Being at home for weeks has its good days and its bad days. Personally, on my good days, I am doing schoolwork and reading a book. On the bad days, I am constantly on social media and reading about coronavirus. On these days, I have learned to disconnect from the world and listen to music.
1. Fine Line by Harry Styles
I have been a fan of Harry Styles for years, and I have loved hearing his musical transformation after he left One Direction. Recently, I have been constantly listening to Fine Line because of its musical and conceptual presentation. Musically, Fine Line has engineered a masterpiece with complementing sounds and genres that make the album flow. Conceptually, the album constantly addresses identity and how a person’s identity is in constant flux. For me, Fine Line is an album of self-reflection and learning to appreciate the people who have impacted your life.
2. YHLQMDLG by Bad Bunny
YHLQMDLG shows that Bad Bunny does not care about what others think about him and you hear it in his songs. This album has heavy influences from established reggaetón artists, but Bad Bunny also produces an album where he shows the genre’s future. The featured artists on YHLQMDLG support Bad Bunny’s sound and creative process. One of my favorite things about this album is Bad Bunny’s song “Yo Perreo Sola.” Lyrically, Bad Bunny establishes an independent woman at a club having fun with her friends and tells others to respect her. When I listen to YHLQMDLG I always discover something new that makes me love it even more.
3. Isolation by Kali Uchis
It is honestly ironic that I have been listening to Isolation while in isolation, but Kali Uchis takes me to a dream world. Isolation is an aesthetically pleasing experience with relaxing and therapeutic musical composition. Kali Uchis’ lyrics are creative and seductive, and they show a theme of liberation and empowerment. I constantly gravitate towards this album because it has colorful images in songs like “Miami” and “After the Storm.” Isolation takes me to a hallucinogenic world where sights and sounds are vibrant and energetic.