One thing about me is that I seriously love music. I can’t go very long without playing music, singing or humming, or slapping arbitrary beats on my thighs. My biggest regret in life is never taking up an instrument or taking singing seriously. Back in the day when we had Walkmen/Discmen (a revived fad but still) instead of digital music, I would burn CDs or use my illegal downloads from LimeWire to make mixtapes for my parents’ cars, for my birthday parties and sometimes for a friend or two. I was really a DJ, don’t sleep. Now, that hobby has translated in making playlists - the Millennial Mixtape. Playlists are a fantastic music tool especially if you have AUX-iety.* This series is about my Spotify playlists, the inspiration behind them, their moods and a quick top 5. Think of it as the pairing guide on the back of your favorite Barefoot wine. All my playlists are carefully curated with love and good vibes. Most effective on shuffle. Enjoy with real friends.
Volume 1 of this installment is my first and favorite playlist. Mood Music started off as songs I would have liked to have playing softly in the background while I was “cuddled” against a warm body as the world thundered or blizzard-ed outside my window...but it developed into a list of my favorite chill jams. Still good for the cuddles, but also good for a solo jam session or a calm cyph with your woke friends. It consists heavily of my 2015-2017 favorites but with a good sprinkling of hits from earlier in time such as The Dream’s iconic “Falsetto.” Hence, “cuddled.”
Top 5
This top 5 was harder to organize than I anticipated. After all, these are some of my all-time favorite songs. Nevertheless, here are some of my favorite, favorites from this playlist.
[5] - While We’re Young by Jhene Aiko
Jhene’s voice adds a dreamy vibe to any song she’s on. This is exemplified and intensified on her latest chillest album, aptly dubbed Trip. The album and this song is definitely a trip or takes you one, depending on your mood and any added substances. The beat is as pillowy soft as Aiko’s voice, but with a kick of some bluesy guitar and airy cymbals that have you body rolling in your seat. This is one of those songs that makes you feel like you’re in a music video when you close your eyes with your head against the car window. You might find yourself stroking the glass longingly as if it were your far away lover. You exit the car and find yourself at the entrance of a meadow overgrown with baby’s breath and lavender. The lighting makes your highlight pop. Magical.
[4] - Insatiable by Prince
Prince drips sex appeal. If you Google “sex appeal” the only search result would be a picture of Prince smirking. Have you seen Purple Rain? End of discussion. The 1991 banger is a baby maker by all rights so BEWARE. Between Prince's silky crooning, a sultry-voiced woman moaning and sighing on the track, and the lyrics that read like a 70s porno script, this song is seriously sexy. And that’s just it. It’s the type of song that cues your parents to cover your eyes when you watched Rom-Coms with them as a kid. Pairs well with a lover and some red wine.
[3] - Ooh Nah Nah by SiR ft. Masego
SiR and Masego fall into the beautiful category of this new wave of R&B meets hip-hop meets funk the cool kids call Alternative R&B. Even though the message of their music doesn’t stray much from love and love-making vibe of the R&B we were conceived to, the sound is different. Modern is the word.
This song in particular is smooth. The way SiR’s voice rides the beat of the song is effortless and soothing. So much so that I believe him when he says “I can’t stop thinking of you.” He’s talking to ME. Throw in Masego scatting on beat to his saxaphone...eargasms. A winning combination. The only thing missing is some harmonies from the two. Maybe it would have been too much to handle.
[2] - Drip by Luke James
Okay, remember when I said the main intention of this playlist was to cuddle with your beau? Here’s another dangerous song. The unfairly sexy Luke James made a song called Drip. DRIP. It falls on the funk spectrum of Alternative R&B - think “Awaken! My Love” by Childish Gambino. So we’re back in that 70s porno kick-started by Prince and we’re loving it. Also it’s Luke James. This song frustrates me, it’s hard to even explain all the feels it has me feeling. Just have a listen, hopefully understanding will come.
[1] - Get You by Daniel Caesar ft. Kali Uchis
With shuffle off, this playlist opens with my absolute favorite song of 2017, Get You by Daniel Caesar ft. Kali Uchis. This song is magical for so many reasons, I could write a whole separate article about its perfection as a song. It’s the first song I heard from Daniel or Kali, and now I’m fans of both of them. This song is so melodious. Daniel’s singing rocks you gently until he hits that falsetto in the chorus, where he tosses you into the air. Kali adds ET babe vibes, like a Marina and the Diamonds/Lana Del Rey mashup. The two come together to give us this killer love song. Perfect for the lovestruck millennial.
Honorable Mentions
Girl - The Internet x Kaytranada; Teenage Fever by Drake.
And there we have it! Enjoy and feel free to leave comments and suggestions.
*AUX-iety: anxiety felt when you’re put in control of the music.
Eg:
“Yo, Kian, jump on the AUX.” ,
“No sah, I get AUX-iety.”