I’ve been listening to a lot of good music lately. Most of it is from albums that I thought I had on full repeat, but it turns out I was actually skipping some literal bops. I have compiled a list of four of my new favorite songs and, hopefully, they bring as much joy to you as they do for me!
- “Mood 4 Eva” – Beyonce, JAY Z, Childish Gambino, and Oumou Sangare
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Off of Beyonce’s new album, The Lion King: The Gift, “Mood 4 Eva” is my new hype song. It puts a twist on modern afro-beats, and the lyrics are empowering. The song is about not allowing your hater to dim your light, and Beyonce is essentially telling you to live your best life. While “Mood 4 Eva” is the only song off of the album that will be on this list, the entirety of it is a great listen. Not only does it highlight many countries in Africa, but it also shines a spotlight on popular African artists such as Mr. Eazi, Burna Boy, Naja and many more.
- “INTRO” – DaBaby
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DaBaby is a rapper from South Carolina. He’s not new to the rap game, but his following has been growing exponentially in 2019. “INTRO” is off of his new album KIRK, which received a lot of praise from celebrities and the public. I have had “INTRO” on repeat for the past few weeks because DaBaby shows a more emotional and raw side of himself than we’re used to. He talks about dealing with his newfound success and the death of his father—which all happened within days of each other. He “preaches” about the changes within his life that have occurred in just a year: he went from broke to performing at the BET Awards. To me, “INTRO” is about perseverance, and how life is never just highs or lows, but a mixture of both.
- “Joanna” – JoJo
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Now, JoJo is a name that we have not heard in a hot minute, but I’m so glad that she’s back. She was so popular in the 2000s with hit songs “Too Little Too Late” and “Baby, It’s You,” but then she just disappeared. She addresses her decline in popularity in her new song, “Joanna,” where she sings about the struggle of “making it” but not being able to maintain that success. It was shocking how the negative comments she received were not just from anonymous Twitter users, but also friends and family who criticized her for not reaching a higher level of success. The song did not end on a happy note, but it did let us know that JoJo is not done yet.
- “China” – Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, KAROL G and Ozuna
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As a Jamaican American, there is a special place in my heart for artists like Sean Paul and Shaggy. So when I heard that “China” sampled Shaggy’s song “It Wasn’t Me,” I was very excited. The song is so upbeat, and if I could dance, I know I could create some stellar choreography. I’m not surprised that it is such a huge hit, as it has some of the biggest names in reggaeton featured on it. J Balvin has had hits such as “Mi Gente,” “Machika,” “X” and “I Like It.” Daddy Yankee is a legend in music, and his discography speaks for itself. With an artist list such as this one, I knew that it was going to be a bop.