Playlist:
Up All Night by Alex Clare
After hearing his song Too Close 100 times on the Internet Explorer commercials, I decided to look him up and ended up falling in love with this song. I think parts of the song are relatable and ring true. I like that his music doesn’t have a set sound, he mixes it up so it doesn’t sound like he is making the same song with different lyrics.
Falling by the Civil Wars
Their sound is very haunting and I can’t get enough of it. The lyrics to the song alone resonate with me, and combined with the simplicity of the composition (very stripped and acoustic), I think it’s a beautiful marriage. The verse: “Why am I feeling so guilty? Why am I holding my breath? Worry ’bout everyone but me, I just keep losing myself” hits home because it describes how I used to feel about certain situations with my friends from home.
Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
It’s kind of old and cheesy, but I like it because the entire first verse reminds me of the reasons why I left small-town Pennsylvania to live in New York City. No explanation needed because it’s all in the song.
Death by White Lies
It’s simply a good song. The title can be misleading, but it’s fitting because the singer expresses his fear of losing what he has. That in turn is making him fearful and is keeping him from taking any action to prevent his imminent loss. I think everyone has one of those moments where you’re afraid of what might happen that you choke and end up missing an opportunity to do something.
L’Amour by Bingo Players
Dance/house music is awesome in my book and this song makes me want to get up and do the robot and then breakdance. It doesn’t really have any lyrics, but it gets me on my feet and has a great beat.
Home by Phillip Phillips
It’s the kind of song that I listen to when I’m travelling (specifically: taking the bus from PABT to home) because it has a sense of nostalgia, but hope. Like no matter where you are or no matter what hardship you’re going through, there is a support system wherever you go and you’re not alone.
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
Anything by Imagine Dragons (and the Civil Wars) is pretty much gold.
99 Problems by Hugo
It’s a completely new take on the Jay-Z song. By far one of the best cover songs I have heard. Hugo doesn’t stick to the racially charged lyrics Jay-Z drops, but instead does his variation which makes it fairly original despite a few similar lyrics and a similar beat.
Valerie by Amy Winehouse
Her soulful voice makes the song as good as it is. She had so much passion in her lyrics and her voice matched the music perfectly no matter what song. Valerie isn’t necessarily her deepest song (especially compared to the ones about her addictions), but it is a nice, soulful
Cough Syrup by Young the Giant
Despite the fact that it’s about abusing cough syrup (by some people’s interpretation), it’s a good song.
The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore by James Morrison
It’s simply about wanting what you can’t have and how, no matter how hard you try to make it work, things just fall apart. It’s a very touching song that goes perfectly with his raspy voice. In a way it pulls at the heart strings because he sings about how he tried to give the relationship his all, but at the end of the day, “the pieces don’t fit anymore”. That’s related able for any kind of situation; giving something your all and it just falls apart.