Full disclosure: I don’t buy music on iTunes, I don’t download illegally (Spotify, people!), I don’t go to cool music festivals (though I am seeing Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder at the Global Citizen Festival on September 28 for freeeeee), the only audio clips on my phone are podcasts and audiobooks, I don’t own an iPod, and I enjoy listening to Taylor Swift.
I’m comfortable with all of this- I like that I like what I like, but after learning that our tastes and preferences become more cemented after we turn 35 we become less open to new experiences I’ve developed a major case of fomo (fear of missing out). What if I could enrich my quality of life just by listening to Ella Fitzgerald but instead I miss out and just listen to the same five songs on repeat?
So here’s a challenge to everyone: listen to one new song a day. I usually only listen to three or four artists so this is a mix of something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.
Current Obessions
“Royals”, Lorde (The Love Club EP)
“Black Skinhead”, Kanye West (Yeezus)
“Super Rich Kids”, Frank Ocean & Earl Sweatshirt (channel ORANGE)
“I’m A Flirt Remix”, R. Kelly, T.I & T-Pain (I’m A Flirt Remix)
“Climax”, Usher (Looking 4 Myself (Deluxe)), also The Dirty Projectors cover
Good vibes
“Other People”, Beach House (Bloom)
“Myth”, Beach House (Bloom)
“Who Did That to You”, John Legend (Django Unchained Soundtrack)
“Actor Out of Work”, St. Vincent (Actor)
“Laughing With a Mouth of Blood”, St. Vincent (Actor)
“Teen Idle”, Marina and the Diamonds (Electra Heart)
“Obsessions”, Marina and the Diamonds (The Family Jewels)
“Ghost Writer”, RJD2 (Deadringer: Deluxe)
“Beez in the Trap”, Nicki Minaj & 2 Chainz (Pink Friday…Roman Reloaded)
“Doses & Mimosas”, Cherub (MoM & DaD)
“Tears Dry On Their Own”, Amy Winehouse (Back to Black)
“When We Swam” Thao with The Get Down Stay Down (Know Better Learn Faster)
“Settle Down”, Kimbra (Vows)
“Retrograde”, James Blake (Retrograde)
Classic Oldies
“Manhattan”, Ella Fitzgerald & Buddy Bregman (The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books)
“(Love Is) The Tender Trap”, Frank Sinatra (Classic Sinatra II)
“Ne me laisse pas l’aimer”, Brigitte Bardot & Alain Gorageur (The Best of Bardot)
“A quoi ça sert l’amour?”, Edith Piaf & Théo Sara (Edith Piaf – The Best of Edith Piaf)
“Si si si si”, Edith Piaf & Eddie Constatine (Edith Piaf – The Best of Edith Piaf)
“Rien de rien”, Edith Piaf (Edith Piaf – The Best of Edith Piaf)
“Águas de Março”, Antonio Carlos Jobim
Solo dance party go
“Dancing On My Own”, Robyn (Dancing On My Own)
“Let’s Twist Again”, Chubby Checker (Chubby Checker’s Let’s Twist Again)
“Bang Bang Bang”, Mark Ronson & The Business International (Bang Bang Bang)
“Valerie-Live BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge”, Amy Winehouse (Back to Black)
“Clap Your Hands”, Sia (Clap Your Hands)
Sleepy time music
“The Tower”, John Vanderslice (Emerald City)
“Song for the Landlords of Tiny Telephone”, John Vanderslice (Dagger Beach)