December Playlist | 2020

Photo by Maryna Yazbeck on Unsplash

Hello all!

It seems only fitting to end this year with a December Playlist, the blog post that kept me from completely falling behind on blogging in 2020. This month has been filled with lots of sitting at home, lots of reading, lots of writing. I truly feel like the first half of December flew by and the second half is just holding on for dear life, dragging on just to make us all look forward to the end of this godforsaken year even more. At first, I wanted to include a little recap of this year in this part, what I've learned and what I've achieved, but I am so completely over this year in general that it pains me to reflect and go off on a tangent (yet again). So, I'm keeping it short and sweet, and letting all the songs I've listened to this month tell the story I'm dreading to write. So, grab a drink, turn down the lights in your room and take a mental trip down my December memory lane. 

The second half of December was marked by Mystery Lady by Masego and Don Toliver - it has been on repeat literally 24/7 and the people that follow me on Spotify can confirm. It's so vibey, chill yet upbeat, and a complete sensory experience. I absolutely love the simplicity of this track and Masego's vocals that are just pure butter on hot toast. Also, if I could listen to the first 25 seconds of this song on repeat for hours, I would. 

Token Tik Tok song for December issss *drumroll please* No Role Modelz by J. Cole! This one went just perfectly with the whole lights atmosphere I had set up for myself and it quickly became my favorite part of the day. If I squint just enough it's like I'm in a chilled-out club which IDK if that's a thing but in my mind it is. 

Okay, but why was Zabranjujem such a VIBE this December for me?? I don't have an answer, just the fact that the song is really cool, the simple RnB beat is super chill and that chorus is super catchy. It's moody but chill at the same time which is, as we know, one of my fave types of songs. And that video is super cool as well, really refreshing to see from the Serbian music scene. 

If you're listening to Californian Soil for the first time right now, yes, it does remind you of something. And that something is Teardrop by Massive Attack. However, this Maya Jane Coles remix takes the original melodic and transient Californian Soil, flips it and creates this whole dimension of darkness and intensity. Although I like the original version as well, this remix evokes images in my mind that are much more intense. 

You might recognize Galimatias' name from his EP with Alina Baraz (which is truly iconic), and he's back once again with his signature experimental ethereal electronica sound, this time with Shy Dancer which is both the grooviest and most chill sound I've heard in a while. It's as if EDM and RnB had a child, and this is it.

My fave Swedish duo Bennett is back baby! This time, it's a groovy and upbeat collaboration with Kamohelo for Lev Med Mig. This is one of those makes-you-wanna-dance-in-a-club types of songs, and I think everyone who'll listen to this one will agree with me, especially with that chorus. I was reading this interview with the two brothers that make up Bennett and there was this one comment from Sammy Bennett that I completely agreed with when it comes to listening to music that isn't necessarily English, which said: " I think that Swedish music, or I can speak for Swedish hip hop at least, with all the rhythms and flows and all of that … it’s all universal. You don’t need a language to understand that “ouff this strikes, this flows”." So, don't be basic, expand your music horizons ;)

The Code is back on my playlists, this time with East London, SA which is an electronica-afrobeat mix that sounds exactly as good as you think. I really respect The Code because they have such a distinctive sound that even when I heard this song (which sounds rather different from their previous sound) my mind immediately went to them. It's a short but sweet track, so I highly recommend giving it a listen!

Matveï's Overdose is a BOP! It's such a cool experience with headphones on, I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for something that will teleport you to a seaside party in the Mediterranean. It has slight Latin vibes, yet not Latin at all. It's like a really cool electronica hybrid but think Ibiza on a yacht. 

Okay, let's bring some funk into the mix, shall we? Z++ released a new album (which I am yet to fully go through) and Moj Svijet completely blew me away. It's catchy, it's funky, it's reminding me of Anderson Paak? If you're looking for a feel-good song with a catchy bass line, this is the one for you. 

I keep on talking about how I love the 80s and 90s sound in more modern songs, so I think it's about time I included the real deal in a playlist. Poison by the group Bell Biv Devoe is just early 90s RnB in its true essence - so if you're looking for something funky and groovy, this is the one for you!

And that wraps up 2020! As always, you can click on each individual title above or click HERE for the whole playlist on Youtube and HERE for the playlist on Spotify. Happy listening & see ya in 2021!