10 from Decemb’

Dang, December 2017 was

quite the month for pop. Going through this playlist, I realized that even the more hip hop/rap tracks stayed poppy – Stir Fry, for example, from Migos is a Pharrell-produced jam and it shows in the catchy beat and background whistles. Besides the poppiness (is that a word? It looks wrong…), December also had some real international bangers. Namely, Perfect Symphony from Ed Sheeran and Andrea Boccelli. When Boccelli’s voice hits with his Italian and the violins, everything else stops – music heaven folks!! Music heaven.

Below you’ll find a link to a select 10 songs from the December 2017 playlist. This 10-song list is intended to give you a taste of the full thing. Scroll to the bottom for a link to the full edition.

1000-nights

Ten from December 2017

Ed Sheeran & Andrea Bocelli | Perfect Symphony

So apparently the Perfect duet of Ed Sheeran & Beyonce is what’s topping the charts right now. And that’s a great duet too, but this, this is something else.

There aren’t many words to describe Perfect Symphony. Instead of words, I’d suggest watching this video of the Brit and Italian recording this gem. I’m usually partial to the French but in this case, Vive l’Italie!

Ti ho guardato ridere e sussurando ho detto:
“Tu stasera, vedi, sei perfetta per me” 

“I looked at you laughing and whispering I said:
“You tonight, you see, you’re perfect for me”

Tove Styrke | Mistakes

This is one of my favorites on the entire list. I’d never heard of Tove Styrke before this month but a quick Google search shows that she’s a Swede and has a few other songs I’ll definitely be listening to soon. This one, Mistakes, starts off with this suggestive set of lyrics.

“I should probably leave, right? / Wanna get close, no clothes / It’s probably better if I go now / You make me wanna make mistakes”

But perhaps my favorite moment in the song is when Tove sings the following line which ends in the sound of some Levi’s being unzipped:

“You make it really hard to leave, bye / now I’m gonna wanna get out of my Levi’s”

Brilliant!

Fleurie, Dalton Diehl, RUSLAN | Take Me With You

I LOVE this song. Who is Fleurie, Dalton Diehl or RUSLAN? I have no idea but they sound great. Just take me with you!!

Frenship | 1000 Nights

Thanks to Nick for playing this in his car while I was riding shotgun. I’ve always liked the song Capsize by Frenship but hadn’t taken the time to listen to any of the other songs on that album. 1000 Nights’ persistent drums are absolute fire and this song ought to be blasted in automobiles everywhere.

Jackson Penn | Streetlights on Mars

I adore this song. Jackson Penn’s Streetlights on Mars is grounded in guitars but floats dreamily upwards with synth-overlays that brighten the whole track. But first, who is this man?

Jackson Penn’s real name is Freddy Wexler and Freddy Wexler’s kind of a big deal. He’s written and produced for names like Kanye, Selena Gomez and Steve Aoki. Streetlights on Mars is his debut single as a solo artist. I love these kinds of stories, when songwriters and producers come out from the murky depths of that part of the music world and into the light of the public eye, into the mainstream where they can be appreciated as they ought to be. It’s why I have a soft spot in my heart for folks like Ryan Tedder, Kanye West, Kesha, Bruno Mars and I guess Jackson Penn now too.

Favorite line from the song: “It was a slow dance – a bad song / I told her, ‘Just hold on, till they play something we like.'”

Phoebe Ryan | Aspirin

Phoebe Ryan delivers on Aspirin. It’s NSFW lyrics include the following and basically sum up my feelings on this track:

“My phone is full of fucking photos / You and me doing things / People shouldn’t ever know, know”

“Your love is massive / It’s got me gasping / Want you to do me some damage / After we’re done, give me aspirin” – (damn Phoebe!!)

“Comin’ at me like it’s Hammer Time, so divine / Kick it with you like a chorus line, I need a rhyme / Slam it like it’s poetry, I fuck with you, you fuck with me”

Rachel Platten | Perfect For You

Rachel Platten is back! With lyrics that you want to yell at your ex and a funky beat, Perfect For You is a veritable banger. Things get kicked off with this dagger of a line: “You like me in small doses, what am I supposed to do with that?” 

Then there’s the overlay from a chorus singing: “so love me or leave me alone” which is woven in masterfully. Top to bottom a great track.

Will Jay | Gangsta

Question: Who is Will Jay? Answer: a 21 year old half-white half-Chinese singer whose been on the Voice in China and is so cute in this music video!

His song Gangsta is a catchy one: punctuated with staccato beats and with lyrics on something actually worth discussing: male stereotypes of masculinity “I don’t need to be a gangster to be a man / Acting like a baller – that ain’t who I am.”

My favorite moment is definitely around the 1:25 minute when Will sings, “Show ’em who the best.” and echos a DJ Khaled-esque sample “You da” in the background. Gold.

Walking Shapes | Feel Good

This 2014 jam’s got a real vibe and I’m into it.

“Won’t you please, please, please feel good?”

hunter & wolfe | All the Vultures

hunter & wolfe’s Late Then Never EP has a bunch of good tracks, including this one. The EP as a whole is about this girl, Annie, who ripped our dear musician’s heart into pieces.

My favorite line from this song is worth some thought if you’re someone whose ever been praised, been told you’re smart, or gifted or whatever: “When they tell you that you’re something sharp / Do you turn around and cut them to the bone?”

Hit me with that Full Edition

“We put you in the ground but I see you in the stars.”
— Lupe Fiasco | Never Forget You