Spotify - A Year in Review

My Spotify - “A Year in Review” - results are in. 

The findings, at first glance, are amusing as hell, but I finally made sense of it. 

According to Spotify, I listened to 535 hours of music in 2015 - that’s 22 days of music, people! 

The data shows that I basically hung out with two black dudes from R&B and Hip Hop (D’Angelo & Kendrick Lamar) and two white females dropping Pop anthems. (Meghan Trainor & Tori Kelly)

The results are still funny to me, but I believe it makes sense.

Here’s why:

I love the timbre of black voices. They can produce darker, sexier, often times powerful sounds that other voices simply cannot replicate. With Funk and Soul music seemingly being genres of the past, it is in R&B and Hip Hop that I find these sounds.

Pop music, on the other hand, speaks to the endlessly optimistic and hopeful side of who I am. Lyrically playful and over the top, they dream for the heavens and still ask for more from life and love.  I also appreciate the competitiveness in this musical arena, where artists are constantly fighting to remain on the charts for a fanbase that quickly screams "next song."

I was fortunate in 2015, as my favorite new artist was able to unite all of this in her music. Jess Glynne came on the scene with a popular Clean Bandit song in 2014 entitled, “Rather Be.” She went on to release her first solo album in 2015, and it is toooooo cool. 

Here are two wonderful tracks - one live (acoustic) and one studio music video. And yes, that is really her voice:

"Ain't Got Far To Go"

"Hold My Hand"

I also wanted to mention Chance the Rapper, who I believe is the most exciting artist to keep up with in popular music today. If you are not watching yet, begin immediately - it feels so good! “Sunday Candy” is a great introduction for those of you less inclined to explore Hip Hop. He fuses Gospel and Pop elements into this piece, and if the music does not grab you, certainly the video will.

"Sunday Candy" (Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment)

Lastly, I just found this woman - V. Bozeman. Evidently, she is a contributor on the popular show Empire. I have not seen the show, but I love this song. V is an astonishingly beautiful woman, but it is the joy with which she sings in this video that attracts me most. If you do not watch any of the videos listed, at least watch this one. It will be a perfect, uplifting tune to start your week. 

"Smile" (feat Timbaland)

Hope each of you now as a new artist (or two or three) to enjoy! 

Alex

$.50 Philosophy

Upcoming Posts:

"La familia - Part II"

"An Open Letter to a Dear Friend #3"

"Tapas"

"An Open Christmas Letter to my Dear Friends"

"Good Enough Work"

"Fear"

"Acknowledgements"

"Albacete"

"I'm Goin' Country"

"Dear Jif"