The world is a bleak place right now.
What with the nightmarish presence of war, the endless disruption of the pandemic or the prevailing hell of climate change, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed, exhausted and unsure how to respond to it all.
The following five artists don’t claim to have the answers on how to cope with any of these issues but they have either taken a step in some positive way or to think about what it means the issue means to them and how to deal with it.
If nothing else, they give us greater understanding of what it means when life goes seriously south and how we still have the power to respond in some way, which is empowering and empathy-building, and sometimes the only agency we have in situations, brutally stripped of them (especially in the case of war which the first artist Go_A is in the middle of confronting right now).
“Kalyna” by Go_A
Go_A, a Ukrainian electro-folk band who represented their country at the 2020 and 2021 Eurovision Song Contests – technically 2020 didn’t happen due to COVID so Ukraine, in common with many countries, simply rolled their entrant across to the following year’s event which did take place – have, like all their fellow citizens found ways to stand up and resist the Russian invasion of their peaceful, democratic nation.
Part of their response has involved the release of the song “Kalyna” which harnesses the group’s gift for searingly insistent catchy melodies and incisively affecting lyrics to remind the world that we must stand united against the evil of unprovoked war to safeguard humanity’s future.
Here’s what the band said in full via Instagram about “Kalyna” (via Wiwibloggs).
“Kalyna (guelder-rose) is a symbol that has been a part of Ukrainian culture since ancient times. Its meanings were transferred through the ages in legends and songs. A broken kalyna tree was a sign of trouble and tragedy; abuse of this tree was a shameful act. Ukrainian people carefully protected it because there was a belief that kalyna grew only next to good people. According to our ancestors, kalyna has a power that brings immortality and can unite generations to fight evil.”
All funds raised from downloading and streaming the song will go Ukraine.
“Anything But Me” by MUNA
If you love words, then apart from a cracklingly infectious melody, the first thing you will likely notice about most songs is what the artist is trying to say.
While some people think pop music is all vapid lyrics set to catchy music, the truth is that a lot of modern artists have some very cool and clever things to say, including MUNA, an American electronic pop band comprising Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson, who have come with some immensely good lyrics for their captivatingly listenable song, “Anything But Me”:
“You’re gonna say that I’m on a high horse
I think that my horse is regular-sized
Did you ever think maybe
You’re on a pony
Going in circles on a carousel ride?You’re gonna say I asked for the moon, I
Think it was you with your head in the sky
All that I wanted was somebody honest
Living for more than their next good time.”
Set to an upbeat pop tune, laced with electronica-wrapped country vibes, the song perfectly capture the fallout of a relationship where the wronged party somewhat sarcastically wishes their former lover “… everything you need / Everything but me”.
As a total package, the song is a gem, neatly balancing scorn and hopefulness for the future with lyrics and music in just-so harmony, resulting in one of the best break up songs to come up in a while.
“Can’t Stop Writing Songs About You” by Kylie Minogue & Gloria Gaynor
There’s a lot to like, nay love, about Kylie Minogue’s most recent album Disco which came out in November 2020, and surprise, surprise, paid gloriously good homage to the era of disco music with songs that absolutely nailed the tone, vibe and feel of the period.
To celebrate it’s one year anniversary, Minogue released the Guest List Edition of the album, which brought in a stellar array of artists to duet with Kylie on the tracks, a re-interpretive endeavour that really paid dividends.
One track in particular, “Can’t Stop Writing Songs About You”, was re-released as a single in March, bringing together Minogue with the legendy Gloria Gaynor who experienced more than a little success with “I Will Survive” back in 1978 when the disco era was at its effervescent height.
While the previous singles – “A Second to Midnight” with Years & Years and “Kiss of Life” with Jessie Ware – were both must-listen releases, it’s this track that captured this reviewer’s attention because it sounds so good and well, GAYNOR.
Listen up and glory in the old and the new coming together to arrestingly brilliant, emotionally resonant and hghly danceable effect.
“Anxieties (Out Of Time)” by The Regrettes
The seemingly neverending COVID pandemic has left a great many people feeling not as quite at ease with the world as they once were.
Among their number are Lydia Night, Genessa Gariano, Brooke Dickson, Drew Thomsen, music school alum who are the four members of L.A.-based pop-draped pink rock band The Regrettes and whose song “Anxieties (Out Of Time)” which Night explained via the following statement (courtesy Consequence.net):
“It encapsulates that impending doom, when it felt like everything in front of me was terrifying,” adding that was written before she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
“I think a lot of people experienced similar feelings at the beginning of the world shutting down,” she continued. “The chorus is a reflection of that, we wanted it to sound like an anxious, panic attack pace like you’re running out of time and it feels like that to me.”
The bright and buzzy tone perfectly captures the way in which we have all felt completely knocked to the ground and yet still try to get up andn keep going because … well, what’s the alternative?
“Anxieties (Out Of Time)” is from The Regrettes’ new album Further Joy out now.
“Dark Places (feat. Kwesi)” by Manila Killa
Another artist dealing with the pandemic’s corrosive effect on our overall sense of happiness and wellbeing is Philippines-born, Washington, D.C.-based Manila Killa aka Chris Gavino who, according to his last.fm bio “produces a variety of summery EDM tracks ranging from tropical house to trap to chilled-out dance-pop”.
His track “Dark Places”, featuring the emotive vocals of Kwesi, belongs right at home in that creatively expansive mix of genres, a lo-fi thing of musical fragility and beauty that nevertheless packs a significant lyrical punch.
Both Manila Killa and Kwesi have spoken about the track which offers hope alongside the emotional COVID honesty (via Acid Stag).
“‘Dark Places’ marks the beginning of a new perspective on how I view the world alongside music. Feelings of nostalgia have overcome many of us, including me in the past two years and I wanted to explore that realm through this song. After hearing the initial vocal demo, I immediately knew that I wanted to draw inspiration from brooding, moody and dark influences and Kwesi’s haunting voice and lyrics offer a glimpse of hope that I molded the instrumental production around.” (Manila Killa)
“We have choices to make every day and sometimes, the mind can go to dark and strange places that are often unhealthy and destructive. At one point or another we find ourselves scared and confused about the past and what it means for the future. This song is about finding our way out of that darkness and working to be better for ourselves and those around us every day.” (Kwesi)
SONGS, SONGS AND MORE SONGS EXTRA!
ABBA recently marked the 48th (!!!) anniversary of their win at the Eurovision Song Contest on 6 April 1974 with the still evocatively catchy song “Waterloo” and to celebrate they released a bright, bouncy lyric video that neatly captures everything fans love about the track …
If you’re fan of the Outkast song “Hey Ya!”, and honestly, how could you not be, some undergrad Harvard students have come up with jauntily buoyantly percussive cover of the track that you can’t help but love. (source: Laughing Squid)