Songs this month #1

Seb's blog gave me the idea to also do my top 5 songs each month... I guess it can reflect my mood and things that are taking place in life! So it's 5 days into February but anyways...

• Caroline - Aminé

This song is so cute! It was very much a summer song and I don't pay attention to charts so I never got to know this until end of January when it was played at a birthday party. I watched the music video and I found it adorable. Not to be a grumpy old man who says all the music videos these days have butts and drugs! but I was happy it wasn't about butts and drugs. It was just Aminé and his friends having fun in the sunshine, laying in the grass, goofing off. The song is also really nice and has a really strong beat. It's full of sunshine! Something to warm up the winter.

• Eastside - Bohan Phoenix

Bohan's new EP came out at the end of this January. I actually didn't really like the title track JALA. I don't know why. I guess it sounded a little too similar to his previous work, or maybe I'm just not in the mood for such a hyped, excited, jumping-up-and-down-in-a-restaurant track. I mean, it's winter... I'm also a little embarrassed to listen to Group Exercise because it's so sexual, so I never added it into my playlist. Eastside was a bit of a surprise. It's slow and quite contemplative, with really interesting production. A gentle, nostalgic, thoughtful song. Like a Sunday afternoon. The featured artist was also really nice. The other two songs with the Higher Brothers were great, with such strong flow. So I guess I liked these featured tracks. I like that Bohan is constantly developing his sound and just generally having a lot of fun.

• Redbone - Childish Gambino

I think I listened to this when it first came out, but for me the first listen never really registers. I heard it again on the bus on the way to Chamonix and it's so great. I love the pulsing 80s sound and how romantic it sounds. (Don't know what to think of the title, though. I know Childish Gambino has often been accused of misogynoir and Asian fetishism amongst other things. And people got upset that Frank Ocean used "redbone" in like one line in one of his songs, but I personally haven't encountered any discourse on this song... I haven't sought it out though.)

• Oceans - Frank Iero and the Patience

Ah, My Chemical Romance. My first love. My lifelong companion. The Seb to my Mia in La La Land: "I'm always gonna love you." I listened to Frank's solo work this month and found myself drawn to Oceans in a visceral manner. It's very painful and full of angst. I love it! It squeezes my heart.

• Words Don't Come Easy - Mamamoo

Around the new year I decided to foray into K-pop. I kept an open mind. However I found myself disliking a lot of the work. Not disliking... just didn't have a spark I guess. I don't like that polished veneer of perfectly-produced pop songs. It didn't really interest me. I went through a lot of girl groups and boy bands. Just as I was going to give up, I found... Mamamoo! Wow! This group is so great. Their sound is a mix of soul and R'n'B and jazz and it's just so appealing. And of course they have that minor-key Asian pop dramatic chorus too. I love this band.