January Playlist | 2021

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

Wait, is this the first post for 2021? It must be true, and it must be in the form of a playlist too since that's most of what I want to actually write about this period. So, firstly HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone is having a *somewhat* better start to the year than whatever the hell happened in 2020. I gotta admit, I'm not one for keeping high expectations for each new year, but I too like the rest of the world felt a tiny spark of hope when the clocks passed midnight. Of course, not much has changed since then, but I implemented a few new habits that have been keeping me feeling like I have control over some microscopic parts of my life in a very uncertain time. Perhaps that will be a future post all in itself, but for now, let's talk music!

This month has probably been the most musically cohesive one thus far, as every song could easily fit into the R'n'B genre. However, some songs are slower and some more upbeat, depending on the mood I was in at the time. And by the look of this playlist, I've been in A LOT of moods in January. I think everyone can find something that might fit their liking in this playlist, so without further ado, let's kick 2021 off with what I've had on repeat all of January!

Masego is back on another playlist, this time with "Bye Felicia" which is probably one of the coolest songs I've heard this year. The tempo of this song is unmatched, and I absolutely love the dark undertones of the beat, and boy oh boy don't even get me started on the last 25 seconds of the song and that epic saxophone! I am definitely loving everything he's been putting out in the last year, and will definitely explore more of his music in 2021!

"Fue Mejor" is one of those extremely sultry songs that always manages to catch your attention upon first hearing - and then she hits us with the Spanish. "Tu no me conoces" indeed, yesss tell em Kali Uchis! And then PARTYNEXTDOOR's part kicks in and completes the equation on how a songstress and a rapper's collab should sound like. 

I haven't had Drake on a playlist in a looong time, but hey it's a new year I guess? However, I must admit that "Outta Time" is way more low key than anything Drake related, mainly because it's Bryson Tiller's song and the vibes are chill and strictly R'n'B. After a few repeats, I came to the conclusion that this song sounds veeeery early 2000s R'n'B and that's what initially drew me to it. 

This next one is like a mishmash of multiple songs but somehow sounds amazing together? "Track 6" by Ty Dolla $ign feat. Kanye West, Anderson .Paak & Thundercat sounds exactly like you'd imagine, a whole lotta different hip hop/r'n'b styles mixed together, yet sounding completely in unison! My personal favorite is Anderson .Paak's part, but I guess that's to no one's surprise. 

Duckwrth is my absolute hidden treasure find of this year! This man can't do wrong - and yes I am saying this with only having heard two of his songs. And those two of course made their way into my January playlist (and I'm sure he will be back again in February!). So far, "Kiss U Right Now" and "Super Bounce" have been on constant repeat, but let me tell you, they couldn't be more different from one another even if they tried. Kiss U Right Now is downtempo, moody, a bit more lethargic, while Super Bounce is exactly what the title entails - upbeat, groovy, with a 70s flair and a bit of an Anderson .Paak influence. 

Brent Faiyaz is yet another musician that is yet to be fully on my radar, but with a song like "Dead Man Walking", I can definitely say that I'm on the right track. This one is a slower R'n'B track that has a slow linear buildup, which I quite like in songs (e.g. Banks and her music are a top-tier example of slow buildups). And finally, you'll be glad to know that I did not find this song through Tik Tok, but through a friend so we're making progress! 

My queen Doja Cat is back with "Candy", which isn't a new release but it was new to me when I first heard it back in December! Apparently, this one was a Tik Tok song too, so I guess I can check off "token song(s) Tik Tok made famous" off the list. 

You know when someone asks you about your relationship status, and you fight back every cell in your body telling you to make things awkward by saying Single as fuck while singing it off-tune and high pitched, sorta like a commercial jingle meets 90s whistle tone Mariah Carey? Yeah, Fousheé did exactly that and now we have "Single af" which is probably one of the more fabulous songs on this playlist. It's so hilarious that it's genius: a slow 90s style groovy ballad with the most catchy chorus ever. I love her for even coming up with this concept, and let's not even begin to talk about her superb vocal abilities. 

From one badass lady to another, we're switching language gears and hopping onto the Senidah train, this time with "Strava". It's, say it with me kids, groovy as hell! I completely fell in love with this one, you know I'm a sucker for a good 80s synth-wave sound, and it's so subtle yet effective here that it makes me so proud to be living in a world where there's quality Balkan music. 

"No Kink In The Wire" by Cosha was one of those random suggested songs on my Spotify, and boy is it a gem and a half. I love how soothing this song sounds, and I looove the hook and chorus. Her voice sounds like a warm hug, and now that I think about it this whole song sounds like that as well. 

In my previous playlist post, I praised the hell outta Galimatias, so it's only natural that he's on here too. This time, it's in the form of a collab with Bas, and they created the masterpiece that is "GPS". It's got all the signature Galimatias aspects: dreamy ethereal electronica, and it's just as good as it sounds. 

And that wraps up the first playlist for 2021! As always, click HERE for the playlist on Spotify, HERE for the playlist on Youtube, or just on each individual title above. Happy listening!