Music of the Month: September | Zafira
Hi!
September lasted a total of 5 minutes and just like that, we’re 3 months away until the end of the year (thank god). It’s been quite the hectic month. I started uni again which has been a whole disaster in it’s own. In Manchester, it feels like it’s already winter. There is a very distinct chill in the air. The coats and boots are out, it’s all so exciting. I think this is my favourite time of year.
Anyway, here’s a bunch of my favourite songs and albums that I’ve been listening to this September:
nectar
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joji
It’s crazy because this was only released a week ago and it’s become the most listened to album in my library this month.
I love anything Joji releases, but Nectar definitely feels a lot softer and love-ier than anything he’s done before. His songs have this upbeat-moodiness about them. Something that can’t really be put into words but when you listen to one of his songs you can hear it straight away. They’re almost in this monotone manner but still the most catchiest songs.
There’s so many amazing collaborations on this album too which caught my eye straight away. It features Diplo, Lil Yachty, Omar Apollo & Yves Tumor (i’m a massive fan of these two), BENEE and lastly, Rei Brown.
My favourites are Ew, Tick Tock and Pretty Boy (feat Lil Yachty). But I could easily sit and listen to the entire album on repeat for days on days.
borderline - blood orange remix
Blood Orange is someone who peacefully lives in my mind rent free. Dev Hynes ,in my opinion, is a musical genius. Every song he makes and album he releases is masterpiece. So when I saw he released this Borderline remix, I knew straight away that this would be love at first sight.
It vastly contrasts the original which I adore. Tame Impala is classed by some as a modern type of psychedelic rock and this version by Blood Orange has this psychedelic feel but in a completely different way. It’s dreamier and so much softer.
run away with me - sufjan stevens
On the topic of dreaminess, Sufjan Stevens’ song Run Away With Me from his latest album is now my favourite song to sit and daydream to.
I haven’t listened to the entire of the Ascension but after hearing this one song from it, I think I should probably get around to it.
It’s incredibly synth-y which has recently become something I quite like in songs these days and has some powerful lyrics.
It will make you fall in love instantly. In fact, if Sufjan Stevens ever sang this to me or just anyone I would 1000% run away with them without thinking twice about it.
chip chrome & the mono-tones - the neighbourhood
I don’t think I’ve been this fond of a Neighbourhood album since they released I Love You in 2013. I love all the aesthetics they’ve done for this album too with Jesse Rutherford completely painted silver from head to toe. I’m here for it, it’s all very Ziggy Stardust.
Although this album is a little all over the place, I like that the songs all have different vibes. Whether they’re more electronic pop to hip hop, they’re all so great.
Some of my favourites have to be Cherry Flavoured, Lost in Translation and Devil’s Advocate.
whole new mess - angel olsen
Angel Olsen is someone who I’ve very recently become incredibly infatuated with. I think I’ve seen every single live session she’s done because there’s something just so mesmerising about her voice and presence.
Her voice is very old school and retro and so full. I haven’t heard the entire album yet because I’ve been so stuck on Whole New Mess for days now.
You can really hear the tenderness and vulnerability in her voice in this song. It’s amazing.
feel away - slowthai (featuring james blake & mount kimbie)
I love this song.
The way these three artists combine their skills so perfectly in this song is so beautiful.
I haven’t listened to a lot of Slowthai’s songs but I think I might have to after this. This was a pretty personal song dedicated to the memory of Slowthai’s younger brother which is so touching and sweet. You can hear the sadness in his lyrics and the addition of James Blake really adds to the melancholic tone of the song.
call me (freestyle) - blood orange & park hye jin
Whoops is this another Blood Orange song?
Dev Hynes vocals in this are truly the most stunning thing ever and with the piano in the background, it’s almost like he’s trying to serenade us.
I’m not too sure who Park Hye Jin is but I thoroughly enjoyed her addition to this.
It’s just so great.
HIT DIFFERENT - SZA, TY DOLLA
$
IGN, THE NEPTUNES & PHARREL WILLIAMS
The return of SZA is something not only I needed this year, but the rest of the world needed it too.
I’ve really missed her voice and hearing it on this slow ballad R&B type song has made my dreams come true.
Here are a few other songs I’m also loving at the minute:
As always, you can check out my entire September playlist here.
Thanks for reading!
Music of the Month: February | Zafira
Hey!
I can’t believe it’s March already. I feel like I start all my MOTMs like this but it’s crazy how fast time passes as you get older.
Ah finally, it’s spring which means here in the UK we will get some slight sunshine, a few crazy storms, some snow and maybe if we’re lucky, it’ll be over 20°C one day and it will truly feel like we’re on the road to a beautiful summer.
Music wise, this entire February has been one of my favourite months in a while since I’ve discovered some gems and fallen in love with some new releases.
You can check out my entire playlist for the month here but here are a few songs and albums that have impacted my past month in the best way possible.
CHRISTINE & THE QUEENS -LA VITA NUOVA
Like most people, the only song I had heard by Christine and the Queens was Tilted so I decided to explore her music a bit more which ended up being a massive coincidence because it was around the same time she was about to release her new album.
The first song I’d heard from La Vita Nuova was People I’ve Been Sad and I don’t think I can go a day without listening to it anymore. I think it might be my favourite song of all time. I can’t ever imagine getting bored of this. There’s also a stunning version of this that Chris performed for Colors and I listen to it so much that whenever I type YouTube into my search bar, the first link is always to this.
La Vita Nuova has some other amazing songs too. A few of my faves at the minute are Mountains (we met) and Nada. I love how slow and calming this entire album is. The entire album is about vulnerability and I think those two factors really help bring that out.
2. TAME IMPALA - THE SLOW RUSH
Like every other indie kid, I’ve been in love with Tame Impala ever since my late high school/early college days and I love how unlike many other indie bands they’ve been consistently hmm, what’s the word? Not shit?
Indie bands that fit into the Tame Impala sort of genre have the tendency to make music that somehow ends up sounding exactly the same but Tame Impala has this really unique late 70’s/slow disco-y vibes (ugh I hate that word but it fits) that I really really adore.
The Slow Rush has many great songs but some of favourites that I’v enjoyed starting and ending my day with are obviously Breathe Deeper, Posthumous Forgiveness and Borderline which may or may not have become my ideal song to sing a little too loudly in the shower. I think this album feels a little like a non-contact hug which pretty perfect for this current corona virus state.
3. GRIMES - MISS ANTHROPOCENE
I loved how February had this large release of so many new albums and one of had to be Grimes’ new album Miss Anthropocene.
Before she had released the entire album and was releasing a few singles, one of the songs that I was so obsessed with was 4ÆM which I had just recently read that this song was actually based on Bajirao Mastani. If you haven’t seen Bajirao Mastani then you most definitely should. It’s a periodic Bollywood movie which has some of the most breathtaking settings and scenery and obviously, outfits. I’m not too into Bollywood movies but I’m big fan of the periodic/pre-historic ones because the outfits in them are so over the top.
One song that felt a little un-Grimes-y was Delete Forever. A lot of Grimes’ music always has some sort of upbeat techno beat in the background whereas Delete Forever is a lot more slower and quite emotional.
Some other songs I really liked are You’ll miss me when I’m not around and Violence but everything on Miss Anthropocene is just so so good.
4. TO BELIEVE - THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA & MOSES SUMNEY
If you read last months MOTM then you’d know I’ve been really into Moses Sumney this year so when I found out he had a song with the one and only Cinematic Orchestra I was over the moon.
It’s beautiful. It’s so sad but so relaxing at the same time. It’s difficult to really put into words but Moses Sumney and the Cinematic Orchestra are the most perfect and unexpected duo.
5. Gabriel Garzón- Montano - Someone/Agüita/Bloom (Medley)
I’m a huge COLORS Studio fan and they released this medley by Gabriel a few weeks ago and I’m a huuuuge fan.
So in this COLORS show, Gabriel is accompanied by not only 3 other musicians but the prettiest pink/mauve backdrop as well as the funkiest oversized white trench coat. Aesthetically, it’s so pleasing to look at.
The medley is made up of mixture of 3 very different songs and somehow they all flow so well after the other. If anything, this shows the range of talent Gabriel has and I’m excited to see what he releases next!
Also, the best thing about COLORS is that they put most of the studio sessions on Spotify. There’s nothing more annoying than finding a song you like and it not be on Spotify.
6. KING KRULE - OMEN 3
I haven’t listened to King Krule in such a long time but when he appeared on my release radar earlier this February I was more than excited to see what he had been up to.
He has since released his latest album Man Alive! which I am yet to fully listen to but one song I just can’t get enough of on there is Omen 3.
I’ve always loved how calm and almost monotone King Krule’s voice is, I find it quite soothing. In this song however, the entire track feels this way which if you can’t tell by most of what I listen to recently, is something I quite like. It kind of puts you in a trance in someways.
HERE’S A FEW MORE SONGS I’M LOVING
???? - EDEN
Thanks for reading!
Music of the Month : Summer Edition! | Zafira
Hi!
It’s been so so so so so so long since I’ve done a music of the month I miss doing them! But I’m back and they’ll definitely be a monthly thing from September onwards so keep an eye out for them. I’ve decided to change this one up a little bit where I talk about everything that’s getting me in the summer mood. Prepare yourself, this about to be a bit of a hefty post.
OMAR APOLLO - friends
Ever since I heard Amor Malo a few months ago I don’t think I’ve gone a single day without listening to Omar Apollo. His voice is exactly what you need after a long day. It feels like a nice, long , warm hug and I’m not even a hug type of person but I love him.
He recently released a new album earlier this summer called ‘Friends’ and it’s amazing. It’s a perfect balance between uplifting and sad love songs. My current faves on the album are ‘Hearing Your Voice’, ‘Friends’ and ‘Kickback’ but honestly, I love them all. I like that each song has a different vibe, this isn’t one of those albums where everything sounds the same. Each song has a different mood to it, they all make you feel a different way.
2. Mac demarco -here comes the cowboy
Along with 99% of the human population, I’ve started this weird fascination for all things cowboy. I don’t know whether it’s because of Old Town Road or what but cowboys are totally in for this summer.
If I’m completely honest with you, I can’t say this is my favourite Mac album, it’s nothing like 2 or Salad Days but there’s a few gems that I’ve had on repeat ever since it came out. ‘All of Yesterdays’ is probs one of all time faves. It’s very mellow and nostalgic. I think we all feel a little extra nostalgic during the summer so this is nice for when you’re having one of those days.
I’m also a big fan of ‘K’, ‘Nobody’ and obviously ‘Hey Cowgirl’ which is currently my favourite thing to sing very loudly in the shower.
3. STICKY FINGERS
I’ve been listening to Sticky Fingers for forever. I feel like they’re a band I’ll listen to when I’m 40 and married and have about 15 kids. They’re super chill and their music instantly puts a smile of my face. They’re just really warm and so good and I’d be more than happy to listen to them for many lifetimes.
There’s one song that screams summer to me which is ‘Liquorlip Loaded Gun’. I think it might be because the first time I listened to it a few years ago, I distinctly remember it being the middle of summer. It’s also because of the lyrics and pretty much everything about it. I remember listening to this on repeat for an entire month last year. I’m probably going to do the same this summer. It puts me in the greatest of moods.
ALSO, I adore the album cover it’s the best thing ever.
4. JADEN SMITH -ERYS
I haven’t really listened to Jaden ever since SYRE because a lot of his music sounds very very similar which gets a little boring and repetitive after a while. But, I gave ERYS a chance and I'm a big fan.
I like what he did with ‘P I N K’ where each letter of the word is a different song, it’s the same as what he did in SYRE with ‘B L U E’ and I loved it. Some other favourites of mine are ‘Fire Dept’, ‘Summertime in Paris’ with Willow which is the cutest and ‘Blackout’ which is the calmest song ever. Super super chill.
5. APHEX TWIN
Someone I’ve recently been listening to a lot is Aphex Twin. I remember when I first watched Marie Antoinette and they played what sounded like Runaway by Kanye West. Turns out Runaway used a sample of Avril 14th which I will love forever.
The two songs I’ve been loving for this summer by Aphex Twin however are ‘aisatsana [102]’ and ‘Aleberto Balsalm’ (which has the creepiest cover ever). ‘aisatsana [102]’ is the most perfect thing you could ever listen to on quiet summer’s day. This is my favourite ‘I’m wide awake at 5am’ song. It’s beautiful and always makes me feel at peace. ‘Alberto Balsalm’ is pretty different, it’s upbeat but still quite melancholic at the same time. It’s hard to explain without listening to it. Apparently Alberto Balsalm is a shampoo? I hope it’s as good as a shampoo as it is as a song.
6.CLAIRO
If you can’t already tell, I’m listening to a lot of ‘soft’ songs cos I’m feeling a bit sensitive this summer lol. I'm so in love Clairo. I think I tried listening to her a bit a few months ago when she released a song with Rejjie Snow called ‘Hello?’ but I just couldn’t get into her. But, I tried her again when her songs popped up on my Spotify Discover playlist and now I can’t get enough of her
I put ‘Bags’ and ‘Softly’ on my summer of smlove playlist because they’re amazing. So catchy and sweet. I love her voice a lot.
7. BEIRUT - ELEPHANT GUN
Every time there’s even a slither of the sunshine, the first band that comes to my head is Beirut. I don’t really know why but they are my band of the summer every year. The song that particularly comes into my head is ‘Elephant Gun’. It’s very nostalgic feeling, it reminds me of every great summer I’ve ever had. I love that. Whenever I listen to it I fall in love with it over and over again.
8. MARIBOU STATE
I have no idea how Maribou State ended up in my library but I’m so glad they did.
‘Kingdom’ and ‘Beginnner’s Luck’ are both such good songs. Whilst ‘Kingdom’ is a little more uplifting and makes you feel like dancing, 'Beginner’s Luck’ is a lot more relaxed. It’s more of a late night drive car song. Both very very very pretty songs.
Here’s a few more songs I’m loving…
There’s a lot of songs over on my playlist, this post has barely covered them all. There’s just too many to share but you can go check out my playlist here.
I’d love to see what you’re listening to this summer, you can leave a comment down below or share over on Instagram. Thanks for reading!
