May Recap
Welcome to my May recap : ) Every Month I’ll try to sum up the songs, albums, and artists that I listened to the most, newly discovered, or just found again after a long time. Since the weather finally got better, I was mainly in the mood for some indie this month.
Artist Recommendation
The artist that I rediscovered is Zeph. I used to listen to her EP “scared of everything” that was released in 2021, but kind of lost track of her music since then. Zephani Jong is 24 years old and creates her songs completely by herself, song writing to producing. It was fun to catch up with all the newer releases and dive into nostalgia listening to the older songs I knew. The world of Zeph is colourful and experimental, as she is also an illustrator you can see that in her creative vision in her EP Covers or music videos. Beneath the vibrant shell is a soft and melancholic spot. Her lyrics are self-reflective, vulnerable, and honest. Her community appreciates the way she addresses emotions in her art and give them a sense of belonging.
Find Your Vibe:
Zephs “crush” EP is for everyone that’s in love and feeling like the main character. I especially recommend the intro song “You” because the build-up in the relatively short track just captures that excitement of getting to know someone.
My favourite song is still “scared of everything” from the EP with the same name. It is a fun upbeat pop track where the sound contradicts the lyrics about overwhelm and anxiety. But honestly when you’re already worried and stuck in your head it is the perfect song to just dance and sing it out.
Lastly, I want to highly recommend her latest release “you don’t like me like that” which surprises with new sounds. The electric guitars and drums give it a pop punk vibe that really suits Zeph and the lyrics about the frustrations on confusing love.
New Summer Indie Release
The new release that got me through May is Arlo Parks new Album “My Soft Machine”. Her laid-back indie with lo-fi sounds and her calming voice was the perfect study soundtrack for the busy phase of this semester. Especially the songs “Room (red wings)”, “Puppy” and “Weightless” were on repeat. Not to forget the amazing Phoebe Bridgers feature on the song “Pegasus”! Their two soft voices just perfectly blend together and take you into a dream world. Whenever you want to relax and have a calm moment or enjoy upcoming summer nights: this is the album to go for.
On Repeat…
In preparation for my Beyoncé Concert next month (concert review incoming…) I listened to her latest album “Renaissance” a lot to get hyped. With Renaissance she gave her fans 16 songs that perfectly blend into each other and take you on a trip through many genres- a safe space to let go and celebrate. Beyoncé’s queer uncle supported her career from the beginning and shaped her values, so the album reflects on those influences in her life that made her the artist she is by now. Samples on the album go back to queer history and highlight the work of pioneers who paved the way of acceptance and freedom to this day. If you haven’t listened to the album yet I highly recommend listening to it fully from start to end, because the transitions between songs are just amazing and every song is very special. My 3 favourites this month were “HEATED”, “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” and “ENERGY”.
Top 5 Songs in May:
Lastly, I want to talk about the songs that were on-repeat in May. To stay on topic, of course I need to mention the “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” remix that Beyoncé dropped featuring Kendrick Lamar. I already loved the song, but a Kendrick feature just fits perfectly and put the song back on my radar.
Obviously, I also need to mention “Say Yes to Heaven” by Lana Del Rey. After a sped-up version went viral on TikTok, Lana released this song that has been leaked years ago and was an immediate fan-favourite. Originally it was written for her album “Ultraviolence” in 2013 but never made it on there. But now it is finally on streaming platforms and making her fans happy.
For years I have been listening to Tash Sultana and obsessed with her unique voice and musical talent. So I got super excited to see she is releasing new music this year. “James Dean” is an easy-going song that I could not stop listening to. It has the typical Tash Sultana vibe to it and just puts you in a great mood and makes you want to sing along.
“Sunshine Baby” is a song that made me want to spend time outside and look forward to summer so much. The English indie pop singer The Japanese House brought out this track and for me it was my favourite new addition to my indie playlist lately.
Everyone who knows me knows I can’t shut up about Taylor Swift. So how could I not put her into this recap? She announced “Midnights (The Til Dawn Edition)” and when I saw “Snow On The Beach (ft. More Lana Del Rey)” I had to look twice to see if that actually just happened. The fans asked and Taylor delivered. Lana finally got her own verse, and they gave us the feature we all dreamed of.
Those were my monthly obsessions, May treated us well with some great new releases. I can’t wait for June with another recap and more albums to drop and concerts to happen:)