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
-
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: August | Zafira
Hello!
I’m not even going to address my absence from here because it’s becoming a little bit of pattern recently but all you need to know is that I’m back with some cool blog post ideas that I hope you’ll enjoy reading as much as I’ll enjoy creating them.
But first I thought we should start with what seems to be everybody’s favourite post to read, an August edition of the much beloved Music of the Month.
It’s been a beautiful month in the music world, for me anyway. I feel like everything I have been listening to these past few months was very ‘listen a few times and then never again’ kind of music but this month, I’ve found a few songs and artists that I know will forever be in my head and my life.
As always, you can check out my entire August playlist here.
euphoria original score - labrinth
I feel like everyone who watched Euphoria is completely infatuated and entangled with the show. Whether that’s the with the oh so very cool editorial-esque makeup or the funky too hot for their own good outfits or in my case, this album.
I only got around to listening to the entire score this August, I had no idea it was even out and available on Spotify. I remember when the show first aired and the one thing (alongside the dreamy cinematography) that really stood out to me was the music and way it seamlessly blended into every scene of the show.
I have a lot of favourites but one I try to very badly sing or I guess hum since it doesn’t really have any proper words is Forever. It’s crazy how good Labrinth is on this album because the only memories I have of his music are from his Earthquake days and that is an entirely different world from this album. I adore We All Knew and WTF Are We Talking For too but this is one score worth listening to the entire way through.
Perdus -
AngÈle
Angèle’s voice is the dreamiest thing I think I’ve heard in a while. It’s so soft and gentle and comforting.
I think French pop music is so underrated in the world of mainly western pop because it’s so unique and not cheesy and every artist always has some sort of unique factor about them rather than all sounding exactly the same.
I guess you could say Angèle’s unique factor is not only the soft tones of her voice but the grace in the way she sings. She sounds so eloquent but still carries a certain coolness.
I heard Perdus on one of her COLORS sessions and I’m in love with it. Alongside her hauntingly beautiful voice, Perdus is still a very modern song with a catchy beat that makes this song so irresistible.
falling for you - jaden smith & justin bieber
Growing up I was never a Justin Bieber fan, I was more of a JLS gal, but there was one song by Justin Bieber that I loved and that was Never Say Never with Jaden Smith.
So you can only imagine how happy the resurface of this very cute duo in Jaden’s new album made me.
This song is the epitome of love, it’s cheesy, upbeat and so very sweet. I think this is probably the best song on CTV 3.
Listen here.
1999 - rich brian
I don’t know why but Rich Brian’s songs always remind of summer.
I’ll have to admit, I don’t think 1999 has anything on Amen and The Sailor but this in my eyes, is a pretty different album to them both.
1999 is what I’d consider more of a pop style album which isn’t what I’d expect from Rich Brian but I think it was interesting to listen to him play with a different genre of music and listen to something so personal.
Obviously Love in My Pocket is my absolute favourite. This song plays in my head 24/7. I love DOA and Sins too. It’s weirdly cool hearing him actually singing too, I don’t think he has the greatest vocals but I quite like his voice anyway.
dreamland -glass animals
I’ve loved Glass Animals since my early teens and I think they’ll forever be one of my all time favourite bands. They have this certain quirkiness about them that I just cannot get enough of.
Dreamland might just top How to Be a Human Being in my list of favourite Glass Animals albums. They took everything they did well in HTBAHB like the beats and the occasional rap verses and really threw it all into Dreamland, thus birthing probably one of my favourite albums to be released this year.
Also I’m the biggest fan of the whole Windows 98/glitch-y vibes on this album.
You have to listen to the album from start to finish to really enjoy it but a few of my favourites are of course Dreamland, Hot Sugar and Tangerine.
Burden - aminé
Other than REEL IT IN, I had never really listened to anything else by Aminé but listening to Limbo has me questioning why I took this long divulging into his music.
This is yet another album I can happily listen to all the way through but I of course have a few favourites that I have on repeat all the time.
Pressure in My Palms (featuring slowthai and Vince Staples), Easy (featuring Summer Walker) and Becky are my faves at the minute but the more I listen the more my favourites change.
Here’s a few other songs I’m also loving and that you should definitely check out:
If you ever want to send me some stuff you’re listening to at the minute then please go ahead, I love listening to new things.
Thanks for reading!
Music of the Month: June | Zafira
Hey!
I always start off these posts with how fast the months have flown by but I don’t think I’ve even had a chance to process June yet. It’s July, it’s well and truly summer, lock down is easing up which is a little bit daunting but we’re slowly getting back to somewhat of a normality.
I think music wise, it’s been a pretty slow month. I haven’t heard an awful lot of new music but there are few gems I couldn’t help but share with you.
You can check out my entire June playlist here.
andy - raleigh ritchie
I don’t think I’ll get over how Grey Worm from Game of Thrones, who says 5 words all 8 seasons, is this amazing alternative R&B artist in the real world.
Andy is like a glass of lemonade on a summer’s day during this weird period of time we’re all in. It feels refreshing and is a mix of what everyone’s feeling right now.
I love Time in Tree. This was actually released two years ago as a single but I think it fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs on this album. I like the retro vibes it carries through the song and how the overall melancholic tone of the song is a familiar factor in most of the songs in the album.
Party Fear is another favourite of mine. I think it represents social anxiety perfectly. It is the party anthem for all introverts out there.
tkn - rosalia (feat travis scott)
If I could switch bodies with any woman in this entire world one of them would be Rosalia. Imagine being beautiful and singing like an angel? That’s talent I can’t even begin to comprehend.
Have you ever wondered what Travis Scott would sound like if he spoke Spanish? Well TKN is exactly what you’re looking for.
But in all seriousness, TKN is a little different to Rosalia’s usual flamenco style songs. This has a really strong and captivating beat and I have to listen to it at least 5 times in a row anytime it comes up on my playlist.
uk2uk - babyfather
I don’t think I really listen to one set genre of music, it’s usually quite varied and mixed but this Babyfather’s album is definitely a lot more different than anything I’m used to listening to.
It’s hard to describe something that doesn’t really fit into one category or ‘style’ of music.
Some of my favourites from the album are Pagans (featuring Arca), Bright and Cookies. Arca has this almost eerieness to her music whereas Babyfathers are more urban and hip-hop esque so I was a little surprised to hear that Pagans featured Arca because I would never think the two go together but surprisingly, they’re a perfect match.
I think I loved Bright so much because I liked listening to the dialogue in the song and Cookies just has one of those beats that will forever stay in your head.
Scoo Scoo - Abo el anwar
I finally got around to watching the second season of Ramy earlier this June and was a massive fan of so many of the songs featured in the show.
I have no idea what this song is about but it has such a catchy beat and I listen to it on a repeat nearly everyday.
kick i - arca
Arca is weird. There’s no other way to put it but she’s that good weird, the weird that makes you want to listen to this album on repeat 24 hours a day.
KiCk i is technically a pop album but to me it’s so much more than that. The whole thing feels like a glitch, like one of those out of nowhere migraines almost.
The only song I had really heard by Arca before this was Piel which was what I can only describe as the creepiest yet most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard so my expectations for this album were really open.
The album features my personal favourite Rosalia but also Björk and Sophie which is such a strange yet very much iconic mix of people to have on an album.
I love KLK. It puts me in the most amazing of moods, it’s upbeat, it has Rosalia being Rosalia and Arca providing all the glitchiness I could ever want.
Calor is the love song I didn’t know I needed. It’s soft and gentle with a hint of that glitchiness portrayed throughout and most importantly, the lyrics translate into some of the most beautiful things I think I’ll ever hear.
I’m sorry this was shorter than usual I’m sure July will have a lot more to offer. I’ve also had a few people share their monthly playlist with me over on Instagram which has been very cute so please keep sharing them with me!
Thanks for reading,
Music of the Month: May | Zafira
Hi!
So I admit, it’s been a while. I took some time off to just get my university life in order and my general life too but I was also feeling a little lost on what to do on here. I’ve become feeling a little refreshed and have a few ideas under my belt that I’m beyond excited to start writing about and sharing on here!
And just like that, it’s June. My favourite month of the year. It’s summer, my birthday is this month and hopefully, we’ll be taking some slow steps into transitioning into some sort of normality. May was honestly a massive blur.
Due to popular demand (like 3 requests), I’ve decided to bring back Music of the Month and because it’s been a while since I last shared one of these, I have so much new music I’m excited to share with you.
You can listen to my entire May playlist here.
Here are a few of my favourite songs, artists and albums:
machinegum - conduit
Love is not a strong enough adjective to describe my affection for this entire album. It’s rare for me to be able to sit through an entire album without honestly getting a little bored but each song on Conduit feels like a hug or a slow dance in the rain and I’m completely smitten with the entire thing.
machinegum is actually formed by Fabrizio Moretti, drummer for the Strokes which I find a little surprising because this entire album is nothing like anything I’ve heard from the Strokes. It’s so calm.
One of my absolute favourites from the album is definitely Walking Habits. It’s so vibraphone-y. The entire album is but this one especially. I feel like I could listen to this every day at sunset. I love O Please too because it feels so retro and groovy and puts me in such a good mood but the one song that really stood out for me on Conduit was Sugar and Vice. Again it’s retro and groovy but at the same time, husky and accompanied by vocals you can barely make out.
I found the cutest music video some guys had made for Sugar and Vice and it feels like the epitome of summer. You can check it out here.
Gus Dapperton - First Aid
I just want to preface this by saying, in my personal opinion Gus Dapperton’s work is more than that popular song on Tik Tok that I kind of hate. His other songs are pretty and deserve attention too.
First Aid is quite the emotional song. It’s still pretty upbeat and definitely one of those songs you could sing a little too loudly in the shower but the overall tone is very melancholic. You can hear that this has a sense of loneliness. I read that this song was about his sister, Amadelle, who is also featured in the song and how much they’ve helped him and you can really hear how thankful he is in the lyrics.
I cannot wait to hear the rest of the stuff he’s been working on later this year.
Air - The Virgin Suicides Soundtrack
Every time the sun comes out one of the first films that come into mind is the Virgin Suicides. I think it’s because, throughout the entire film, you can almost feel the heat. It’s hard to describe if you’ve not seen the film but everything from the tones to the outfits to the green green grass and sprinklers spraying on the fake gardens of homes that aren’t really homes just scream summer to me.
I’ve always had a bit of fascination with the film but when I listened to Fashion Grunge’s podcast a few weeks ago I felt this urge to listen to the soundtrack properly and since then I just love having it on in the background when I’m going about my day. I also love listening to it whilst I’m reading the book because I think it fits in with the book version just as much as the film.
One of my all-time favourite songs from films, in general, has to be Playground Love. It’s used repeatedly throughout the entire film and is so perfect for it. The film is very much about youth and ideas of love but has this dark undertone to it since the film revolves a lot around death and this is exactly what this song is all about.
I also love The Word Hurricane, well more specifically the beginning of it. It starts off by putting you in an almost trance-like state and then you have a little dialogue period followed by absolute chaos. It’s amazing.
Parcels - Parcels
Parcels have recently come into my life and have transported me into a very late 70’s disco funk era and I’m not mad about it. This band is so chill and is exactly the sort of stuff I’ve been into at the moment.
A few of my favourite hits from the album are Lightenup, Exotica and Withorwithout. Lightenup is the first ever song I heard by Parcels. It’s very Bee Gee’s esque and I love love that. A lot like something they’d play in some sort of retro disco whereas Exotica and Withorwithout feel like falling in love on summer’s day.
In my opinion, this album is something I can see myself listening to for the rest of my life. It’s weird how they can sound so out of place within our current generation but somehow fit in a way that’s different and still appeals to so so so many people.
The Black Keys - Weight of Love
I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve been listening to a lot of Air but the beginning of this song starts off with extreme Air/Vibraphone-y/Soft Psychedelic vibes which I can’t seem to get enough of at the minute.
I’m a big big fan of this. I play it so many times a day and you should too. I will definitely have to listen to the entire of the Turn Blue album after hearing this gem. I also get extreme Pink Floyd vibes from this song which is magical.
Yung Lean - Starz
Yung Lean released a new album this May and it’s been exactly what I’ve needed this quarantine period.
I think ever since Stranger, Yung Lean has been one of favourite sad boy musicians. His music is so mellow and melancholic but is yet so modern and cool.
Starz carries on that sadness yet coolness but in such an experimental way. One of my favourite songs on the album is Starz which features another one of my favourite artists, Ariel Pink. I would never in think that they fit together as well as they do on this song.
I also love Yayo which is about his rise in the industry, Violence and Boylife in EU which he released as a single a few months back. It’s the ultimate “I’m feeling lonely and sad" song.
Duffy - Warwick Avenue
I wasn't going to include this because it’s the most random song I could possibly put in here but I cannot get enough of it recently.
I was 12 when this came out which makes me feel a tiny bit nauseous because that was almost an entire decade ago. I have the most vivid memories of watching the music video of this where Duffy is sat crying in the back of taxi on the music channels. 12 year old me was so moved by this and honestly so is current me.
She kind of disappeared after this and came back a few months ago. It’s heartbreaking to hear what happened to her but I’m glad she’s okay now.
Hare Squead - Minor Gangsters (gully)
Like a lot of what I listen to these days, I found this through COLORS which is a YouTube channel where a bunch of different artists perform against various coloured backgrounds. It’s amazing and visually the most aesthetic thing ever.
I’ve heard a few songs by Hare Squead, my favourite being Herside Story with Goldlink but Minor Gangsters is very different to that. What drew me to it mostly was how animated they were performing for COLORS. I loved watching them perform and loved how much they enjoyed it. What’s so great about COLORS is that they post all their studio versions on Spotify which makes my life that little bit more enjoyable and easier.
I personally prefer the COLORS Studio version over the original because it sounds a lot more raw and gritty which are two aspects I quite like in a song.
I could sit and watch COLORS Shows all day.
Here’s a few more songs I’ve been loving:
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: January | Zafira
Hi!
Oh January, you’ve lasted an entire decade and I am very much over you.
As we venture in February, the month of lurve (and hopefully more new music), I’d like to look back on this month and share some of my favourites in the dreary month of January.
As always, you can check out my entire playlist here.
EVERYTHING ELSE HAS GONE WRONG - BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB
I think it’s only right to begin with BBC because of their comeback after over 5 years off has been absolutely refreshing. I knew at age 14 that ”So Long, See You Tomorrow” would be one of those albums you’d listen to for a lifetime and 5 years on, I can definitely say that’s true.
It’s hard to describe what Bombay Bicycle Club’s music style is actually like because every album they have released has had a completely different vibe and sound. Everything Else Has Gone Wrong is somewhat similar to SLSYT and you hear that a lot in ‘Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)’. When they released this as a single a few months ago it got me so excited about this album because it epitomises everything that BBC are about.
Some other of my favourites on the album are ‘Racing Stripes’ and ‘People People’. Although this album is most definitely not on the same level of SLSYT, I’ve been enjoying replaying this album throughout the month of January.
Black pumas
Like many of the other amazing artists I listen to, I found Black Pumas after seeing one of their Take Away Shows on La Blogotheque’s YouTube channel.
The amount of natural talent they have is jaw droppingly good. I’ve been madly in love with their Color’s show too where they perform of one of my favourite songs by them, ‘Oct 33’. I think they sound captivating in all their live performances. ‘Fire’, ‘Black Moon Rising’ and ‘Colors’ are a few of the lovely songs I’ve been obsessed with this month.
LOVE MY WAY - PSYCHEDELIC FURS
This song will not leave my head and I’m kinda okay with it staying there forever.
A lot of you will recognise this song from the iconic dance scene in Call Me By Your Name but it is also featured in the Souvenir (pls watch). It’s so incredibly 80’s. The beat, the rhythm just everything I love it.
LOVE MY WAY - PSYCHEDELIC FURS
ME IN 20 YEARS - MOSES SUMNEY
I think Moses Sumney is one of the most soothing singers I’ve ever heard. His voice is so soft and gentle and honestly feels like a hug.
‘Me in 20 Years’ is about the end of the relationship. It’s a pretty mellow song and very very nostalgic. ‘Polly’ has similar vibes, very reminiscent of someone and then you have the last song on the single, ‘Virile’ which is vastly different than them. A very strange mix of songs but so so so good.
BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY - FERGIE
I don’t think anyone talks about how life changing the Dutchess by Fergie was.
Fergie has and always be one of my favourite people of all time. She just has this certain je ne sais quoi about her you know? She was one of the people that made the early 2000s an iconic decade to grow up in.
I’d be lying if I said January wasn’t incredibly miserable but all it took was Big Girls Don’t Cry by Fergie to switch that Debby downer mood into something more hopeful and happy.
I actually have a massive Throwback playlist on Spotify that you can check out here.
C
IRCLES - MAC MILLER
I never really listened to Mac Miller when he was alive but one of his songs came up on my recommended song bit on Spotify and ever since then, I’ve been listening to Circles on repeat daily.
Circles is such a peaceful and calming album which is why I think I’ve been listening to it daily. I love starting my day with it when I’m getting ready and then ending my day when I’m getting ready to go to bed. I couldn’t imagine a better way to send Mac Miller off than a pretty album like this one.
Some of my absolute favourites are obviously ‘Circles’ itself, ‘Once a Day’ and ‘Complicated’.
Here’s a few more songs I’m loving…
Thanks for reading!
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,
Music of the Month: October
Hi!
I can’t believe how cold it is and I’m so confused to how it’s November already! I don’t really remember what I’ve done this month other than be as miserable as the weather and spend waaay too much time of buses (many thanks to my local roadworks). I’ve had a lot more time to listen to new things and I’m excited to share them with you.
As always, here’s a link to the full playlist for this month: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/55WAJhoACEPXLOEMFpcD6g?si=ZHzcO6GaQlOwkehm4yyA7g
HUBERT LENOIR
I’ve been madly in love with La Blogotheque recently. I’ve followed them for quite some time now but this past month, I’ve been watching their videos on repeat because they are easily the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. If you don’t know who they are, La Blogotheque are a music channel on YouTube who film and produce incredibly unique covers by a vast range of artists.
This is how I found Hubert Lenoir. I honestly can’t tell if it was him speaking French, him singing or the way the video was filmed that made me fall in love but he’s easily my favourite person this month. Watch him perform Sucre et Sel for La Blogotheque here.
My favourite songs by him are Momo, Wild and Free and Fille de personne II. These are 3 songs are so different from each other. Momo is super chill, something you’d listen to whilst reading or when it’s raining outside. It’s like a soft jazz pop instrumental. That was a lot of words wow. Wild and Free is similar in the sense that it’s another chill, soft jazz kinda song but this has a slight melancholic tone. Fille de personne II however, is the perfect happy song that makes me want to dance around my room anytime I listen to it.
2. RAMI KHALIFé
I also found Rami Khalifé on La Blogotheque and was left speechless by his performance. He just goes completely wild on the piano on a beach and I love it. You can see how passionate he is and it’s beautiful. The way the video is shot too is breathtaking. You can watch it here.
Along with Resist, some of my other favourite songs by him are The Dangling Rope and Spotlight which are similar to Resist in the sense that they start off a little sad but get even more wild as they go on. It’s great.
3. LIGHTS UP - HARRY STYLES
I’m waiting to face some sort of abuse from my family and friends for putting this in here but I really do love Harry’s solo work.
I’m not ashamed to say I know the lyrics to this song off by heart. It’s just so good I have nothing else to say.
4. EDEN
Words can’t express how happy 16 year old me is because Eden is back with new music!
My favourite from his latest singles is definitely untitled. It’s so melancholic and reminds me a lot of his songs from i think you think too much of me. It’s the perfect song for the end of summer . I also really love 909 and his latest single, projector. These are a little more upbeat. Eden is my favourite person to listen to at this time of year because his music reflects this season and how I feel during it so well.
5. KEATON HENSON
When Keaton Henson announced he was releasing a new album this month I think I cried a tiny bit. Keaton has a really soft place in my heart because his music either makes me feel like I’m madly in love or about to cry my eyes out.
This album is a little different since it is a classical album. I don’t really listen to a lot of classical stuff except from Classic FM at insane times during the night but this is so good. The album explores various themes such as trauma, mental illness, stress and anxiety and you can hear it in the music. My favourites are currently Breathing Out, The Falling and Initium but I could listen to the entire album for days on end.
6. DHL - FRANK OCEAN
Words cannot even express my excitement for the return of Frank Ocean. It’s exactly what I needed this month to lift my spirits. I have phases throughout the year where I’ll listen to Blond on repeat for weeks and I was in a Blond phase when DHL was released. It was so so so heartwarming. I don’t have a lot to say about this but I’m over the moon that Frank is back.
7. JELANI ARYEH
I mentioned Jelani Aryeh in last month’s MOTM but he released a new album this month and I’m incredibly smitten with it.
The album is a beauty, his voice, the lyrics, the themes he explores are all just *chef’s kiss*. I’ve been listening to the entire album literally everyday and everyday I fall in love with a new song on the album. Today I’m obsessed with Earl Grey and Gloss. I personally relate to Earl Grey quite a bit because it sounds like he’s going through a little bit of a personal crisis which I mean, same. Gloss however is about fame and worth and even though the lyrics are a little mellow, it’s a very pretty song.
8. GENGAHR
I don’t think I’ve listened to Gengahr since my college days and I was going through a little bit of an indie phase. I remember listening to She’s a Witch and Bathed in Light on repeat and I still love listening to them now here and there because they are great songs.
Over the past month or so, they’ve released some new singles called Everything & More and Atlas Please and they’re amazing. They’re still the indie band I used to listen to but they’ve become so much better. I’m so excited to hear their new album. Also they’re on tour with Bombay Bicycle Club at the minute and I could not think of a better duo.
HERE’S A FEW MORE SONGS I’M LOVING…
If you’ve enjoyed this, go check out my full playlist for this October here.
Thanks for reading!
Lots of love,
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!
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Music of the Month: September | Zafira
Hi!
It's been awhile since I've done one of these but I am back with the best list of songs and artists that I am enjoying this month!
Over the past few months, I haven't really been listening to a lot of new music. I don't really know why but I just wasn't into anything that had been released. It felt like I was just listening to old music that had been recycled in the worst way possible. It felt as if artists were just putting 0 effort into the songs they were releasing. But then September came around and out of nowhere, the most amazing songs and artists came spurting out of nowhere and it really was a blessing. There is nothing better than starting off the most stressful month of the year with the greatest playlist.
If you follow me on Twitter / Instagram you probably most definitely know who I'm going to talk about first. Brockhampton. They are the loves of my life and I think they're the best boyband out there right now. Everything they release is new and so exciting and I always look forward to their new releases.
It was hard to pick a favourite from the album since I love them all but these are my top 3:
1. LOOPHOLE
How and why is this only 53 seconds long.
2. TAPE
So this plus Loophole is revolutionary. They just go so well together and I love the whole calming instrumental bit (sorry for my terrible musical vocab). It's so cinematic I can imagine it so vividly in some sort of movie or film. I love love love it.
3. FABRIC
This gets me so pumped about the day. Even though the lyrics are quite deep and hard hitting, the beat and rhythm are quick paced and I feel like this would be a pretty decent song to work out to as well. It starts off quite slow but then slowly quickens. I also really love the chorus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-0NYnb-fh0
This song was on my Spotify discover playlist a few weeks ago which I had stopped checking for a while because I'm usually left disappointed. My discover playlist is filled mainly with soppy indie music which isn't really what I'm into these days but I ended up finding this jem which I am obsessed with. It's extremely catchy. It's a song definitely meant to stay in your head and is 100% a perfect song to sing in the shower. Not to be a complete weirdo but 'daunting' is such a good word right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOwlY9ITazA
So alt-J recently released a new version of their very loved album 'RELAXER' which is almost as good as the original. This newer version is called 'REDUXER' and features remixes and many different versions of the songs on RELAXER. This particular one features GoldLink who is so good. I love GoldLink a lot too and the mix of all of these people is such a perfect combination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9b4UvTeQxQ
I've mentioned $uicideboy$ quite a few times in this series but how can I not? They are just too good. This song is from their newest album 'I Want to Die in New Orleans' which is overall is pretty okay but this song is by far my favourite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uFv9Ts7Sdw
What sort of basic teenage blogger would I be if I didn't mention Lana Del Rey at least once in my posts? But I really do love her. I love her essence and her music and just everything about her. This is my most favoured from her latest releases because I love the lyrics. I also watched the music vid for this and it's so beautiful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEiMnOr0-nM
I have never ever been disappointed by a Sticky Fingers song. This is their newest single and I wish this was released earlier because it is the perfect song for a summer's day. I love the lyrics and the nostalgic sort of feel to this song. It's just very very very good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzbRHsyjIzk
A lot of bands and artists released new albums this month and one of these bands was the Neighbourhood. Like many people, I fell in love with them when I heard Sweater Weather which was released 5 years ago. I like many of their earlier songs but when it comes to more recent songs, I've been a bit iffy with them and I'm not a big fan of many. However 'Paradise' reminded me a lot of their older songs and I fell in love instantly. I listened to a snippet of it on Jesse Rutherford's Instagram a few weeks ago before it was released and I knew it would be one of many faves this month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGvS285hfjA
When listening to SYML I always get a very sad and mopey vibe, like I usually just want to lie in bed and cry when listening to his stuff but this song is so different. It's so upbeat and different. I like it a lot. I really hope he releases more stuff like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Qzzggn--s
This song changed my life. The music video stupidly amazing but song itself is so so good. I can defo see myself slow dancing (on my own) in the dark to this. It's perfect. I love Joji.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8LIRtPnuA8
Before many of you start questioning why I put this in here, take a moment and just listen to the song. It's iconic. Life changing. A masterpiece. There's a reason I've been listening to this since I was 6 years old. It's a song I'll always have in my head and I'll be listening to this for ever. I think we must have under estimated JoJo when this came out because she taught us so much in just one song.
That's all I have for this month but if you click here then you can access my entire playlist for this month. There's so much more on there for you to listen to if you enjoyed the songs I mentioned. I don't think this will be a monthly series just because the songs on my playlist don't change drastically but I'll most likely be posting one every other month or so.
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