#137 of 366: HOT WIND BLOWS, Tyler, The Creator, Lil Wayne

As I’ve stated over and over again, the Hip Hop sucks me in with wordplay and great beats. The jazz beat that Tyler and Weezy use here is something I never thought I’d hear people rapping on. I love the creativity these two bring to the genre.

Tyler, The Creator

Weezy’s verse, as usual, as fantastic.

“Excuse me, pardon me, the wind, it blow so hard at me, like mother nature arguing about some baby father beef, I’m stuck in the middle of the sandwich like slaughter meat, got my middle fingers to the cameras that’s recording me, from y’all to me, brrt, stop callin’ me unless you’re ordering, I’m on the beach, I got my feet out, and I stay on my feet, the corner beat, I’m on a deep route, just throw the ball to me, thought all this lean would have me senile, I guess they see now, let’s touch down, catch a beat down, like I catch touchdowns, I fuck ’round, and slow the beat down and take the drums out, and speed up my flow, I’m so greedy, I’ma eat my own flow, and I’m in need of a flow, may eat me a rapper, I might as well eat me a hoe..”

He continues, but I felt like that was a big enough block of text!

Enjoy the vibe on this Wednesday. We might not be on the beach with our toes out, but we can still be warm to those around us. BGDG.

#136 of 366: Edge of the Earth, The Beaches

“She’s a fire sign, and I don’t really know what that means, I’m a cold night, and I wanna be close to the heat, I don’t wanna get burned, I don’t want love like that, but I can’t go any further ’til I start coming back, I’m a rock-star, and I’m never around when you need, like a race-car driving away from the scene, does she want me to stay?, does she want me to pack?, you can’t push me any further ’til I start coming back”

The Beaches are absolutely one of my favorite finds of last year. Each time I dive into their discography I’m left rocking out with them. I bet you still remember Blame Brett by them! Check out a version with Royal & The Serpent at the end of the post!

They have their finger on the pulse of those early-20s relationship roller-coaster vibes. Their songs are bops. End of story. Enjoy them in all their splendor! 😀

BGDG.

#135 of 366: Famous, Jenn Champion

Simultaneously dark and beautiful, this song from Jenn Champion is such a great mix of musical atmospheres.

“Leaving home at 17, I was on tour at 23, giving up on everything, my drinking ain’t stopping for no one, never been in a fist fight, but I married a hot dyke, she’s wearing a Misfits shirt ’cause she’s a Metallica fan, RIP cliff, the television you missed, Kim lost her diamond earring in the ocean”

It’s a great coming of age song, I think, and I think also talks about how we end up looking back on it with more perspective.

That allows us to envision the future we want for ourselves. Set that intention today. Whatcha want? Go get it.

BGDG.

#134 of 366: Run Away to Mars (Strings Version), TALK

This song is simultaneous one of the most beautiful on the list and one of the most lonely. The mark of a good song though, to me, is how well it manifests the emotions that went into writing it into the listener. This one hits.

The strings version in particular with it’s classical sound, is absolutely gorgeous. Both versions are powerhouses.

“I can’t tell which way is home, I’ve been gone for so long, it’s an empty world up here, I skip stones and wonder how long ’til I’m discovered?, it’s a quiet life up here, before my time runs out, what if I run away to Mars?, would you find me in the stars?, would you miss me in the end if I run out of oxygen, when I run away to Mars”

I think every now and then a dash of melancholy listening is ok. It wakes me up to the good things going on in my life after a little listening sesh with songs like this. It’s cathartic somehow. Like a shared experience with someone.

Thanks for sharing this song and these words with me! I’m honored.

Happy Mother’s Day!

BGDG.

#133 of 366: I Stand Corrected, Vampire Weekend

There was SOMETHING about Vampire Weekend I didn’t like for the longest time. Something about how they sounded the majority of the time was just off-putting to me.

I had realized though, last year, that I never game them a proper chance. Turns out, this song was a bop, which I like very much, and it was the perfect one for me to come clean with that I had really missed some good songs by them because of my blanket indifference to them.

“You’ve been checking on my facts, and I admit I have been lax, in double-screening what I say, it wasn’t funny anyway, I stand corrected, I stand corrected”

Well, here I am. I stand corrected.

BGDG. Don’t be afraid to change your mind.

#132 of 366: Bitch Better Have My Money, Rihanna

Super Bowl 2023 Halftime show memories here.

I legit hadn’t heard this song before that, and what a banger it is. Rihanna gives absolute domination in this song. Swag for days.

“Bitch better have my money!, y’all should know me well enough, bitch better have my money!, please don’t call me on my bluff, pay me what you owe me, ballin’ bigger than Lebron, bitch give me your money, who y’all think y’all frontin’ on?

Let that be your anthem today as I send you out to conquer the day (not extort people).

BGDG.

(I’m picturing my friend Michael listening to this at like 6:30 in the AM, and yes, I am laughing out loud.)

#131 of 366: Shove, Mali Velasquez

This is probably one of the deeper pulls on the list and it’s a fantastic discovery.

This one is a shortie, so I can post the whole song.


You shove your fun in my face and thumb in my mouth
And I wanna do what you say if it’d make you feel proud
And ow that burns
But it’s too late
‘Cause I held you anyway
Did I bite a hole in your neck and drain you dry?
Do we still wake up every mornin’ at the same time?
And ow that hurts
But I don’t care at all
‘Cause at least I can feel you there
And ow that hurts
But I don’t care
‘Cause at least I can…

A beautiful lament.

Just a reminder that there’s no light without the dark. As my watch of Baby Driver this evening taught me, Dolly Parton wisely said “you can’t have a rainbow without a little rain”.

Balance in all things, my friend. BGDG.

#130 of 366: Fire Drills, Dessa

Dessa sings like a boxing match sometimes. A lot of her verses HIT.

“We don’t say, “Go out and be brave”, nah, we say “be careful, stay safe”, in any given instance, that don’t hurt, but it sinks in like stilettos in soft earth, like a big win is not a day without an incident, I beg to differ with it, I think a woman’s worth, I think that she deserves, a better line of work, than motherfucking vigilance, don’t give me vigilance, by definition you can’t make a difference, if the big ambition is simply standing sentry to your innocence, that’s not a way to live, that can’t be what a woman is, that gives her nothing to aspire to, what that is, what that is, is just a life of running fire drills”

I imagine that’s a pretty apt description of what its like to be a woman in today’s society.

I don’t know how you all do it. This song is a scathing review. Dessa eviscerates from start to finish.

Let’s all try to go out today and be better. Be Good, Do Good.

#129 of 366: The Feels, Labrinth

I simply, unequivocally, and completely, love the organ sounds in this song. I feel like it gives it so much depth and gravitas.

“I got hit by a truck, I got hit by a truck, and it drove off and left me here for dead, a long night here, cryin’ in the rain, yeah, I got touched by God and it fucked me up, like an electrical current crossing through my veins, lightning came and hit me again”

Being “in our feels” can feel like that though can’t it? Heavy, like the only thing we can pay attention to. I think Labrinth does a beautiful job putting that feeling to song.

If you enjoy this, you’d definitely enjoy his entire catalog. It’s full of good listens.

BGDG.

#128 of 366: Beyond, Leon Bridges

This is a great song about falling in love. Leon does a fantastic job of channeling that feeling of butterflies in your stomach and the anxious/excited feeling of seeing that person.

“I-I-I-I’m scared top death she might bne it, that the love is real, that the shoe might fit, she might just be my everything and beyond (beyond), space and time in the afterlife, will she have my kids?, will she be my wife?, she might just be my everything and beyond”

I particularly like “I know that Grandma would’ve loved her”, because that’s the true test right? I’ve often wondered what my grandmother would’ve thought of my significant others since she passed. It’s a great litmus test.

Whether you have your everything and beyond, or if you’re still searching for it, don’t forget about yourself. You don’t need to put all your eggs in the basket of another person. Save some space, and grace honestly, for yourself.

Happy Monday! BGDG!