September is back, and with it comes the return of my monthly music articles. I’ve gone on record and will continue to report that these are some of my favorite articles to write because I love sharing my music taste. I don’t really do anything for the approval of others — it’s really important to find value in things because you like or appreciate them, not just because someone validates you — but I’ve had quite a few people say they really like these articles too.
Every time I think I have a rounded sense of music taste, someone will introduce me to a new artist or song, and I can’t believe that it wasn’t already in my rotation. As much as I love these articles as a monthly recap — I tie a lot of memories to songs — I love that this could be a way someone else finds a song they might love.
This month introduced me to a lot of new music. However, the majority of my top repeated songs were ones I have already been listening to. Looking at my list… It is clear that September was a long month. Looking at them from a memory perspective, some of these songs seem so much farther away than they are. That’s something about college that I didn’t really realize until I put music to it.
In high school, a song would encapsulate a few months. But in college, a song seems like it’s been repeated constantly when it’s only been a week. Walking to class and constantly having headphones in, each time I turned on the Spotify-generated DJ Playlist on — a playlist that I can’t link because it uses my listening habits, but is something you can find if you search DJ X — it would spit back the same songs at me.
Something I never do for my listening habits — at least not really and not directly in an article yet — is setting a goal for the next month. With how frequently I write these journal entries of listening habits, I feel like I to amp it up for this new school year, there should be some sort of thing to look back on. Maybe it’s going to be a monthly goal, or it will evolve to be something else.
That being said, for October, my goal is to keep my DJ on his toes. I don’t want to hear him say, “here’s something you’ve had on repeat” or “here’s the artist you listened to for 127 minutes more than the average listener last week“. I want fresh, frequently revolving music. Going through the list and comparing some song for song — even though Tate McRae isn’t on this list — here’s my September song rotation.
“Take It” — Dom Dolla
When I was younger, I was introduced to the overarching genre house music belongs to — electronic music — by artists like David Guetta, Zedd, and Calvin Harris. Moving to Boulder, however, has increased my knowledge of house music and the artists within the genre. Dom Dolla —Dominic Louis Matheson — has produced a number of good songs. Lately, I’ve been queuing “Take It” on my walks to class. The intro for this song is really satisfying, and the general vibe feels different from his other songs.
“Loser” — Tame Impala
Tame Impala’s upcoming album, Deadbeat, comes out later this month. In 15 days, 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 40 seconds — not that I’m counting. In anticipation of the album, 3 songs have been released as singles. “Loser” was the second one released, and it really grabbed my attention instrumentally. There’s a groove to this song, and it’s so strong lyrically. With how unique but simultaneously cohesive the three songs are, I am really excited to see how the body of work sounds as a whole.
“Don’t Smile” — Sabrina Carpenter
I didn’t appreciate “Don’t Smile” as much as I should’ve when Short & Sweet first came out. The lyrics have Carpenter’s typical honesty and flow. I enjoy that the title and lyrics flip a really common phrase. This is one of her songs where she shows that she knows her worth. Acknowledging that the man who lost her should constantly regret his choice — especially when he’s with another girl — is a Carpenter classic.
“Miami” — Morgan Wallen, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross
I really loved Wallen’s I’m The Problem album. The album encapsulates so many emotions, and the original “Miami” was honestly my happy song. I classify my happy song differently from a hype song. It’s a group of songs that typically are beaten to death by the radio, but if they came on, my mood would increase exponentially. “Espresso” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” are two examples, in addition to “Miami,” where I could be in the worst mood, and if those songs came on, I would feel immediately better.
The song was rereleased months after the album, with features from Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. Wallen is an interesting artist in the way that he manipulates the genre of country in a way that not many artists do. Some of his songs trend very far within the country genre, and he hits different radio stations with his pop country songs — something that many country artists have done to expand the genre to new listeners.
However, he has a few songs that merge rap and country. I like his collaborations with rap artists, and this song really works for me. Some of Lil Wayne’s lyrics crack me up; “I eat so much shrimp, I got iodine poisoning/ I can’t even swim, but I could throw a yacht party”; and Wallen’s original, “Except for gettin’ sand in my boots/ Ask yourself, ‘What the hell is a redneck gon’ do in Miami?’” There are also a number of lyrics that nod to famous places and aspects of Miami, and the song is actually one of my favorites this year.
“Close” — MGM Studio Orchestra, André Previn
Listening to soundtrack music makes me feel like I’m in a movie — something I love. Throughout my day, even if I’m following the same routine, it’s cool to listen to different genres of movie music. The nice thing about the genre is that you don’t have to see the movie to enjoy the movie. That’s the case with“Close”. This song just throws you into the 1950s sound, and it is so nice to listen to.
“Nothing Left” — Morgan Wallen
Another Morgan Wallen song is at the top of my listening — big shocker. This song is completely different from the vibe of “Miami”. From the title alone, it’s clear that whatever relationship Wallen is talking about in the song has “Nothing Left”. This album is really different from his previous albums because there is a lot more self-reflection. In his Theo Von interview, Wallen talked about how he wanted this album to be different from his others. Facing several public breakdowns, this album encapsulated a lot of self-reflection on his behaviour and relationships — both to people and substances.
“Sugar Talking” — Sabrina Carpenter
I have beaten this song to death with my opinions of it; however, “Sugar Talking” is one of my favorite Sabrina Carpenter songs. My article on my favorite songs from her album covers this song more thoroughly. But simply, the lyrics are so funny and honest, and her vocals are beautiful. That’s where I’ll keep it.
“Suzanne” — Mark Ronson, RAYE
Over the summer at the Newport Jazz Festival, I was lucky enough to see RAYE. An incredible vocalist and performer, her music has now embedded itself into my playlists. In “Suzanne,” you can definitely hear Ronson’s traditional production sound, and it works so well with her voice. Jazzy and pop at the same time, it’s an awesome merge of genres and artists.
My beautiful month of songs. I can’t wait to see what October brings. I’m curious to see whether I will stick to my music resolution or if I will return to listening to the same song over and over.