If July proves anything, it’s that I’m hard to make an algorithm for. It may be easier to pinpoint who my favored artists are than what songs and genres I jump between on a month to month basis. Recommending something I might like? I give it 40/60 odds at best. Like June, I had to narrow it down from almost 40 liked songs and a few albums on rotation—down to what I could seriously determine as my ‘favorites.’ Additionally, there was a bit more overlap than previously with songs from last month that took a while to grow on me. In some ways, this list has become a personal competition of sorts.
Luckily we have rules: no more than 20 songs per month, no more than 1 song per artist (not counting features), and no more than 3 songs per compilation album. At the end of the year, only songs from each of these monthly lists will be eligible for the Best Of list. My music, as always, is culminated from Spotify, recommendations from friends, other music platforms (such as YouTube), and devotion to some of my favorite artists and the content they put out.
Was July as random as I’m leading you to believe?
- “Make You Mine” by Big Mood and Varsha Vinn ~ Got sugar and spice in my nature
- “Renegade” by Big Red Machine feat. Taylor Swift ~ Let all your damage damage me
- “NDA” by Billie Eilish ~ At least I gave him something he can cry about
- “Bezos I” by Bo Burnham ~ Look at where you came from, look at you now
- “Blood Bank” by Bon Iver ~ I’m in love with your cheeks
- “Bunny is a Rider” Caroline Polachek ~ Satellite can’t find her
- “我愛你” by Cody・Lee(李) ~ 今夜、君を抱きしめたい
- “What’s Coming to Me” by Dorothy ~ I ain’t got time to sit and pray
- “Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran ~ And I know I’ll lose control of the things that I say
- “Healing” by FLETCHER ~ But all the mistakes made me who I’ve become
- “Hip to Be Scared” by Ice Nine Kills feat. Jacoby Shaddix ~ With my beauty routines and a fridge full of spleens
- “Least Favorite Only Child” by Leanna Firestone ~ I cut and dyed my hair to try to feel like someone new
- “Solar Power” by Lorde ~ My cheeks in high color, overripe peaches
- “Natasha’s Lullaby” by Lorne Balfe ~ Пусть кровь скудеет в жилах
- “Just Fucking Let Me Love You” by Lowen ~ And we can buy a one way ticket pack our shit and travel the world
- “CORALINE” by Måneskin ~ Ogni tua piccola lacrima è oceano sopra al mio viso
- “Si Tú Me Quiseras” by Mon Laferte ~ Hago mil cosas pa’ no pensar
- “Lamentis-1, 2077” by Natalie Holt ~ Instrumental
- “favorite crime” by Olivia Rodrigo ~ ‘Cause I was going down, but I was doing it with you
- “Caught in the Middle” by Paramore ~ No, I don’t need no help / I can sabotage me by myself
So, as I predicted last month, we did have film scores and songs in other languages. I don’t think I could have predicted going for songs in Japanese, Russian, Italian, and Spanish but they were all great. We even had some that didn’t make the cut in French! Olivia Rodrigo is still on replay—now featured in CD form in my car—and I’ve obviously been listening to Paramore’s After Laughter again (take that as you will).
Next month, I’ll be listening to Billie Eilish and Lorde’s new albums on repeat. I’m guessing I might switch genres back to indie, maybe something with a rock edge, or lean toward the country or vintage sounds. It’s hard to say what I’ll be in the mood for or what I’ll be inspired by, but I guess that’s the fun of discovery. It’s a whole wide world of music and the technology is right at our fingertips. Why not give new horizons a listen?
Until then, you can find the currently complete What I’m Listening To 2021 playlist here.
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