September rushed by faster than the speed of light, consequently catapulting me into a whole 'nother month. Where the hell did it go?
My mind is still living in the previous month, possibly because it wants to protect me from the panic that comes with the realisation that I'm going to be one year closer to death in less than a month from now. September is usually my month of safety and comfort. My birthday is still two months away and I'm too busy starting work and school again after my annual trip around the world (Europe) to even think about all the horrors that are ahead of me. In this case, by using the word horror, I didn't make a reference to Halloween, although I should've probably thought of something witty to say, to honour my favourite holiday of the year. Receiving free sweets for dressing up and wearing a ridiculous amount of make-up? Uhm yes, please, where do I sign up?
I'm slowly starting to realise that October's first week is nearly over, but just to show September some last bits of appreciation, I decided to show you a few of my favourite pieces of music from September's last couple of weeks.
Favourite artist of the month: FKJ
FKJ, which stands for 'French Kiwi Juice', is an artist I'll definitely take with me to October and probably to November, as well (I'm so committed, it's probably the closest thing to marriage I'll ever experience). Judging by the name, you could probably tell he is a French artist, in which case: 10 points to you, the answer is correct. What's still a little bit mysterious about him though is the Kiwi Juice part. Is it a very deep metaphor my mind's too limited to understand? Is there a story behind it? Or is the guy just really into drinking Kiwi Juice?
Luckily enough, you don't have to be into kiwi juice yourself in order to enjoy his album. If you're already listening to Tom Misch or other modern, jazz-y soul music, you might love 'Better Give U Up', 'Why Are There Boundaries' and 'Lying Together' just as much as I did, and will do in sickness and in health, in adversity and prosperity (are we married yet?).
Favourite music video of the month: Harry Styles covering The Chain
This was certainly not the first time Harry Styles surprised me this year, and especially after his Fleetwood Mac cover of The Chain, I'm not ashamed anymore to admit that I genuinely enjoy listening to the former One Direction member. I'm pretty sure we have all known for a long time that he has always been a solo artist, and that deep in his artistic, musical soul, he's been aware of it, too. However, I wouldn't have expected him to cover a classic with such authenticity and personal style. When did he have the time to go through this whole journey of self-discovery? I mean, it took me 18 years to find out what my musical heart desires, and I'm still not entirely sure who the hell I am (and how many). Maybe he's a magician, I don't know, but I also don't care, because I'm listening to his cover again as I'm writing this, which can't be anything else than a good sign. But what do I know? Just make up your own mind and after about 4 minutes and 20 seconds, you'll know yourself:
Favourite album of the month: The Killers - Wonderful Wonderful
2017 has blessed us with yet another amazing release. The Killers seem to be infected by the same virus that the Foo Fighters and Nothing But Thieves caught while writing their own most recent albums. Perhaps there's somethign in the autumn air, but instead of getting ill, losing their voice and feeling particularly close to death (last week's been rough, okay), they just become a little soft and create wonderfully melodic music? I feel like The Killers sat in the same car with them as they were driving down Nostalgia Lane, picking up pieces from old rock classics and incorporating them in their own music. I wouldn't say they went as far back as the Foo Fighters, because Wonderful Wonderful doesn't sound anything like the Beatles, but you can definitely tell they were revisiting the times when the Bee Gees were rocking glamorous glitter trousers, while also adding a dash of American funk and rythm into the pot.
Some of my personal favourites, which have already made it into my monthly playlist, are 'Life To Come', 'Run For Cover', 'The Calling' and 'The Man', which quickly made it on the list of top five most popular songs on their Spotify profile.
What have you been listening to lately?