It’s been a while since I’ve done a music recommendations post, and I’ve always found them really fun to do. I think music is something that is quite comforting through all aspects of life, and no matter what mood you’re in, there’s always at least one song that goes with that mood. It’s like a best friend that stays with you through the ups and downs. It allows you to feel and can be used as a form of expression. It has the ability to enhance or suppress our feelings, and because of this, I find it hard to picture a life without music. If it hadn’t been for music, I would have never gotten into dancing. You can also associate songs with memories, lie when you first met someone, or perhaps a song that was played when you were on holiday. I’m sure there will be many of you who agree with some of the reasons above as to why music is important to us, and although you may not like everything I have recommended, I hope you do find one song that maybe makes it on to your next playlist.
I was first introduced to this song from watching the series “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” where they played the orchestral version and I instantly fell in love with it and knew I needed to find the original song. I’ve never heard a bad cover of a song from any of the Bridgerton episodes actually. I am pretty sure it was this song in the series that made me cry and I am not really a crier. The lyrics to the chorus gave me chills when I first heard them and whenever I hear it now, I feel like I’m hearing it for the same time again. It may not be the most cheerful of songs but it is one that is relatable, and the melody throughout is rather catchy. It’s definitely one of those heartfelt songs and one that gets stuck in your head for a while. I think SZA’s voice sounds amazing in this song too, especially with the melodies and the different tones to it. I don’t think I have actually heard any of her songs that I know of apart from this one, but I think that will soon change now.
I don’t know what it is about Bishop Briggs but she can’t do a bad song. Recently I have been hearing a lot of her songs featured on different things and straight away I knew it was her as she has such a distinctive voice. I think this has to be one of my favourites of hers though and one that I find myself singing to, or rather murdering. Doesn’t matter how many singing lessons I had when I was at college, I am still perfectly bad at singing. What I love about Bishop’s voice is she sings with such passion and emotion that you really feel that she means every single word she sings. In my opinion I would say she is definitely up there with being one of the best female artists out there at the moment. The amount of power she has behind her voice just separates her from everyone else. She really does deserve more credit for her songs as they just have so much depth. As I mentioned earlier about music being healing, Bishop Briggs’ music does that for me.
The list of bands I love just grows and grows, and the music this band makes is just pure art. This version is so so so much better than the original. Why, I hear you ask? The dramatics and empowerment surrounding this song are just a masterpiece and deserves a lot more praise than what it got. Not only can you appreciate the different instrumental parts in the background, but the vocals are also on point and not to mention the differences in tempos. There is not a single weak point in this song, and even though there is so much going on within it, it’s not overwhelming. The band vibe itself is alternative rock and the different dynamics in their releases are nothing like you’ve probably heard before. They manage to put an edgy, slightly aggressive take on their music, but the outcome of their craft is just exquisite. Their songs could easily fit in with films and trailers as they are extremely talented at what they create and hopefully something we will see of in the future.
Chappell Roan – Good Luck, Babe!
This is a song that has been in the charts for a really long time now and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be making it’s way out anytime soon, having been 17 weeks and still in 2nd spot. The song very much reminds me of the style Marina And The Diamonds use to have in their music. Her voice is definitely unique, and if you want to stand out from the crowd, then you need to be doing something different, and this is just that. It’s a breath of fresh air. Although upbeat, if you have a look at the lyrics, they are actually really quite sad and are about the consequences of not being who you truly are and fitting into a life that isn’t meant for you. It’s actually quite refreshing to have a modern pop song where the whole song is really good, rather than a song that is literally made to try and go viral on TikTok. The song sounds like it belongs in a place of music from like 10 years ago, which is why I think it’s gone down extremely popular with everyone.
When I say I have never been more excited for someone to come back and announce they are making music again, I mean it. When I saw it announced on Hozier’s Instagram post, I was so happy. I could listen to his voice all day. His vocals just instantly draw you in. He really is such a talented musician, singer, and songwriter, and I don’t think there’s anyone else who matches. He would be absolutely amazing to see live. It’s just a shame he is only touring in America and Canada at the moment. Every last detail of this song is perfection, from the baseline to the vocals and harmonizing. The lyrics are clever and give off the classic line of “it’s not you, it’s me.” That is one of the reasons I love Hozier, for his ability to write and express things in such a captivating and beautiful way, and he could be talking about something like rejection, haha. I don’t know how he does it, but he just keeps creating masterpieces, and they are masterpieces that never get old.
I discovered Gracie Abrams quite a while ago now, when I heard her song “I miss you, I’m sorry” she wasn’t as popular then as she is now, but she deserves the success she has. For those who don’t know her, Gracie is an American singer and songwriter and has performed as the opening act for the likes of Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, so some pretty big names! She also received a nomination for the best new artist back in 2023 and has recently released her second album, “The Secret Of Us,” in June this year. “Close to you” is actually an older song, but one everyone seems to love, including myself. The music video is really cool too as there’s not really any direction to it, it reminds me of when you use to try and make little videos to songs with your friends at school, and it’s just a cool video. The song itself is upbeat and catchy, especially the bridge to it. It’s a song that doesn’t take you long to learn the words, and I like her take on pop music.
Taylor Swift – The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
For me, this is by far the best album Taylor Swift has brought out, but I feel like that is because with Taylor, you usually go for the album you can relate to the most. I feel like this album, in particular, would have really helped me get through a tough time about 4 years ago. I’ve chosen this song though because as much as there is a lot of lyrics throughout her album where I’ve been able to relate to, these ones in particular in this song are ones my heart really felt and they are:
I would’ve died for your sins
Instead I just died inside
And you deserve prison, but you won’t get time
When I heard this song for the first time, those lyrics completely knocked me off guard and took me to a place where I could put a life experience I went through, to them, if that makes sense? It may sound silly, but these lyrics have described how I’ve felt about that experience better than I could ever have and for that reason I think it’s why I hold this song close to me at the moment from the album. It’s a song I come back to when I’m feeling frustrated. Anyways, I think I’ve done enough rambling and as much as I wanted to finish on a happy note, (excuse the pun) I have finished on a song which isn’t the happiest, but nevertheless still great!
What’s your favourite song at the moment?
Amy x
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