production, cheeky lyrics and incredible vocals. I love this woman.
Love Came Down – Yebba: As soon as I listened to this song I ran to the credits to see who was on it. There’s just something about Mark Ronson and KAYTRANADA doing their thing on a track that has you hooked immediately. There were a few reviews that weren’t a fan of this track on her debut album Dawn, said it was a bit left of centre and random in the middle of the track but I loved it. So sick. It was such a nice switch up and it still felt like it stayed true to her amazing lyrics and imagery and vocals.
scapegoats – Baby Keem: Hands down, my favourite song from Keem’s new album. The Serpentwithfeet sample at the start made my jaw drop and it took me a second to place it but once I realised what it was I was sold. Plus, I’ve become a fan of Baby Keem and his flow a lot more with this record.
Right Track – Syd, Smino: I love Syd. Always have. Add Smino into the mix, an artist I’m loving more and more, and you have a happy gal. This one is such a fun track, perfect for the summer which makes me so excited for warmer weather, throwing this song on during a drive down to the beach *hopefully*.
LIKE THAT – IJALE, Yung Shogun, ThatKidMaz: I love sharing Melbourne-made tracks and this one has been so exciting to find. I’ve been around Yung Shogun and ThatKidMaz for a second but this is the first time I’ve heard IJALE and I am loving his music already. This is such a fun release, and all three of them play their role perfectly, really tying this whole song together seamlessly.
I FEEL IT – Jon Bellion, Burna Boy: Imagine my shock when my boy Jon announced he was releasing a song with Burna Boy. Two of my favourite artists on one song? Say less. This song is so interesting, Jon’s vocals are pitched down throughout the entire track which I love, a lot more than I expected and it’s the perfect blend of his sound and Burna Boy’s sound. When I first heard about the collaboration I was so confused at how it would work out, shame on me for having such little faith, Jon Bellion did what he does best and made an absolute tune.
Stomp! – The Brothers Johnson: This one goes out to my Dad. We’ve recently bought a new sound system for the living room, and he’s finally figured out how to connect his phone and Spotify account, so every weekend we’ve been blessed to a new playlist of his. Last weekend we had a great Sunday filled with some of the finest disco tracks I’ve ever heard, and this one was my all-time favourite of the day. Best on ground for sure. I’ve been playing this track all day, every day, just to make a shitty situation (one of the world’s longest lockdowns and most recently, a bloody earthquake) just a little bit better. The bass solo sent me into orbit and I’ve shared this track with so many of my friends. Lots of love for this song.
INDUSTRY BABY – Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow: After the VMA’s I jumped back on this train. This song is still my favourite track from Nas’ album Montero, and I think a lot of that also has to do with how perfectly he and Jack Harlow blend on this one and how they were able to transfer that energy into a live performance. My cousins and I also have a running group chat *jack harlow appreciation*, where we just collectively love Jack Harlow.
Somebody That You Don’t Know – dvsn, Ty Dolla $ign, Rauw Alejandro: I wasn’t aware that dvsn had released an album until I found it on Ty Dolla $ign’s Spotify page and I promptly binged the entire song, which led to me finding this beautiful track. Such a good mix of delicate Latin-inspired guitar and really hard hitting bass and drums. Love it.
Bag – Abhi The Nomad, Charlie Curtis-Beard: I stumbled across CCB on TikTok and immediately fell in love with his playful rap delivery. A quick perusal of his Spotify account and other releases led me to this song, which I thoroughly enjoy.
Better Things – Kee’ahn: Another Aussie artist I’m so glad I found. This song is beautiful. Her voice is immaculate and this song captures so much soul and emotion.
2Day – Yuto., Priya Francis: Yeah that’s me. Let me plug it please. The boys who make up Yuto. and I have been working on this track for over a year, so when it was released on the 23rd I was so happy to finally have it out. Very proud to have working on this track.
Be My Own Boyfriend – Olivia Dean: Slowly, slowly becoming obsessed with English singer Olivia Dean. Holy moly, this girl’s songwriting just gets it. The way she’s able to capture such intricate feelings and emotions and situations with her lyrics just leaves me in awe of her with every song I listen to. Before I full investigated her music, the only song I knew of hers was Password Change, another beautiful song that gives you really honest lyrics paired with soulful vocals and this song, as well as most of her other tracks, is no different.
She Wants To Move – N.E.R.D: I always come back to N.E.R.D. Whether I mean to or not, they always find their way back to me. I can’t remember which Volume it was one but it appeared in the back of one of the Fenty x Savage shows and I recently binged all three since the latest one recently came out. Love them, aside from the point, this song popped up and I had to pause the show to pull up the song and enjoy it. N.E.R.D literally transcends the need for genres and labels. Everything they touch is magical and this song is in my Top 3 from them.
As always, if you wanna keep up with my 365//2021 playlist which is where I pull all these tracks from as I add to it every day, as well as any other playlists I’ve curated, here you are!
Let me know what you were listening to in September! I’d love to get some new tracks to add to a playlist or two.
x
Priya
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