Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the “Songs I’m listening to” series. This time, I will be writing some additional thoughts on the songs that I pick, instead of just the usual listing.
The only problem is, I’m at this coffee shop right now and my AirPods have died. So I will be writing this article without the refreshing sound of some good music.
Y’all know the motto though. We move.
It’s that time of year where the skies are getting gray, the rain is starting to fall more and you are starting to look for your long sleeves in your closet. It’s a great, great time for some calming music. And that type of music is what is dominating today’s list.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
1. Chris Brown – Residuals
If you have been reading my articles for a while, you know that I love the slow songs. And the best part about it is that I can be in any mood and still listen to them. People always assume that you’re in your feelings when you’re playing a certain song, but for me if it’s raining, I’m going to play a certain type of music.
That’s just how I’ve always been. And this song is perfect for the rain/fall weather.
“It took some time to realize that we’re different people”
Now don’t get it twisted, I love the hype music as well, but I’m not going to be listening to Bossman Dlow when I’m cruising in my car at 3:37 p.m. on a Wednesday.
Just like my boy Mike Marrano, I’m getting in my car and going the speed limit. And this is cruising/speed limit music. So I will be enjoying every second of it.
2. Dave & Central Cee – Our 25th Birthday
You are going to see a common theme throughout this list. Because when you hear the first 15 seconds of this song, you already can tell the vibe of the track. And that’s the same vibe as all of the songs on here. Songs to listen to when you’re driving back home from work on a rainy day.
Now this song here is part of a series that Dave has been doing since he was 19. On his 19th birthday he dropped a song called, “My 19th Birthday” and then later he did the same thing for his 24th birthday.
Dave and Cench are two of the biggest in the UK right now, and this song was apart of their project titled, “Split Decision”. They called this song “Our 25th Birthday” because they are born within hours of each other. Cench was born on June 4th, 1998 and Dave was born on June 5th, 1998.
This song in particular, is different from the other three on the EP. The other three tracks come off as braggadocios and just describing their lavish lifestyle (which they deservedly earned through their talent). “Our 25th birthday” shows both artists discussing some of their own deeper issues while covering it around some of their “flexing” bars.
In the same verse where Cench is bragging about his back garden being the size of Battersea Park, he talks about how his own tears could fill a pool. And then at the end of the verse he talks about how he should go to college and get a degree, just to tell his mom that he’s sorry for all the times he disobeyed her.
Dave’s verse echoes the same sentiment, as he talks about his habit of buying expensive bags for women that he doesn’t even like, but later in the verse he talks about needing to get a wife.
This song is about two artists recognizing that time has flew by their young adult years, but they are still trying to fight through some demons that continue to trouble them.
3. NoCap – Greece or Sweden ft. Rylo Rodriguez
I knew about NoCap from the song “Vaccine” and then he opened for Rod Wave in DC back in October 2021, but I never listened to a full album of his until now. Known for his wordplay, NoCap is definitely someone that has built a strong core fanbase over his time in the music industry.
I could say the same thing for Rylo Rodriguez, another artist from Mobile, Alabama who has also built his own strong fanbase.
“Take me back to Greece or back to Sweden if I get caught up”
NoCap talks about how his life as an artist is moving so fast that he goes to substances to try and calm himself down. However, when he does that he starts to reminisce on his previous relationships that are still hurting him to this day.
“Reminiscin’ ’bout the times
When you was claimin’ you got me”
I’ve definitely said this before, but my favorite music is when the artists are willing to be vulnerable on a track. It shows the human side and it is how they connect with their fans on a deeper level. It shows that there is a real person behind all the artistry.
4. Mc Gabzin – Simplesmente Ela
Now do I have any idea what is said in this song? Absolutely not.
Am I going to continue to play it regardless? Absolutely.
If you don’t listen to Brazilian funk and you don’t instantly feel like you’re in a Neymar edit, you’re doing it all wrong.
Obrigado irmãos.
5. J. Cole – Trae The Truth in Ibiza
Let me set the scene for y’all.
It’s 5:27 p.m. and I’m just now leaving work at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
I take the elevator downstairs to exit the building and I start walking towards the Metro Center station to take the train home, but there is a slight drizzle in the air.
I put my backpack down, take out my AirPods, put on this song & start my journey home.
Cole talks about several different topics on this song, which would end up being the outro to his “Might Delete Later” album he released this April.
He talks about how his own idols doubted him, how the idea of perfection became too much for him mentally, his growth as a person and an artist and how his team around him pushed him to release instead of wait for the “perfect moment”.
I can relate to this in the creativity sense. Just like how in my last article I talked about how ideas have a “shelf life”, sometimes I find myself sitting on an article for over a couple of weeks and then I don’t even want to release it anymore. And that’s an unfortunate case because I know that I missed an opportunity to possibly connect with someone’s interests or thoughts about a certain topic.
Another point that I can relate to in this song is that Cole talks about not wanting to be the same person as when he first started making music. My first article on this website was on July 1st, 2019, I would hope that I’m not the same person as I was back then.
“Please, somebody say I changed
All of these years done passed, I hope I ain’t still the same”
And despite all this lyrical breakdown, this beat (produced by DZL & Daoud according to Genius) is one of the best I’ve ever heard Cole rap on. So we as an audience have to give them their flowers too.
6. AJ Tracey – Joga Bonito
This one is more of a summer song, but to be fair, I had just discovered it towards the end of August.
Big shout out to my brother for putting me on to this song, because I will be spinning it once again the second the Cherry Blossoms show up in D.C. next year.
“You could look fly in the estate
Same way you could look fly in the ‘burbs”
7. Drake – Circadian Rhythm
A song that Drake released through his second instagram account that is currently doing the rounds on all forms of social media.
And why not? It sounds great, like most of Drake’s music. Just not a lot concept-wise that is needed to be broke down and talked about from the song. But hey, the rap game is apparently like his sleeping pattern.
“Rap game like my sleepin’ pattern ’cause how the f*** I’m still up?”
8. Ayra Starr & Milar – 1942
Ayra Starr naming this album “The Year I Turned 21” made it clear that this was going to be a pretty personal album.
She starts off this song talking about how hard she has worked to get to where she is now and how she wants to keep going despite her already “having it all”.
“Might have it all, but I’ma need some more
Time passes fast, already gone”
She talks about something that many other artists have touched on before, the fear of it all going away. However, she doesn’t want to let these thoughts of negativity and overthinking take over.
“Scared that maybе one day I might lose it all
Can’t let thе negativity to win the brawl”
This album was a great listen and it will definitely be somewhere on my list at the end of the year.
9. Future – LIL DEMON
I still haven’t listened to the full project, so I’ll save my analysis for later. But this song, as soon as I heard the snippet, I knew it was going to be special.
10. Fridayy – Don’t Give Up On Me
This is a song that when I hear it in my car, I’m going to turn up the volume. Fridayy is one of the most talented vocalists out right now, and this song is living proof of that.
“I know the road seems scary
And I see ya’ visions gettin’ blurry
But please don’t give up on me”
And for the next Fridayy album…
We will be there.
Thank you all for tuning in, I think my next article will either be a show review or about Liverpool. We’ll see where inspiration takes me.
Until next time, this is YSN, signing out.
