I am constantly discovering new songs and artists to add to my playlists. This is partly because I get bored easily, but it’s also because there is such a big music renaissance right now. With the technology to write, produce, arrange, and publish music more widely available than ever before, there are so many independent artists that are coming onto the scene and finding success. There are so many compelling new artists getting discovered constantly, and this music boom, in turn, has expedited the growth of musical genres and styles. Lines are being blurred, new sounds and styles are being experimented with, and there are so many thrilling releases happening at all times. This is a really exciting time to witness, and I’m so happy to be able to experience it firsthand. For our last passion blog of RCL, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on music and talk about what I’m currently loving.

By now, I think you guys know that I like a lot of emotionally-rich and narrative-driven songs and albums. From Ctrl by SZA to Blonde Frank Ocean, I love these kinds of albums that really resonate with your mind and soul. They are incredibly interesting to read about, dive into, and dissect for these blogs, but they definitely aren’t the only kinds of music that I enjoy. Recently, I’ve really been getting into hyper-pop, house, Latin, and Chinese indie music amidst my usual RnB, pop, and indie picks. From artists like Azealia Banks and Kali Uchis to Bad Bunny and Faye Wong, I’ve had a lot of fun exploring various genres as well as listening to more of the discographies of artists that I already liked.

One of my favorite artists from these has been PinkPantheress. Known mainly for her viral hit song “Boy’s a liar” and its subsequent remix featuring upcoming rapper Ice Spice, PinkPantheress’ songs exude the essence of “pop”. The British singer-songwriter makes music that’s light, fun, and fast-paced. While some of them are playful– like “Boy’s a liar”–, many of them have witty and relevant lyrics on topics like grappling with heartbreak and adjusting to growing up. Some of my favorites have been “Attracted To You”, “All my friends know”, “Do you miss me?”, and “Take me home”.

Moreover, an artist whose discography I’ve been exploring more so recently is Omar Apollo. Though I had already listened to and loved many of his songs before, he has so many others that I had been meaning to explore. Previously, I really enjoyed his album Apolonio, but I had not listened to his newest album Ivory– and Ivory (Marfil)– extensively (only “Go Away”, “Evergreen”, and “Bad Life”), so I have been diving into more of those songs. My favorites so far have been “Endlessly”, “Archetype”, and “Pretty Boy”.

I also randomly got the urge a couple of weeks ago to revisit a lot of early 2000s hits. For a good week or so, I had “Judas” by Lady Gaga, “Maneater” by Nelly Furtado”, “I Love It” by Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX, and “Come & Get It” and “Love You Like A Love Song” by Selena Gomex on repeat. Like PinkPantheress’ fast-paced pop music for the state of music today, these very heavily pop songs were just really energizing to listen to while I worked on homework, got ready, or walked to class. I love how much just simply playing the right song can alter my mood and confidence.

Some other recent favorites of mine have been “Glue Song” by beabadoobee, “ALL MINE” by Brent Faiyaz, “Waltz Of The Flowers” by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, “Young Love” by Cleo Sol, “Moonlight” by Kali Uchis, “Smoke” by Victoria Monet featuring Lucky Daye, and “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND” by Tyler, The Creator. Though I like all of them for different reasons, they all just make me happy and calm when I listen to them which I truly appreciate during the stress of these last few weeks.

Music has always been such a significant force in my life, and I have been so grateful for the chance to share some of my favorites through these blog posts!