I got the idea to sit outside and listen to my summer playlist whilst writing about some of my favourite songs. It’ll be a good exercise for me to not overthink my writing and you will get some killer song and album recommendations. Now I’m in the garden on a blanket with a glass of ice water, a notebook and my headphones.
My summer involves working in a retirement home and some travelling. At the beginning of this month, I went to the Roskilde Festival which was an entire week of live music. I had so many incredible live music experiences and some of the artists I saw made it onto this playlist. I’ll most likely do an entire post about the festival here as well but at the moment I’m just trying to figure out how to structure my thoughts.
In about a week, I’m going to Iceland with my family for a weeklong hike. I’ve never done it before so I’m a little bit scared of all the things that could go wrong, but my dad is a hiking pro so I’m sure we’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to seeing all the beautiful landscapes and forgetting about the rest of the world for a week.
I’m seeing Nieve Ella open for girl in red in September so I’m trying to get into her music. She’s an indie pop/rock singer-songwriter who has been all over my social media feeds for a while now. Sugarcoated is the type of song that would be perfect on the soundtrack of a grainy coming-of-age movie. The song is about social anxiety and feeling overwhelmed having to answer to a bunch of people which I assume is related to her blowing up online and going on tour for the first time.
This song was my immediate favourite from Charm by Clairo, the album which has been taking over my Spotify since it came out. Clairo is really good at noticing the details in her surroundings. In this song she mentions a candle and a record that are supposedly in the apartment where she is experiencing what to me sounds like the ending phase of a relationship. The classical instrumentals are smooth and the sound of a Clairo song can always bring me comfort. I love how she paints a picture and gives the listener a glimpse into small interactions.
A classic lesbian yearning indie pop song which coincidentally also feels like it would be perfect in a coming-of-age movie. Carol Ades recently played her first European show in London and I was sad I couldn’t be there but also happy because it means she can finally do a tour here soon. I’ve been a fan of hers ever since she released her first single I Can’t Wait to Be British which came out around the same time I was moving to study abroad in the UK, because I always need a song about what is going on in my life.
brat has really been getting me to work at 6am. Sometimes you need a fun pop song about having a crush to forget about the fact that it's actually 6am and you’re on your way to work. I’ve been living off of the high that was seeing Charli XCX at Roskilde Festival. It truly lived up to all my expectations and more. Caroline Polachek showed up to sing the Welcome To My Island remix and I fear I’ll never shut up about it. If you want to read my in-depth thoughts on the brat as well as Girl, so confusing the version with Lorde I recently wrote an essay on it which I'll link down below.
The Beaches Roskilde show was one of the best of the entire festival. Their live performance has reached new heights since I saw them in Paris in December. Their chemistry and ease on stage is unmatched. They make playing a rock show look like a walk in the park. Roskilde was their first-ever European festival and they played this new song which is about “being a piece of shit”. The best way to describe this song is that it sounds like a Beaches song. A sarcastic indie rock banger about an argument in true Blame My Ex fashion, the title of their last record and this tour. The band recently opened up for The Rolling Stones which is huge considering I thought they were only famous to lesbians.
The intro song to Maya Hawke’s third album Chaos Angel is a sweet song about finding the courage to let people in. It’s nostalgic, calming and feels perfect for summer. At the same time, the song feels very anxious and hesitant in a way that almost makes me feel a bit uneasy. Maya Hawke has managed to capture the fear of letting someone in through the production as well as the lyrics. It’s simple yet effective in a way only the most skilled artists can achieve.
Like Maya Hawke, I always trust Maggie Rogers to write something simple yet impactful. The Don’t Forget Me album is simplifying and bringing her back to her roots: her voice and her storytelling in comparison to her previous record Surrender which was more about the intense emotions and was full of explosive production. This song is about the downfall of a relationship. The Kill tells the story of two people who are sucking the life out of each other with the metaphor of animals literally hunting down and killing each other. It’s done in a way that is playful and enjoyable to listen to but also punches you in the gut.
FML is another fun song about having a crush. Towa Bird makes indie rock/pop music in her own name, and is also the guitarist for one of my favourite artists Renée Rapp. I’ve been enjoying Towa’s debut album, American Hero recently and this song is one of my favourites. If theres one thing I love in this world it’s a lesbian with a guitar which makes me the target audience for this album. The guitar really stands out as well as quite silly and playful lyrics that make the album a super fun listening experience
Another debut album I’ve been enjoying is What A Devastating Turn of Events by Rachel Chinouriri. Pocket is an acoustic and gentle love song. It was announced recently that Rachel Chinouriri will be opening for Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet tour. I failed miserably at getting tickets yesterday but they have another sale on Thursday so I’ll be trying my luck again. Seeing Rachel and Sabrina on the same night is not something I want to miss out on and I’m sure this tour will make Rachel’s career skyrocket even more than it is at the moment.
Crash is also a love song. It’s the title track from Kehlani's new album Crash. An album which I haven’t seen a lot of people talk about. It's super Kehlani but at the same time quite experimental and showcases how much they have grown as an artist. I have admired Kehlani for years but something is different recently. Kehlani has been very vocal about being a lesbian and decentering men for the past year or two and she seems to have truly found herself which is a pleasure to witness. The lesbianism is also loud and clear on this album and in a lot of current pop music. The lesbians are having a moment and I hope it never ends.
Remi Wolf's mind truly fascinates me. What she has created with Big Ideas is unique, vibrant, colourful just so Remi Wolf. This song is silly and playful and I think that is something a lot of artists forget the importance of. If you want to make music that is fun to listen to you have to let go and not take yourself so seriously. This album is a masterclass in that and this song is one of my favourites.
Katie Gavin, the lead singer of MUNA dropped her debut single Aftertaste yesterday so I obviously had to add it to the playlist. She also announced that she is releasing a solo album called what a relief and going on tour in the States. Aftertaste is a song about catching up with an old lover. It's more of a folk/country sound whilst MUNA tends to be more electronic and upbeat. It reminds me of some of the slow MUNA songs like Kind of Girl and I’m so excited to see what the rest of the album sounds like.
Here is the full playlist! It has all the song as well as some bonuses. I hope you find a new song or album that you enjoy :)
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Links:
brat essay:
my review of The Beaches in Paris: