Happy Friday! To celebrate the start of the weekend here are some of my music recommendations, basically songs I’ve been listening to on repeat lately.
“I’ll Just Dance” - Su Lee
My former intern introduced me to the music of Su Lee, a 23-year-old South Korean-born artist who went viral on Reddit last summer for her song and music video “I’ll Just Dance.” And honestly, it’s such a bop. Her music is simple and not overproduced (its made in her bedroom), her music videos are quirky and fun, and her lyrics are relatable. Her music kind of reminds me of Mitski, whom I LOVE. Be sure to check Su Lee’s music and read this cover story about her!
Jack Antonoff
One of the hottest producers in the game right now is Jack Antonoff, the indie pop rock singer/band member of fun. and Bleachers, and producer of hit records like Taylor Swift’s 1989 and folklore, Lana Del Rey’s Norman Fucking Rockwell, Lorde’s Melodrama, and the soundtrack for the film Love, Simon (one of my favorite movies). Recently I’ve been on a Jack Antonoff-binge and listening to a lot of his produced songs on repeat (mainly Taylor Swift and Lorde), which led me to reading more about him. It was interesting to learn his creative process and how, unlike most other major producers (like Dr. Luke or Max Martin) who produce songs and send them to various artists to see who’ll pick them up, Antonoff creates his music from scratch with the artist he is producing for. That way it’s not just a song that will sound like it could be from any artist, but it’ll sound like music with that artist’s unique voice. I highly recommend this New York Time’s profile on Jack Antonoff and also this NYT’s profile on Lorde’s Melodrama, an album I didn’t appreciate enough when it was first released but now one I realize is a masterpiece.
Some of my favorite Jack Antonoff-produced tracks:
“Green Light” - Lorde, Melodrama
“Heard Feelings/Loveless” - Lorde, Melodrama
“Supercut” - Lorde, Melodrama
“Perfect Places” - Lorde, Melodrama
“Out of the Woods” - Taylor Swift, 1989
“Getaway Car” - Taylor Swift, Reputation
“Call It What You Want” - Taylor Swift, Reputation
“Cruel Summer” - Taylor Swift, Lover
“Cornelia Street” - Taylor Swift, Lover
“Death By a Thousand Cuts” - Taylor Swift, Lover
“August” - Taylor Swift, folklore
“Gold Rush” - Taylor Swift, evermore
“Mr. Perfectly Fine” - Taylor Swift, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
“That’s When (feat. Keith Urban)” - Taylor Swift, Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
Fearless (Taylor’s Version)
I love that Taylor is re-recording her old music to regain ownership of them. I hate that she’s kept these bonus tracks from us all this time:
“Chosen Family (with Elton John)” - Rina Sawayama
I love Rina Sawayama and her song “Chosen Family,” but when I first heard her remix featuring Elton John, I didn’t like it. I thought it was awful! But upon repeat listens, I started to like it more so here we are.
“Met Him Last Night (feat. Ariana Grande)” - Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato’s new album recently came out and it features a collaboration with Ariana Grande. Titled “Met Him Last Night,” Ariana wrote the song for Demi before she was asked to also appear on the song. I really dig this song!
“deja vu” - Olivia Rodrigo
After her smash debut with “drivers license,” Olivia Rodrigo released her second single “deja vu” and proved to everyone she’s no one hit wonder.
“Starry Starry Night” - Lianne La Havas
I first heard of this song on a mutual’s Instagram Story and I instantly loved it! The song is so calming and beautiful. Listen for yourself.
Aly & AJ
The dynamic duo and childhood favs Aly & AJ have been releasing a lot of new music lately and they’re all great! I especially love “Pretty Places.” Check out their new releases if you’ve been behind!
“Song-A-Long / Believe / Ray Of Light / Waterloo / Ne Partez pas Sans Moi / I Gotta Feeling” - Cast of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga
Last month I watched the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. While it was an okay movie, the original music was pretty great (and one was even Oscar-nominated!). However, the most memorable scene from the film is this random mashup featuring a lot of the previous winners and contestants from the actual Eurovision competitions. I’m obsessed.