A playlist for my readers

By Adrianna Elias

Music Journalist

Dear Reader,

Recently, I have been having a tough time getting through my day. I think that third-week slump has gotten to us both, so to counteract this, I have curated a playlist as a remedy to be on our come back this next week, called “Fourth Grade.” If you see me in the streets, I am zoned in on this playlist. Here is a taste:

“Impossible” – Teezo Touchdown

A song I needed during this trying time. “Who said it would be impossible?” This song feels like Bizaardvark, if that makes sense. It is encouraging in a Disney Channel way. A breakout artist for me and many others, Teezo Touchdown just released his debut album, How Do You Sleep at Night? this month. I, as well as many others, were highly anticipating the album after riding the high of his feature on Travis Scott’s Utopia. He is the type of artist some may hate for his unique style, but I enjoy him for his style and persona. Check out “Sweet” and Jarris Jones full album review on the blog!

“RING!!!” – Maryyx2

I LOVE MARYYX2!!! I found this artist recently, and she is all I listen to. The kind of techno-hyper-pop sampling in her songs is my favorite thing now. It really helps me want to be out and around people as I can pretend that I am inside a computer screen saver or webbed into the coding. Chukwuka Nwobi, aka Maryyx2, is a Nigerian artist who weaves sound into an image world to bring more dimension to the offbeat beauty that you can find in the 10 dense and quirky alternative tracks that feel cool, slick and modern. She draws heavy inspiration from Lagos, creating beauty out of chaos. Check her out and read up on her, please.

“Spirit 2.0” – Sampha

He is back. Sampha is another beloved artist in both the rap and r&b worlds. Working with big artists like Frank Ocean and Drake, Sampha’s angelic, soft and melodic voice carry on tracks to add a little somber note. He announced the release of his new album, Lahai, the long-awaited follow-up to Process, which is out next month. “Now I’m drifting into open skies, and I ain’t scared as before,” Sampha says, sounding like he is relieved at racing towards the unknown. As scary as it is, you and I both know we must carry on despite having no clue what we are doing, and Sampha really hit that sentiment in this song.

The Hype Songs

We needed something hype! A few hype songs that will have you walking with a little something in your step.

“PANIC!!!” – Paris, Texas

This song is very explicit. I am sorry, but it makes you feel like you can hit your chest, run a mile, and take on the world. Something I need during this time of crisis. I wrote about Paris, Texas, and their latest album MIDAIR a couple of months ago, if you’re interested, go check that out!

“Come Here” – Dominick Fike

Unfortunately, at only a minute and seventeen seconds long, this is one of, if not my favorite, songs Dominick Fike has released. I remember vividly watching “DOMINIC FIKE PRESENTS: FIGHT OR FLIGHT” back in 2020, where Fike jumps out of an airplane and “Come Here” starts playing. The guitar and vocal effects in this song really established for me what Fike’s sound was, and it is exactly the direction he took in parts of Sunburn. (I also wrote about this album.)

“Van Gogh” – JID ft. Lil’ Yachty

Another September release, JID dropped two singles on the first of the month and surprised fans with the news of a new album to be released before the teased collaboration album with Metro Boomin. Forever & a Day does not have a set release date, but based on this song alone, I feel some heat coming our way.

Those are my sneak peeks for you listen to the full playlist here!! I hope you enjoy it, if not… Look for another playlist on my account. Run wild, have fun, and I hope you feel better.

XoXo,

Adrianna :)