The nostalgia isn’t all that sordid, but it is heavy, holistic, and healing. But they are layered, lucid, and employed with a leisurely resolve. The threads between them aren’t all that obvious. Between each verse, Alchemist stitches in a snippet from a luminary figure first of Little Richard backing an airtight Sly Stone assertion, then of David Lynch describing how he submits to his unconscious self. ELUCID closes the cut with his own recollection of a younger self in unpracticed territory, setting up a formative summer camp scene in the Catskills. In his follow-up, woods recalls an early trek to the west and how he was greeted by a weed culture drastically divergent from the dry, impersonal, and coldly transactional trade of his native coast. Though they clock in at many years his elders, billy woods and ELUCID take cues from a worthy disciple on the full-float and fluttery Haram standout, “Falling Out The Sky.” Stashed in the back half of a jagged and jarringly raw collaborative project with Alchemist, the track opens with a sobering tone-setter from Earl Sweatshirt, who leads the charge with a meditation on his father’s passing. “It feels like I’m inside a flower / It feels like I’m inside my eyelids / And I don’t wanna be / Anywhere but here.” Despite the ominous connotations of the color, “Red Room” encapsulates the thrill of riding out the storm rather than fleeing from it. The piano comforts listeners while Palm’s smooth vocals and haunting lyrics reel you in. In the music video, Hiatus Kaiyote is in a spinning room that turns increasingly more red, sitting atop a white car with “Mood Valiant” scribbled all over it. Though not inspired by the events of the pandemic, Hiatus Kaiyote’s “Red Room” can be interpreted as finding peace amid confinement, amid chaos. Masterfully produced by Snakehips & Jonah Christian, this sultry, slow jam has a romantic ethos that only can be experienced when we take the time to “slow down.” Sampling the bluesy saxophone from Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s “ Darkest Night,” “Slow down is the perfect track to set the mood and one of the standouts a year that gave us so much incredible R&B music. “Slow Down,” by Nigerian-American duo VanJess and Lucky Daye embodies the new, forward progression of R&B.
#Shyne album edited full#
The allure of Silk Sonic was always its commitment to going full retro - in both a musical and aesthetic sense. Paak’s lyrics is just as hilarious as it is beautifully poetic. The upbeat groove, the key change that comes during the bridge, the feel-good corniness of Bruno Mars and. And to those that disagree - maybe you just don’t have taste? Although the sensual and slow soul of “ Leave the Door Open” and “ Smokin’ Out the Window” were fine, “Skate” stood out for being the exact opposite of those two. Yes, “Skate” was actually the best single off An Evening With Silk Sonic. Accompanied with a stunning visual with choreography that showcases Normani’s remarkable prowess as a dancer, the track captures what “taking a walk on the wild side” is all about. With Cardi B delivering a signature guest verse, matched with the sensuality of Normant’s vocal performance, “Wildside” is easily one of the top collaborations of the year. Normani’s “ Wild Side,” which features an interpolation of Aaliyah’s classic “ One in a Million,” is an anthem of unapologetic, unbridled sexual energy. Scroll down for Okayplayer’s 21 best songs of 2021. It was a year featuring a wide spectrum of styles, which our list takes note of, from buoyant bops to mournful tributes.
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I f you were someone who still felt energized by New Music Fridays - where often dozens of quality albums were just dropped in front of your algorithmically distributed digital doorway - then 2021 was a great year in music for you.
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While fans, under constant duress due to COVID-19, have been using music as a balm, gravitating towards older songs that comfort - leaving little room for exploration.Īnd yet, the music still hasn’t stopped. Artists - already under-appreciated - who lost their biggest revenue source (live music) have had to depend on the charity of platforms ( like a Bandcamp) or get eaten alive by the relentless streaming model. Now, let’s add a raging pandemic to the equation. Much has been written about the amount of music a recording artist puts out in the streaming era it’s hard being an artist and it’s often overwhelming being a fan. Here are Okayplayer’s best songs of 2021. If you were someone who still felt energized by the flood of new music that drops every Friday, then this was a great year for you.