Songs that I'm listening to right now

I feel like people are to some extent defined by the music that they enjoy. Looking though somebody’s iPod or phone or Spotify library is always super interesting – maybe I’ll recognize some artists or albums! I always like seeing what other people are listening to, so I guess I’ll start first.

You could also follow me on last.fm to see what I’m listening to on Spotify. One of the reasons that I’m using Spotify over something like Apple Music or Google Play Music is that there’s last.fm scrobbling integration in all of the mobile apps and the desktop apps; this makes it very convenient to keep track of what I listen to and see some stats about my favourite tracks or artists. Anyway, on with the list!

5. Aquí voy

From the Mexican brother and sister duo Jesse & Joy, this song came out in the album ¿Con quién se queda el perro? way back in 2011.

Out of all the great music in that album, I like this piece most because it’s super relatable, catchy, and also has Spanish Lyrics – although the rest of them do too. Getting up on weekdays for school feels like the daily grind that’s described in the song: otro día / misma feria / y no he dormido nada / pa’ variar… (another day / same old slog / I haven’t slept at all / just like normal…), but always ending with a more uplifting Que venga más / Aguanto mucho más / De buenas o malas / Yo llego hasta el final. (Bring it on / I can take it and more / For good or bad / I make it to the end.)

Joy’s voice throughout the song is very clear, which is great for somebody who’s trying to understand the lyrics by listening. Starting off with a monotone rapidfire, then moving to an actual pitched melody as the chorus picks up is a pretty cool effect (and is diametrically opposite to Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do, I’ve noticed). There’s also something about the instrumentation, which is mostly synth highlights and presumably Jesse on the guitar but with a trumpet bridge and some basic percussion, that fits the tone of the piece and lets Joy’s voice stand out well. Especially at Y sí / résulta que sí where the only percussion is left in order to emphasize only some of the words. Plus, I like how simple the rhythm is, with a basic 4/4 time signature, and almost no syncopation; it keeps the unrelenting, brisk pace.

Funny thing about how I found this song - as part of iTunes’ free weekly song (may it rest in peace), I downloaded Quiero que me quieras from the same album way before I understood a word of Spanish. Turns out, sort of like Despacito, it’s surprisingly dirty. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

4. Elle me dit

This song was released by MIKA in the album The Origin of Love in 2011.

The voice in this song is very processed, starting with high/low pass for the lo-fi feel but moving towards clarity towards the chorus and then back and forth for maximum contrast. The background music features some very simple and relatively repetitive percussion, gradually introducing some cool pitched percussion and even a bit of clapping in the bridge. I particularly enjoy the crescendo in the middle of piece where the bass starts modulating (from T’as pas encore des cheveux blancs to Qu’elle dit un truc que j’aime).

On the other hand, the lyrics hit a bit too close to home 😥:

Qu’est-ce tu fous sur Internet

Ça va pas bien dans la tête

Regarde le temps que tu perds

The music video was part of our French curriculum, which is how I heard this song for the first time. Oui Madame, le mur est rose saumon. The use of pastel colours in that video and the general weird vibes of the family make it one of the most memorable music videos that I’ve seen.

3. Blitzkrieg Bop

Released by The Ramones in 1976, 23 years before I was born, I heard this first this July on Spider-Man: Homecoming. Usually, I’m not very into punk, but to me, this is a great pump-up song. HEY HO LET’S GO!

I like how only voice and percussion remain during the hey ho part, and also just how repetitive (and therefore easier to remember) the song is. Plus, it’s only three chords, so super easy to learn, I guess?

2. Tuyo

I don’t even watch Narcos, but Grace recommended that I watch the opening anyway when we were sharing some cool TV show openings with each other. And I really loved the opening song.

Sung by Rodrigo Amarante, this song is a great foil to the tone and subject matter of the show. I love the interplay between the music, the lyrics, and the show that it’s being used for. First, you hear some inoffensive, even relaxing guitar. Then, what sounds to be a romantic instrumental transitions into some surprisingly disturbing lyrics: Soy el fuego que arde tu piel / soy el agua que mata tu sed… (I am the fire the burns your skin / I am the water that kills your thirst). And yet, underlying these lyrics is that same guitar and vaguely tropically carefree, romantic atmosphere.

Looking deeper into the composer’s view and compositional process, I’ve read that it’s actually part of the narcocorridos sub-genre of music - music that’s dedicated to the smuggling of illegal substances; it’s formed from a ballad and usually has a polka as a rhythmic base. Not only that, Amarante specifically looked into Escobar’s childhood to try match the musical atmosphere: What would his mother have sung to him in that time period? What types of messages would growing up in Medellín during the 1950s teach him? From this, he arrived at Carlos Gardel as inspiration for the opening. Fascinating stuff.

1. No Cars Go

You know what I listen to the most? Instrumental piano music. Partially because if I hear a particularly cool piece I can probably find sheet music and sight-read it relatively easily, and because it doesn’t have any distracting lyrics when I’m trying to get something done while I listen to the music. With that said, here’s the final piece that I’m listening to this week.

I heard it first from the Apple Keynote this September at the beginning, with the moving tribute to Steve Jobs. Starting off with a solemnly slow notes, this piece really unfolds with a few keynote (haha) notes. If you’ve got a good stereo system, turn it up and appreciate the juxtaposition between bass and almost ethereal higher notes that piano generates as Cyrin moves towards the both ends of the keyboard. It also doesn’t stay with the same rhythm too long, with a nice dotted eighth note bridge that moves the piece along towards a middle-register finale.

Love the expressiveness and the cool recording of this piece. I recommend you listen to it if you haven’t already!

So there it is. These are some of the pieces I’m listening to right now. I’ll see how much time I have before posting another one of these, because I do have a tendency to write a bit too much…