This month was defined by Raye, Madonna, and lots of soundtracks.
Rave Angel, Blusher
From the moment I first heard this song, I knew it would be the opener of this month’s list. As the sun starts to come out and summer feels like a real thing again, I get more and more hungry for good pop music (this is going to come up again many times throughout the next few months). I came across this song through a video of a DJ doing a set he called “Pop Never Dies,” which featured five songs I knew and loved and one I’d never heard of. Figured that made it worth a listen, and I was right. “Rave Angel” is the perfect pop song: one designed for dancing, headphones, and flashing lights or the sun on your face, depending on personal preference. This song is, in all ways, the Jacob Elordi edit in audio form. And it’s been one of my most listened-to songs in March.
Missing Out, Maya Hawke
I’ve known Maya in passing for a few years now. I remember her music mostly from hearing it leaking out of the bathroom with the shower steam every time I’ve stayed with Clementine. But I think this is the first time her work feels like it truly connects. With “Missing Out,” the lead single from her third record, she’s finally figured out how to write in a self-aware way. She nods to the nepotism baby jokes, but she also spends the song reflecting on her flaws. For someone whose music is so often centered on dreams and the imaginative, “Missing Out” feels like her first song to be fully grounded in herself. I’m excited to see where the album goes with this.
GO!, Santigold (feat. Karen O)
Sometimes a good music director is what you need. I got this song from rewatching Nimona, of all places. Ironically, for a movie filled with action-packed rhinoceros chases, this is just the song Nimona plays while making tacos. But I can’t blame her for it: it’s good cooking music. It’s good anything music, really. The drum beat is catchy and exhilarating, reminding me a lot of what I love about M.I.A.’s older work. Lyrically, it’s about avoiding those who seek to take your power, which is fitting for a song that makes the listener feel so powerful. I also might be wrong about this one, but I believe it switches between major and minor keys throughout the song, which is a pretty cool feature.
Alma Mater, Bleachers
I have a mixed relationship with this song, much like I do with Jack Antonoff himself. I must admit I love his production, but I think he’s weakest when he tries to make himself the star. That’s clear in this song–my favorite part is when the guy who is not Jack Antonoff is singing. Though it feels like a somewhat unfair comparison, when a man who is constantly producing for some of pop’s best writers tries to write his own song, he ends up with significantly weaker lyrics than I’m used to hearing from his work. I somehow can’t imagine Taylor Swift rhyming “Balenciaga” with “Wawa.” That said, there’s a reason this song made it on the list. The production is gorgeous, and Jack tries a lot of things here I don’t often hear him do, like bringing other instruments to the song in a way that can only be described as breathing them in and out. The mixing is also beautifully done–not something I typically pay much attention to, but in this case, it’s hard not to. Plus, it comes with an uncredited feature from Lana Del Rey.
Vampire Empire, Big Thief
I’ll admit that the reason this song is on the March list is purely to correct the mistake I made by not including it on the February one. It was the final cut from the list, and by the day after publishing I majorly regretted making it. I’m not as much of a Big Thief fan as I’d like to be, though I love everything I’ve heard from them. They’re not the kind of band I listen to daily. Then again, sometimes a song is good enough to break out of that. Adrienne Lenker’s songwriting shines as bright as always, but the real star of the song is her vocal performance. It’s not often you find a singer who’s willing to sacrifice “good” singing to capture the rawest emotions in the voice instead. It’s a beautiful tragedy, and hard not to get chills as her voice wails and breaks along with the story. I didn’t even fully appreciate her vocal talents until I tried to sing it–the part of this song that captures me most is the section in which she does leaps of an octave.
Vetements, SpykeLovo
It’s not often that I get to listen to music by friends of mine, but it’s always a privilege when I do. “Vetements” is the debut single of SpykeLovo, a rapper I know better by the name of Diego. I remember when this demo was first sent to me and I was surprised by how much I liked it. It’s not my usual kind of music, but it’s a really well done song: the beat is solid, the lyrics are smooth, and the hook is catchy. I particularly like “Earth, Wind, and Fire, cuz I’m in my element.” SpykeLovo also manages to move fluidly between English and Spanish, adding a whole new layer of texture to the otherwise consistent vocal delivery across the song. For anyone who may be reading this that doesn’t already know: check out Make Waves Music! We’ve got some good things going on here
Hot Patootie- Bless My Soul, Meat Loaf
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is one of those things that has not changed a day since it began. It doesn’t need to: it was made perfect on the first try. The soundtrack is possibly the most important element of that, being a blend of rock ‘n roll, musical theater, and something else entirely, combining to create an iconic and timeless sound. Every time I get to attend the show, I find a new favorite. This year it’s been Meat Loaf’s contribution, “Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul,” a bouncy rock track that is impossible to listen to and remain sitting still by the end. It’s a feel-good, Saturday night song that I’ve been putting on every time I need to just have some fun–and play a hell of an air sax solo.
Open Your Heart, Madonna/Fashion Of His Love, Lady Gaga
This month I’ve decided to try something new: looking at two tracks together. I was lucky enough to get to see Madonna for the second time this month, which brought me back to exploring her catalog. My favorite rediscovery of this journey was “Open Your Heart,” the fourth single off of Madonna’s 1986 album True Blue. It’s a quintessential Madonna song, one that shows off her most iconic sound.
Now, it’s no secret that Lady Gaga’s 2011 Born This Way is one of my favorite albums of all time. I have known for a little while about the special edition released alongside the original album, but I’d been saving it for a rainy day. As I’m preparing to perform a 12-minute Born This Way medley soon (long story) that includes the bonus tracks, I figured it was finally time, so I listened to the whole thing on the plane to England. As incredible as “Black Jesus + Amen Fashion” is, the one that clicked with me most was a song called “Fashion Of His Love”–a song I immediately saw as a direct tribute to the woman she is most often compared to.
“Fashion” employs classic Madonna production, but adapted for the modern day: synths, a bouncy drum machine groove, an invigorating pre-chorus, and of course, a touch of religious imagery. It still very much keeps Gaga’s sonic touch, making it more of a dedication than a recreation. I thought it was so interesting to hear this song from a woman who has taken on Madonna’s legacy so strongly, further clearing the path she made for new generations of female artists unafraid to be unconventional, unabashedly sexual, and unwilling to stick with the expectations they create. It’s a fitting tribute to someone Gaga owes so much of her career to.
The Rubber Man, Cedar Walton & Vincent Herring
This month's bonus shout out goes to "The Rubber Man," a piano jazz song that has surprisingly become one of my most listened-to of the month. It's not on this list because I know nothing about jazz, but I thought it was owed a mention for the amount of time I've spent with it. Thanks to Victor for being my most frequent source of great jazz music.
My 21st Century Blues, Raye
My 21st Century Blues is a modern masterpiece. I had heard of Raye for a little while, but it really started picking up after she won Album of the Year at the Brit Awards. I decided to check the record out one random day in English class–let’s just say I didn’t end up doing much work. Much like the Charli record from last month, I then listened to it two more times before the end of school. It’s an addicting record (and, for anyone wondering, it also features my top song of the last month: “Environmental Anxiety”).
Raye began as a songwriter, and that’s crystal clear on this record. She takes us through places most musicians can’t easily write: climate change, sexual assault, substance abuse, body dysmorphia, and trying to make it in the music industry as a woman. She does all of this, plus writing about her relationships, with an incredibly unique voice and consistent identity throughout. Every song is musically very different, going everywhere from piano R&B to live, full-band blues to distinctively British dance. It even has one of my personal favorite bonuses of an album: a dedicated introduction and conclusion. But the record doesn’t feel chaotic–instead, it’s like getting a rare view of every side of a musician in only 46 minutes. Raye has been through hell and back to get this record out, but it was worth it.
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