Put Me On: March 2021
Long month, even longer playlist. Let's get into it.
My favorite part about doing these playlists is watching how my music taste changes based on the weather or the moods or what I have going on. And boy is there an assortment - I start off slow, ranging from the more upbeat Parcels to country favorites like Marcus King and Taylor Swift. The middle of the playlist is a mix of all things electronic - from SOPHIE to Channel Tres, before I slow it down for some R&B faves that I’ll get into below. I went back to some hip-hop legends - Slick Rick, Nas and Jeezy sprinkled in the middle before I ended with more local rappers like Lil Gray and heavy hitters like Moneybagg Yo. All in all, it’s a trip, and you can listen to the full playlist with all my favorites on Spotify or Apple Music.
“Tokyo - Lo-Fi Version,” Leat’eq
Listen, you can find some GEMS on TikTok, okay? There’s not much to say about this track other than the fact that it’s become my go-to first thing in the morning as a calming way for to start my day. Who or whatever is sampled across the track provides the cutest backdrop to the rest of the song, with little sprinklings that keep you on your toes as you listen. This song is actually a slowed down, lo-fi version of the original, which is also fun, but features a bursting instrumental that gives off distinctly more EDM festival, dancing in a pit while wearing a flower crown vibes. While the lo-fi version is the type of song that’s so easy to listen to that you’ll find yourself playing it over and over again while you just float along and listen.
The first time I heard this, I felt like I’d been put in a trance. There’s something so delightfully eerie about the very beginning - the layered vocals introduce you to a myriad of feelings that stick with you throughout. The way Shakka’s voice comes in it feels like he’s grabbing your hand and leading you down a hallway and when the beat drops it all comes together for the perfect moment. It almost feels as if you can picture a tiny cabal of singers in the background crooning right there along with him. And yes, I gave it a dramatic description because for the first few days after I stumbled across this track I couldn’t help but put it on repeat and just listen to all the layers of sounds that caught my ears.
This song is by no means new - it’s the first track off Giveon’s GRAMMY-nominated project Take Time which dropped in early 2020 - and it almost feels as if it’s been constantly playing in the background of my life for the last year. It’s come back into my rotation this month as I’ve eased into listening to more…shall I say…calmer music on a regular basis. Giveon first rose to international prominence for his feature on Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle” off of last year’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes (the Jersey club remix is better), and since then he’s skyrocketed to the forefront of the industry. And this exponential rise in popularity is no doubt due in part to his amazing ability to sing quite literally anything and make it sound both romantic and haunting, as if he’s pulling the emotions out of you with every note.
“Unlock It,” Charli XCX, Kim Petras & Jay Park
I’m sad to say that this month is the first time I’d ever heard this song, but happy to say that since hearing it, my mornings have become infinitely more exciting. And although I’m new to this track in particular, I’ve never questioned the talent and innovation of Charli XCX. I first started listening to her back in 2013 with her trippy, Tumblr hit “What I Like” (this was a moment). Since then, her sound has evolved many times over depending on the song. “Unlock It” is a feel good pop anthem, with a chorus so catchy that you can’t help but bob along. While I could’ve done without the rap verse on this and could’ve used an extra minute of her and Kim Petras, this is another one of those Charli songs that you just obsess when you find it and don’t stop until you have another one to take its place (might I suggest this 2019 bop, “Shake It”).
Speaking of pop legends, this song is a feel-good electropop anthem from the late producer SOPHIE. What I love most about it is its energy - the constant stream of claps, the sped up vocals, and the squeaky pitch of voice is enough to give you a bolt of energy as you listen along. Towards the middle of the song we hear a break and a gradual build to a cathartic moment where the claps re-enter and the chorus eventually starts back up at an even more dynamic pace than before. This song became another morning pump up track for me this month, not really sure what this says about what I have going on in the mornings but whew does it make a difference.
“Werewolves of London,” Warren Zevon
There’s nothing I love more than keeping people on their toes with the inclusion of a seemingly random track somewhere in the playlist. I was shown this song after admitting that I have a sweet spot for Lynrd Skynyrd’s 1974 track, “Sweet Home Alabama” (there’s a whole problematic history behind that song that I do suggest you look into). What’s exciting about “Werewolves of London,” however, is that you get the same, delightful melody of “Sweet Home Alabama” without all the sociopolitical, racist baggage. Seriously, listen to the two songs back to back. The best part is they take the title of track seriously to the point that they even howl all over the chorus and the music video features the most casual inclusion of a werewolf in pop culture that I’ve ever seen.
“Street Talkin’,” Slick Rick & Outkast
First of all, they FLOATED on this. It is CRAZY how smooth this whole song is, just absolutely crazy. The beat is both funky and clean - with flourishes peppered in here and there in such a way that could only come from the production of Jazze Pha. Slick Rick, of course, is a legend in hip-hop. Known for his penchant for storytelling and distinct voice, there’s too many essential songs from Slick Rick to name them all, but I would suggest starting with either “The Show,” “Children’s Story,” or any track off his debut album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (he also made a recent appearance on the cover art for Drake’s 2018 single with French Montana, “No Stylist”). When you add Big Boi to the mix it’s just unbelievable how good this song is. Every verse hits, and they switch up their flows with no effort and still manage to make what sounds like a perfect record.
Polo G is arguably one of the most talented young rappers out right now - whether we’re talking flow, versatility, creativity, he’s got it. Personally, my favorite verse of his is even more random than this selection - it’s his feature on the remix to BigKayBeezy’s brief viral hit “Bookbag 2.0,” but Polo G is on there rapping his ass off. “Gang With Me” on the other hand, is a one off from 2018, back when he was just starting to gain traction for early hits like “Finer Things” and his chart-topping collaboration with New York’s Lil Tjay, “Pop Out.” This is yet another song in a long line of remixes of 50 Cent’s hit “Many Men,” from his debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, and the song, though not nearly as commercially popular as “In Da Club” (or, technically “Wanksta”), has become one of the most legendary early 2000s hip-hop tracks to pull from. What makes Polo G’s version so special, though - is the piano melody that mirrors his voice, cruising alongside him as he earnestly sings 50’s original lyrics on the chorus before he jumps back into spitting the rest of his verses.
Is it even a playlist if I don’t have a Maryland artist on it at this point? Besides the fact that Lor Dae is from Baltimore, I can’t help but find myself drawn to how he’s singing on this track. I love a rapper who sings, because so often artists get trapped in the box of the one, popular sound rather than letting the beat take them where they need to go on a song. With this, we get a sprinkle of melody across a track that treads the water between rap and R&B, as Lor Dae soulfully sings along. The beat isn’t even anything crazy, but it’s what he does with it that really draws you in.
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Well, that’s it for March. Check out the full playlist with alllll my favorites of the month on Spotify or Apple Music.
This newsletter is completely free to read, but each month I’ll highlight a different community organization, and feel free to donate if you so choose. This month, in light of the recent attacks against Asian Americans across the United States, I encourage you to check out CAAAV, a community-based organization that helps empower low-income Asian immigrants and refugees in New York City.
See you next month!
Tia