30 days
hello. its been a while. alot has happened. nothing has happened. my creativity comes in waves. ive definitely been in a trough. my promise to myself is to at least attempt to be somewhat more consistent. what that looks like, im not too sure at the moment.
anyways, every morning for the past month, the first thing i do even before getting out of bed is to message a group chat about our daily song challenge. its a shared playlist where everyone adds a song based on the prompt. (totally an original idea btw)
here are the prompts and what i added and some thoughts behind each:
day 1 - a song you like with a color in the title
CHVRCHES - Clearest Blue
i have to thank my former roommate for reintroducing me to CHRVCHES. we were suppose to go to their concert together, but couldnt at the last minute. pretty clear imagery here with the clear blue waters inside a storm akin to a hurricane. in a genius annotation, ian and lauren reference that these lyrics represent the bands desire to be more focused, less dense - sonically affirmed when comparing to the bands older album.
day 2 - a song you like with a number in the title
Annes de pelerinage I, S.160: II. Au lac de Wallenstadt - Liszt
ok i definitely cheated here by using classical music. as a self challenge, i wanted to incorporate different artists from different genres as much as i could. as the only one who listens to anything classical in the group, this was a cop out - oops. regardless i have one of my best friends to thank for helping me pick this out on vinyl. ty
day 3 - a song that reminds you of summertime
the nights - avicii
rip. this song brings be back to hanging out with my high school friends in the summer. nowadays i associate most progressive house tracks with a mental image of some EU beach party.
day 4 - a song that reminds you of someone you’d rather forget
good girls (dont get used) - beach bunny
”you say you wont, you do. then act as though you dont. youre not a ghost”. lyrics speaks for themselves. the anguish in the voice is very much how i sounded. in particular i dislike when people cannot commit and make up their minds.
day 5 - a song that needs to be played out loud
divinity - porter robinson
i thought i knew what this sounded like. i did not. [incoming nerdy audiophile talk] the drums, synths, the fillers, in the opening minute just slap so hard on vinyl. i cannot help but to turn up the volume. as the opening song to worlds, you get smacked in the face with this opening. its particularly grandiose with its absurd amount of textures. it just sucks you in.
day 6 - a song that makes you want to dance
lady hear me tonight - modjo
need i say more? 2000s classic. very dance friendly with its repetitive guitar riffs and simplistic drum lines. still a banger.
day 7 - a song to drive to
4loko - prison mike (but actually flacko loko - a because the track isnt on spotty)
i use to drive in high school and college. with a particular license plate, i use to jokingly call my moms old nissan altima my budget bmw. i had different playlists depending a plethora of factors: who was riding shotgun? was it raining outside? was it an evening on the highway? was i stuck in morning rush our traffic? there were too many good songs to choose so i didnt lol. ever since moving to the nyc area all driving ive done has been inside the game cyberpunk 2077 - the first and only game where ive never fast traveled. i would drive in the game playing 101.9 the dirge just so this track would come up. makes me feel like im truly in night city.
day 8 - a song about drugs or alc
nikki - logic
crazy extended metaphor. when i first met one of the friends in the playlist, we talked about music shows we had been to. he mentioned his first was logic, sparking a long winded conversation about songs from under pressure.
day 9 - a song that makes you happy
wells fargo - dreamville
”my lord my lord please hand me the bazooka” honestly i was struggling with this prompt. i rarely listen to music when im happy, mostly because of how little this happens. of course music is inherently tied to emotions, just not me and happiness. so i choose a song interlude that does not cease to make me chuckle. it sounds like me and the boys kicking it back saying random lines. maybe thats what makes me happy.
day 10 - a song that makes you sad
4 your eyez only - j cole
ending from his personal album about the life of his friend. most of the track, cole speaks in the voice of his friend who is speaking to his daughter. he describes his own life, trials, tribulations, mistakes, and successes. throughout the album (and from outside info), the listener knows that the speaker is already deceased increasing the tracks weight. i cannot help but feel helpless. the melancholy beat with smooth bass makes this sound less like a rap track (particularly in the era of the atlanta triplet flow) and more as a conversation. a personal conversation that i shouldnt be listening to. i can hear cole (his friends) pain, sorrows, and worries. what makes me really sad is when i think back to the conclusion of one of earlier tracks (change - j cole) in the album. a death that was preventable but will not be the last.
day 11 - a song you never get tired of
the city - madeon
madeon is my favorite artist of all time. because of his live performances blending seamlessly with his music. prior to discovering this song, my understanding of EDM was mainstream dubstep - e.g. scary monsters and nice sprites - skrillex. i remember listening to this on youtube for the first time. even with my old apple wired earpods about to fall apart, my ears were blessed. a seamless blend between synths, electro, pop, and more importantly the start of my personal EDM journey.
day 12 - a song from your preteen years
clocks - coldplay
this song brings me back to a particular time. i vividly remember first hearing this while in 4th grade doing my work for ms lynchs class. she was a recent uga grad in her (first/second?) year and thus would always be playing relatively modern music in class. growing up, i was not exposed to many non classical cds. youtube and spotify were in its infancies. this track brings me back to how i originally found music - word of mouth, asking others, and the radio. shoutout 94.1
day 13 - a song you like from the 70s
city lights by the moonlight - tomoko sōryō
though i think i personally have a relatively wide music genre profile, i rarely venture before the 80s. this one was a tough one as i didnt want to put anything too mainstream like september - earth, wind and fire. thus i ventured into the ever increasingly popular due to tiktok 70s j city pop realm. this is the one that stuck out to me. no other particular reason.
day 14 - a song you’d love to be played at your wedding
the swan - camille saint-saens
i seriously didnt know what to put here. how would i know what to play at my wedding? like wouldnt it be a collaborative effort between me and my wife to be? also is this prior to the ceremony? the after party? i knew i wanted to do classical (see day 2). i choose a more cello centric piece as i think the cello languishes the best. to be honest, if i had a redo, i would not be a violinist but rather a cellist.
day 15 - a song that you like that’s a cover by another artist
fly me to the moon - joytastic sarah
a lofiesque piano rendition. shoutout to hobokens finest. i guess i still have an attachment to that city haha.
day 16 - a song that’s a classic favorite
dont stop me now - queen
enough said.
day 17 - a song that you’d sing a duet with someone on karaoke
heavy - linkin park, kiiara
to be frank, im not sure why i chose this. i had different options lined up, woke up and this was not on the list. i do know i was influenced by the key word of karaoke, greatly limiting my options. i attempt at karaoke - and i hope those around me are ok with that haha. i know im out of tune ok, thats why i never did those piano competitions where singing was apart of it. i swear im part tone deaf. not saying this is an easy song, but at least itd be fun to attempt.
day 18 - a song that from the year you were born
ms. fat booty - mos def
had to put in some boombap. yeah i had one of those eras in me. i can recall the first time i heard this song - at some skatepark in atlanta. a skater was blasting this on his terrible speakers while crushing his kick flips. of course special to the A’s very own jid for the sample flip and one of the greatest vocalist of all time aretha franklin for the original.
day 19 - a song that makes you think about life
grass is greener - sundial
where to start with this? the opening sound is actually a sample of the PATH train, a train i took to go to work every week. in every chorus, in every verse there are multiple lines i fully relate to. oh and i grew up about two degrees of friendship away from them. my friends use to be in the same orchestra as them. no wonder the album art looked so familiar. no wonder the lyrics sounded like parts of my own life. they grew up the same life i did. the way the track closes is the PATH announcer stating to “this is the train to …”, my mind automatically inputs “hoboken” or “world trade”. though autofilled, i think this mental resolution keeps me grounded - that even in these places, im not alone and someone has walked in parts of my future path.
day 20 - a song that has many meanings to you
whats free - meek mill, jay-z, rick ross
honestly i got a little lazy with this one. the track answers the prompt by itself with each rapper talking about his own take on freedom. so instead of taking any credit here, i encourage you to look up the annotations in genius - jay-z’s verse in particular. this track does, however, make me think of the the intricacies of topics noted in each verse. also shoutout one of the GOATs - biggie for the og sample.
day 21 - a song you like with a person’s name in the title
ms. jackson - outkast
paying homage to atlanta’s finest. 3 stacks has one of the smoothest voices with a diverse amount of inflections too. im also not the first to say big boi has to be one of the most underrated rappers. listening back to outkast its a wonder how well their albums hold up over time. the elements of funk/jazz/techno they incorporated to intricate lyrics is unrivaled.
day 22 - a song that moves you forward
jet set run (orchestral arrangement) - cloudjumper (originally - my hero academia OST)
classic anime. classic banger. one of the greatest anime openings imho. the first thing my mind thinks when i initially approached this song was hype music. something i would listen to amp myself up. during my high school swim days, i use to listen to i cant stop - flux pavilion on repeat to hype myself before all major swims (think of those opening minutes before a michael phelps race when he walks out to the block with his headphones on). im sure this would have been on repeat if it was out.
day 23 - a song you think everybody should listen to
alright - kendrick lamar
i wont bore you with the typical reasons why people should listen to this. if you are inclined, please checkout any of the numerous articles floating around on the internet or simply the dissected podcast. they did a better job than i could ever. instead i ask the reader to checkout the corresponding music video. its a culmination of all the core themes throughout the track.
day 24 - a song by a band you wish were still together
shook ones part 2 - mobb deep
also coming clean here. first off i have no ops. i was going to put NSYNC here as that was one of the rare cassette tapes my dad had in the family suv growing up. i recently found out about the plethora mcs that came from queensbridge projects mobb deep being one of them. this east coast duo are about as gangsta as they come. i did not know i could be killed so many different ways. i also happen to live a handful of blocks from where the stories in their music happened. gentrification oops. also shoutout EM and the 8 mile movie. also side note, i feel like by this point i fulfilled a hidden side quest of adding tracks from artists who lived in the same areas as i have (atlanta, ga suburbs, hoboken, queens).
day 25 - a song you like by an artist no longer living
violin concerto in d major, op. 77: I. allegro non troppo - brahms
my favorite violin piece to listen to and to play. this is the epitome of why i loved violin and probably the culmination of my career as a violinist. its quintessentially beautiful. yet, no performers rendition is the one i imagine. i want to languish in certain phrases. i want less vibrato in others. it breaks my heart when i attempt to play it now, constantly failing my shifts, intonation, double stops. i wish i could play it how my mind wants me to.
day 26 - a song that makes you want to fall in love
true romance - oh wonder
this duo encapsulates feelings of love and breakup so well. as a duo in a relationship, they previously released an album titled 22 break - an album documenting the duos near split. this track on the follow up album titled 22 make is the sister album documenting the duos other side. (tbh i want this at my wedding too).
day 27 - a song that breaks your heart
another love - tom odell
yeah a little basic. ok i get it. sometimes its the simple songs that get me in my feels. this is one of them.
day 28 - a song by an artist whose voice you love
begin again - purity ring
the first time i listened to purity ring i was enthralled. this song could be anything on another eternity. i have megan to thank for my obsession with indie/electro pop.
day 29 - a song you remember from your childhood
good life - one republic
i vividly remember that i use to go to my friends house to copy his itunes album onto my own ipod touch that i got after begging my parents for years. this was the first track i played. ever since, i try to start my year listening to this song, to remind myself that i live a good life.
day 30 - a song that reminds you of yourself
workin out - jid
lyrics.
first verse, jid talks about his own life, second he calls me out.
i been working hella hard, sht aint really working out
and you got a new job?
tell me, how that sht working out?
searching for a purpose, i see what you on the difference in how you be using your gifts
obviously you dont know whats ahead, but thats the reason you can work til your dead
what have i really learned from this? surprisingly way more than i thought. i initially suggested this idea to the group more as a jest. prior to the challenge, without fail someone starts the daily convo with some variation of “good morning, time to get this bread”. as the month went on i noticed more and more how each individual approached a particular prompt, when, and why. when the challenge begin, one had a whole private playlist. another did it every morning after i my message.
i had some rough idea mapped out, several options, and then just added what i felt right the morning of. i tried to make it less stressful upon myself but still include area for flexibility every day. as the month wore on, i became less focused on my own songs and more so on my friends.
random side notes and observations:
- is it [artist] - [song] or [song] - [artist] ?
- doing this challenge makes me want to hunt down a keyboard for my apt. i miss playing instruments. its cathartic.
maybe my parents will also stop commenting about those wasted lessons too - i realized that a majority of tracks i listen to are not for critical listening. so in coming up with this, some prompts were considerably easier than others.
- because of the self imposed rules and “the need for diversity”, i ended up leaning towards hip hop and classical - knowing that the others would not add them.
- in resolving two potential options, i choose one that i had more attachment to which generally favored songs that i found earlier.
- honestly this was so fun, low stress, that we’re extending this by coming up with our own prompts.
be good,
simple