Music of the Month: November | Zafira
Hey!
How is there only a month left of this year? I can’t even remember feeling like it ever began.
So, it’s December. It’s freezing, it’s pitch black when I wake up at awful times to go to uni and it’s also…deadline season. I’ve been a little preoccupied with my assignments for the past month or so which explains the lack of content over on here which is incredibly unfortunate because I was feeling like I was on a roll with these posts a few months ago. Anyway, I have to prioritise what’s important to me right now and that is uni sadly. But I have a few weeks off for Christmas to rejuvenate and get my life into order so expect some very cute things next year.
For now, let’s roll on with my favourite songs this November!
In the midst of political nightmare, numerous breakdowns, a bad haircut (might as well call me Noel Fielding at this point) and nothing but stress pilling on top of me as the days pass, this month has definitely been a highlight in terms of music.
You can check out my entire playlist for November here.
FKA TWIGS
FKA Twigs’ new album was the most beautiful thing to have ever happen to me this entire year. I remember hearing Cellophane for the first time a few months ago and knowing that whatever she had prepared after that would be insane. And it was. Magdalene has been angelic. Like you know when you see those ads of like honey or golden syrup being drizzled in slow motion? That’s Magdalene felt like.
In NME I read that Mirrored Heart ”vibrates with Twin Peaks-style synths” and as a Twin Peaks fan from the age of 12, it resonated with me so much. I love Twin Peaks and FKA Twigs so this was the best of both worlds. Mirrored Heart sounds like a deeper version of Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks theme song it’s so weird. I love the lyrics in this too.
I love all the songs on this album equally but Thousand Eyes definitely stood out the most and has probably been my most listened to song in November. It’s so sad. I think it’s about Robert Pattinson which is strange considering nearly a decade ago this boy, sorry this man, was a nation’s heart throb for sparkling in the sunlight. It’s so haunting but I could totally sit staring into space and listen to this song for hours upon hours on repeat.
2. HELENA DELAND
If you’ve read some of my other Music of the Months, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of this music based YouTube channel called La Blogotheque. I watched the most stunning performance by Helena Deland and have now officially become her no.1 fan. You can watch her La Blogotheque performance here.
My favourite two songs by her are Two Queries and There Are a Thousand. They are the dreamiest songs ever. Even in her live perfomance, I had never felt so zen. I love listening to these at night or even if I’ve had a little bit of stressful day (everyday).
3. SLO BIRD WHISTLE - APHEX TWIN (PEEL SESSION)
This song emanates chaotic energy and I love it. I have nothing else to say about this other than it’s so so so great.
4. JOY CROOKES
I’m ashamed and embarrassed to even admit that it took me this long to find Joy Crookes.
I’ve struggled finding artists that I like that having a similar background or ethnicity to me so for me to find Joy (like literal joy), who’s Bengali (and half irish) and who sings like a literal angel was truly like hitting the jackpot. Her voice reminds me a lot of Amy Winehouse which I honestly never expected.
Since I Left You has been on my mind ever since I listened to it a few weeks ago. It feels so raw and melancholic and she sings it so effortlessly. The music video is filmed beautifully too. Early, which is another fave of mine, has a totally different vibe. It’s so upbeat and catchy and I love Jafaris in this. I’ve recently started following her on Instagram too and her outfits and makeup looks are so cool.
5. SO HEAVY I FELL THROUGH THE EARTH - GRIMES
As weird as Grimes is, I completely adore her music.
So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth feels and sounds very futuristic. There two different versions of this, so there’s the algorithm mix which is the version I personally have been listening to and there’s also the art mix. They’re both pretty similar and both amazing and I can’t wait for her to release her new album next year.
6. JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
I’ve been listening to José González for years now but there’s just something about this time of year that makes me go back to listening to him on repeat for weeks on end.
Heartbeats is in my opinion, is the perfect song for a winter’s morning. I don’t know whether it’s because the guitar strums in the beginning sound like the soundtrack to a snowy day or because I found this song during the winter a few years ago. I also really love Crosses. I think these are both very love-y songs and I love love love them.
HERE’S A FEW MORE SONGS I’M LOVING…
Thanks for reading! I can’t believe this will be my last Music of the Month this year, it’s flown by so fast.
Lots of love,
December on Film | Zafira
Hi!
IT'S 2018. I still can't get my head wrapped around that it's 2018. It's actually insane how fast time has gone. The last few months of 2017 were quite busy and hectic, especially December. It consisted of finishing college work and most importantly, the end of a very very very long term. I was very much looking forward to the 2 week holiday and I spent it quite wisely (I did nothing whatsoever). It was a pretty good month.
Here's December through my eyes.
I love love love the snow. It's something I look forward too very year and this year it actually snowed at the right time of year here in the UK.
In December, everyone who applied for Uni pretty much had interviews. This is my friend Cherie on the day of her first interview!
This year I'm starting I'm portrait series on film, I'm going to photograph pretty much everyone I see and Richard was a great place to start.
This is everyone taking their snaps, Instagram stories, Whatsapp pictures and Whatsapp stories of our wonderful Christmas dinner.
The food was a solid 10/10 just to let you know (yes that chicken was as good as it looks).
Baby Zakariya turned into a big boy this month! He turned one in December and you can already tell by that turtleneck of his, he gets a lot of his outfit inspo from me.
Not only have we been blessed with one baby boy in the family this year, but two! This is Mikail looking as handsome and adorable as ever in his little bow tie.
This was taken earlier in December when we had little family gathering. Liyana in her pretty dress!
Christmas has turned into a annual massive family gathering for us. It's really the only time of year where everyone is free and doesn't have work or college or school. We usually have a lovely Christmas dinner, followed by a game of secret Santa and then a couple of quizzes and games and movies to finish off the day. It's my favourite time of year.
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO STAY UPDATED:
Christmas Gift Guide 2017 | Zafira
Hi and welcome to my blog!
It's insane how fast this year has gone, it's already November and I can feel the Christmas spirit starting to kick in. The atmosphere around this time of year is so lovely and I spend all year just waiting for it. I don't really celebrate Christmas but me and my family do love to do a game of Secret Santa and I love receiving and giving gifts to my friends. Sometimes I really struggle on what to get to get people, it can be quite hard trying to find the perfect git but don't fret! I'm here to help with my ultimate Christmas Gift Guide!
1. Makeup Gift Sets (for the wannabe beauty gurus in your life)
I don't want to stereotype most women and shove this in there but it genuinely is something that most women will love. When buying sets, try to stick to popular and well known brands with a range of various products.
Here's a few that are looking quite good this year:
Makeup Revolution Makeup Set - This is very nicely priced is quite good for younger teens who like experimenting with makeup. It has everything you'd need for a full face of makeup.
Yves Saint Laurent Lip Gift Set - This would be pretty cute for someone special like a wife or girlfriend. YSL is quite an expensive designer brand but the quality is amazing.
NYX Matte vs Metals Vault - I've seen so so so many of these around and these would be perfect for anyone who loves makeup, you get such a great selection of lip shades.
2. Perfume and Candles (for the people that smell in your life)
Everyone likes to smell nice, it's nice to be somewhere that smells nice too. Here's a range of perfumes and candles that are smelling nice this year:
Glossier You Perfume - This is great for those trendy girls out there that like to keep up with stuff going on in the social media world. Glossier is a pretty minimal brand but I smelt a tester of this and it's so so so good. It's a perfect stocking stuffer or a small gift for someone cute (like me)
Yankee Candles - You could buy a Yankee Candle for anyone really, they have a vast range of scents and everyone loves a good candle.
Snowella Fragrance Gift Set - When I was a lot younger, I loved Zoella and this gift set would be perfect for any teen.
3. Jewelry (for the blingy people in your life)
I know this again is quite a stereotypical gift but these are some great places to get some cool and unique pieces:
Piccolina Jewelry - I found this company because they sell a lot of their pieces at COW in Manchester and I've always thought that they'd make such pretty gifts.They're good for anyone that likes to dress indie or even a bit hippie. I think I might have to get myself a few pieces from here soon...
Accessorize Jewelry - I love the jewelry from Accesorize and it's a really good gift to give anyone. They have a vast range of pieces to chose from so there's bound to be something you can find as a gift. I quite like the Z collection as they have a lot of dainty, everyday pieces.
4. Wallets/Purses (for the people who's wallets and purses are hanging on for dear life)
This is such an easy but great gift idea. Everyone needs a place to put their cards and money and the best place I've found to get a range of different ones is at
. They have a bunch of designer ones too that cost no where near their actual retail price and they'll make a wonderful and practical gift.
5. Bags (for the people that have too much stuff to carry in your life)
I appreciate a handy bag much like many others. I think for the special people in your life it's worth getting something that you know will last a long time.
MAHI Leather have a range of bags to suit whoever you're buying the bag for. They're maid to order with full grain cow leather and are up to 50% cheaper than other high street prices. It'll make the perfect gift as you can get the bag with personalised embroidery and a cotton dust cover to protect the bag. Not only will it make a great gift but $1.50 from every bag is donated to the FRANK Water Charity so you'll be helping to fund clean water in India and Nepal.
TK Maxx have such a wide variety of designer bags at such an affordable price compared to the retail price and is one of the best places to buy a bag as a gift or simply for yourself. I buy bags from here all the time because they have any style you could possibly want and everyone loves a good designer bag at a discount price.
Accessorize are not just amazing at jewelry but they have the prettiest of bags. I really adore their clutch bags as they're perfect for so many occasions and would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys a good night out. They also have a range of travel, day, totes and much more to help you find something that fits the style of the person you want to gift it to!
6. Terrariums (for the plant loving millennials in your life)
I like a good terrarium. I think they're super cute and perfect for anywhere in the house. Whilst browsing for some gifts, I found this super cool
which would be a super cute gift for anyone.
7. Retro Games (for the gaming nerds in your life)
I was browsing around in Urban Outfitters the other day and I came across the most amazing thing ever. It was a little mini Tamagotchi style toy which made me have a little epiphany and realise that little gadgets like that could be such an amazing gift.
Here are some pretty cool ones that make me feel like the 90s kid I never was:
Pixapet - it's basically a Tamagotchi that comes in some cute colours.
8. Neon Lights (for the people that need you to
light up their world like nobody else
)
Ornaments are a quite a nice gift to give but sometimes, you just need something with a little more life. I have always felt like I've needed a neon flamingo light in my room and in my late night window shopping sesh, I found such a good Christmas gift along with a couple of other amazing gifts.
Neon Flamingo (you and I both need this)
Make sure to follow me on social media to stay updated!