WELL, this series was meant to be surrounded in lush tropics as we aptly name it the Summer Song of the Day, but as we’ve had our summer for all but three days with our familiar friend, rain returning to our lands, I’ve had to sink back to the elusive name of Song of the Day.
This time, it’s the garnered and adventurous funk-fusion mega-band that simply jam and stick it to the man with their catastrophic flexes of making such diverse and richly compelling music. Led by bassist, Michael League – and one of my favourite drummers to listen too, Larnell Lewis – Snarky Puppyare one of those big-league big-bands that are simply not worthy to miss out any music they’ve made – – future or past.
Snarky Puppy released their twelfth studio album, Immigrance in 2019, a chop-fanatic focused of dark limerick that boils well within their album counterparts of 2012’s GroundUP and 2014’s We Like It Here, an album that showed admiration for the city of London, in where it was aptly recorded in full-length, too.
This is the album that features our apt song of the day, too. Shofukan. Stream it on any service or buy it wherever available. I can ensure you of a pleasurable musical experience, my friends.
Not to mention their 2020 live album at the Royal Albert Hall that earned them an esteemed Grammy Award the following year for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
The fruity ensemble are set to return to live gigs and shows around America in September 2021 with more dates to follow, I’m sure.
But growing up with 6 million dollars net worth at 18 in music is an incredulous feat that no one would ever dare to undertake.
Ellish’s sudden global rise to fame has been seeped over her music ever since she released Ocean Eyes at the age of 15.
Her music ultimately portrays such an intoxicating environment – with melancholic moments and agitated arks when it simply got too much.
Now just turned 19, it seems Ellish has veered onto a new path.
With her second studio album, Happier Than Ever.
Is this a turn of the tides for the artist finally being happy and comfortable with who she is?
With the help of her producing brother, Finneas, Billie has had the eternal spotlight on her since she was 15, and is no stranger to enduring the ugly side of such an industry.
Certainly, starting so young in an industry will almost never result in a healthy life.
Billie Eilish has used her empowering status and power figure in the arts to cast light on important topics such as depression, body image, self-doubt and a certain sense ofimposter syndrome.
Despite being having such a different childhood to many other esteemed teenagers, we have never felt connected more to a music artist than Billie Eilish.
With an overwhelming sense of dread with tours, press and the unbelievable amount of pressure that comes with it all, Eilish has been growing up with us since 2017 is truly an avid watch, and I would recommend to watch her documentary, The World’s a Little Blurry.
don’t smile at me, 2017
____________________________
Her acclaimed status started gaining momentum when the temptations of don’t smile at me appeared in 2017, with the cardinal feature of Ocean Eyes, which certainly made heads turn.
WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, 2019
____________________________
After a few scary years up and down struggling with anxiety, depression and true identity all the while growing up as a teenager, her debut album, WHEN WE FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? in 2019. Although slightly more contemptuous in style compared to the likes of Ocean Eyes, it showed an insatiable side to the teenage artist we hadn’t seen before. The sheer humble beginnings of such a debut scored her one of the biggest North America debuts in North America, and solidified her colossal rise with 5 GRAMMYs.
She is now set on a new journey on her own truly reflecting where she feels with herself right now. With us already being indulged with the soothing tones of Your Power, I feel this album will allow us to see another chapter in this artists’ life. Going off the decision of such a title, let’s hope it’s a happier one …
Vanity Fair Interview: One thing that is fascinating to witness and watch the simply intriguing journey this young artist has gone through to super pop stardom is to watch the Vanity Fair interview with Billie Eilish: Same Interview series. You can start the series via the link below:
“I want to know if it’s all worth it, because it’s tiring as heck.”
-Billie Eilish, 2017.
_____
“You forget that I’m literally 18, it’s funny to be expected to have found myself and stick with it, you know? I’m trying different things out, I’m different ways of living. I’m just trying it all out cause I’m a growing f*cking girl.”
-Billie Eilish, Same Interview, The Fourth Year: Nov 30, 2020
I had to do it. There’s something so stereotypical and predictable about the shrewd and twangy of pop romanticising about emotion, heartbreak and lust. And I love it.
So, in true fashion accommodating to the popular, I made a playlist returns with a Pop Romantics playlist for you. Whether you’re an individual in heartbreak, in a friendship wishing for something more, or in an amazing relationship with someone you hold dearly in your life, Pop Romantics is perfect for you. It’s perfect because everyone has experienced their fair share of love, right?
Get emotional below. Let me know your fantasy favourites or ones you intend to avoid.
“If anything at all, music is the soundtrack of your life. Music are those memories that stay with you within the verses. Simply put, the only truth in it all is the music. You can’t lie with music – it’s all there, laid out for all to see. Music is a unity for us all to embrace.
A hundred people can relate to a song a million different ways – and we can all still sing it and relate to one another. Whether that be one’s living room or in a summers’ field, music joins us together and makes us whole.
Down for a cry? Down for a laugh? Stick some of your faves and go either way with it.”
Mike Kerr [left – bass/lyrics] Ben Thatcher [right – drums]
After Royal Blood recently announcing the coming of their third studio album … TYPHOONS … set to be released on the 30th of April, the Brighton duo have been just as straight-talking with their music since 2013 …
but how has their music evolved over time?
________________________________________________
“We’ve feel like we’ve made our favourite album.”
– Mike Kerr, BBC Radio 1’s Future Sounds, in talks about the third album, 2021
_________________________________________________
The Origins: Out of the Black (2013)
I remember the moment when Out of the Black came on the radio in 2013 from this band no-one had really heard of before. And, I was blown away.
It was a unique moment. A hard-hitting, and high-spirited youthful duo with a unique sound to their name. A tailored technique to make a bass play like that of an electronic guitar – like, what? It was absurdly cool to think of such a thing, and for it to work, too. They burst onto the scene in glorious fashion due to their unique playing and compelling songwriting first airing on local stations within Brighton, then before they knew it, they were playing on Radio 1.
They then kept on coming. From Out of the Black, we were lurched into a frenzy with Figure It Out in 2014, and then we completely lost it when we were told an album was going to be released in the same year.
In anticipation for their debut album, Royal Blood, the single, “Figure it Out” managed to go platinum with a total of 600,000 sales of the song itself.
Then, of course – it came.
________________________________________
The Debut: Royal Blood (2014)
The debut self-titled album hit the shelves in spectacular fashion, trailblazing the way for creative and unique ways to share the love of heavy, hard-hitting rock to the fans – and was an instant success. Not only did it Chart Number 1 here in the UK, but was also known to be the fastest-selling UK rock debut album for 3 years. landing them an impressive scoring of achieving platinumtwice.
Apart from the pre-released singles of course, their notably-shattering singles “Come on Over“, “Little Monster” (for that drum part) and “Loose Change” from the album brought the whole thing round to a stupendous close for me. But then again, you can’t really pick this album apart song-by-song, because the whole thing is quality.
In just less than a year of the album releasing, the band were playing headline shows to packed anthem crowds and sharing stages with Foo Fighters and Iggy Pop in 2015. Which I went to, of course! What a throwback.
__________________________________________
The Sequel: How Did We Get So Dark? (2017)
Just as raw and aggressive, their second album soon followed after in 2017, ‘How Did we Get So Dark?‘ which painted a more dismal mood to their music than the last.
With honourable mentions including, Lights Out and I Only Lie When I Love You, their second album not only solidified their desire and willingness to pump out more ecstatic songs but also allowed them to reach new boundaries musically than what they ever did with the debut.
Along with the improve rate of the production, their confidence as lyricists and song-writers improved massively, as the depth of their songs made us delve deeper into the plethora of how talented these pair were. With Don’t Tell and Sleep straying off from the beaten path, their exploration widened and gave us a more mature album, if you like. Although not as commercially successful as the first, they had evolved as commercial music artists themselves.
Will we it be the same in their third album?
_________________________________________________
Into the Third: TYPHOONS (2021)
Since 2017, it’s safe to say the pair has been keeping themselves on the down low and out of the spotlight. That was until they announced in late September 2020 of their lead single, Trouble’s Coming, that was set to be placed on an album in the near future sometime soon.
_______________________________________________
“I think we set the bar so high for this one … we wanted to really make something that we felt that was better than anything we’d ever made and yet, simultaneously felt fresh.
We didn’t want to come back with an album that could’ve been a mix of our last records – there’s something that just felt gross about that and it wouldn’t of been creatively satisfying.”
– Mike Kerr, BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds, 22/01
________________________________________________
With the sheer bass and velocity along on the song to bring out the stanky face, it was a worthy choice to announce the Brighton boys they’re back.
When you compare this single to their debut, it shows how much they were initially holding back from their debut. This simply just implores that these two have become more well-rounded musicians surmounting themselves for an equally-impressive third album, and I can’t wait for it.
And now? Now, they’ve finally announced their third album, TYPHOONS, set for release on the April 30th. On the 21st of this month, they also announced the next self-titled single, Typhoons – which is just as hard-hitting and resounding as Trouble’s Coming.
_____________________________________
“It felt more confident as well [talking about the making of Typhoons], like we knew the world we were in and the parameters of it”
– Mike Kerr, BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds, 22/01
______________________________________
With these two singles you can see their confidence, maturity and sheer attitude has shifted into creating something better than they have ever created before.
Regardless what I say about their music evolving though, whether it will take the title from the debut is another story. It’s certainly going to be difficult to top that one.
