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: 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: March | Zafira
Hey!
I'm back with one of my favourite blog posts to do on here which is music of the month! I love music. I'm always listening to something. It's actually pretty difficult for me to do anything or be productive in anyway without something pretty playing in the background.
I don't want to make this a super long intro since my March playlist is a quite a hefty one so without further ado here are some of my favourite songs this month.
As always, here's a link to my full playlist for this month if you're interested:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Gyr17xCBOh1I67tL7xBKw?si=9qnnnI5vQ1qUPawKkHBflw
THINGS I IMAGINED - SOLANGE
Before I say anything I'd like to start with this beauty:
https://twitter.com/taibernacle/status/1101967739600674822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
As much as this sounds like broken record, I still listen to it at least once a day. I love Solange. I think she's one of the most amazing women out there. Her entire new album was truly a blessing and made the month of March just a little bit cuter. Every single song on her new album was just wow.
2. MARCH - KEATON HENSON
I have no idea why but I always forget this song off my March playlists. It. Happens. Every. Year. It drives me absolutely insane. Keaton Henson has had a very soft and warm place in my heart ever since I heard 'Sweetheart What Have You Done to Us' like 5 years ago and had my heart broken for the very first time.
This makes me feel like I'm looking back on something, it's nostalgic in a weird way. I've had a few deadlines this month which means I've been stressed and this has just soothed me so well. It's calming and the most beautiful thing ever.
3. PRETTY DARK - GRIMES
Grimes has been floating in and out of my music library for quite some time now. She's insanely talented and unique and weird and I love it. She recently released a demo which I can't seem to get out of my head. It's so catchy.
4. TIERRA WHACK
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Tierra Whack and ever since then I've been obsessed. I spent a few days just listening to her because she's incredibly creative and just different. I don't think I have anyone in my library who sounds anything like her.
Here are a few of my favourite songs by her:
(watch the video it's really cool!)
5. CELESTE
I can't believe I'm telling everyone on the internet about this but I found Celeste through the Spotify & Chill playlist. I was just curious to see if there were any gems on there and my goodness were there. I found so many new artists but finding Celeste was a very celestial moment for me (lol). The song I found on Spotify & Chill was 'Father's Son' which is a bit of strange one to put on a playlist like that but after hearing it once I had it on repeat for days on days. It really had me in my feels.
Here are a few more of my favourite songs by her:
6. CAGE THE ELEPHANT - HOUSE OF GLASS
It's been a hot minute since I last listened to Cage the Elephant. I wasn't like their no.1 fan but I think they've had some great songs like 'Too Late To Say Goodbye'. 'House of Glass' was very angsty and a bit angry and I loved it. I think I'll definitely have to give them a listen properly soon.
7. YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY - THE KNIFE
I honestly thought this was some obnoxious song from the '80s or something when I heard this which made me love this 100 times more. I have no clue how it came into my music library but this is a very good 'I think I'm in love' mixed with a 'wake me up' song. Weird but so so so so great.
8. ROSALIA
When James Blake released 'Barefoot in the Park' with Rosalia in it I had no idea who she was but when I heard her voice I knew I'd probs love her for the rest of my life.
I've been listening to a lot of her music over recent weeks and I can't get over her voice. It's incredibly alluring and I could listen to her sing forever.
Here are a few of my favourite songs by her:
Thanks for reading! If you want more blog posts like this let me know :)
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Music of the Month: January | Zafira
Hey!
January has been a pretty gloomy month but one thing that has really lifted my spirits is the amazing amount of good music that's been released throughout the month.
If you've followed me for a while, then you'd know my music taste makes 0 sense. It's all over the place but I think maybe I've finally found a type? My January playlist is probably the most normal one out of them all.
Here’s my full playlist!
One of the best things released this month was James Blake's album 'Assume Form'. I cannot put into words how much I love this. I truthfully haven't listened to him since his Retrograde days just because I never was really into his stuff but this, this is amazing. He's very similar to Bon Iver who may just be the love of my life and I just can't get enough.
Some of my favourites from this particular album are
but honestly, they're all pretty wonderful.
You know how I just said James Blake reminds me a lot of Bon Iver? This song is the most vivid and fluorescent example of that. This song reminds me so much of 33"GOD" which when I first listened to, I think I had some sort of spiritual awakening. Listening to this song was exactly the same. I shared it on my IG stories a few days ago and said that it felt like a really good headache. I can't explain it. You just need to take a moment and really listen to it.
I said I was over my indie phase a long time ago but apparently 2016 Alex Turner and Oasis loving me has resurrected from the dead. I think I have always secretly loved the Japanese House, they're super chill and relaxing. This song feels like summer and I miss the summer a lot.
I found Yung Lean a couple of years ago and he's so weird but I love love love him. He's very similar to like Earl Sweatshirt and $uicideBoy$. He's really great and I know this is a song I'll never get bored of.
Okay. I have a lot to say about this, a lot of deep stuff. It's a sad song but January is a sad month. January is like a Monday but it's 31 days long instead of just 24 hours. Anyway, the song is about heartbreak and mourning an ex-lover. The lyrics are so sadly beautiful and so well crafted. My personal fave lyrics in the song are :
“I don’t want to be small, small, sad, I want to be big, big, sad”
“I want to make a pageant of my grief”
“I’m annoyed with clothes today,
I’d rather swaddle myself in sorrow today”
I've been obsessed and infatuated with Twin Peaks ever since I impulsively watched it when I was 12. It's probably the best thing to have ever happened to me (if you've ever watched it come be my friend pls i just wanna talk about it forever). You can imagine how I was feeling when I was sat in my soft office (my bed), working and then my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist plays what faintly sounds like Angelo Badalamenti's Laura Palmer theme. I was so confused.
This song is so good. It's all about Twin Peaks because the artist that wrote it grew up near Twin Peaks which is the coolest thing ever.
where he talks a bit more about it if you're interested.
This also another pretty sad song. This was in the movie Requiem for a Dream (read more about it and some other good, underrated movies here) and the amount of impact this song has is 1. heartbreaking but also 2. breathtaking. The movie would not be a masterpiece without this song.
A lot of my friends listen to Blood Orange and they've told me to listen to him countless times but I always end up forgetting. This came up on one of my Spotify Frank Ocean song radios and it felt like sitting in a car at like 3am in the morning when you're sleepy but awake because of all the streetlights that keep catching your eyes. I don't know. It's a very calming song. It's definitely a good song for the car.
I don't even know how this ended up on my playlist but it did. I'm not mad about it. I'm not really an Ariana Grande stan, I think she's an amazing person but her music isn't really for me but I've been listening to this on repeat so maybe I am an Ariana Grande stan?
I used to love Don Broco when I was in year 11 but like many of us, I grew up and got over them. This came up on my Release Radar and I actually thought it was a new Death Grips song because of the intro but boy oh boy was I far off. This is pretty good. It's very angsty and shouty but I like it. It's making me miss the old indie rock/alternative rock days so much.
I've decided that Florence is one of my all time favourite people. I just really want to be her honestly. I don't know how someone releases an amazing album and then shortly follows with an amazing single. I love her. I also think that regulars on my bus think I'm a bit crazy when I'm aggressively lip syncing this at like 7am every morning.
If you liked the songs I've mentioned in this post, there's a lot more over on my playlist. It's embedded near the top of this post but I will also leave a link right at the bottom with links to all my other social medias.
Thank you for reading! If you like these sorts of posts let me know and I'll start doing them more regularly.
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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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