I am up late on a Monday night because I got locked out of my room, which spurred a wonderful conversation but I truly lost track of time, and so here we are and it’s almost 1 am. Oops. Given the uncertainty of the state of the U.S., I wanted this post to be more chill – exploratory and fun. I honestly had my emotions swing from low to high today and so, I felt like giving that range of emotion vs music.
If you’re open to listening to new artists like I am, you’ll like this post. If you listen to alternative bands, pop punk music, and rock music in general, keep reading. I urge you to be open minded, or at the very least, open eared.
Mood: Heartache
// Loveless
Pvris came out with a new album at the end of August but I started listening at the beginning of September. This song just kind of guts me. Whether a romantic or platonic relationship, people can easily hurt someone. Relational wounds are so hard to heal and you drag them into new relationships, already stifling the potential for something new and better.
When you so freely give affection to those you love, having your capacity to love used against you, whether that means demeaning your character or being given the cold shoulder, it really hurts. What really gets me is that last line – that you’re the one left carrying the pain and that person feels no burden about the situation because they gave you all the weight to carry. Man, this song hits when it comes to friendship breakups.
Mood: Over It
// January Rain
The intro of the song and the melody makes it fun to listen to despite the subject matter. There is a mini thread of a psychic in the Pvris album Use Me, and I love how psychics are usually seen as unreliable, but the tables are turned. Lynn’s former friend/lover is the unreliable one and the psychic was right all along.
The intro of the song and the melody makes it fun to listen to despite the subject matter. There is a mini thread of a psychic in the Pvris album Use Me, and I love how psychics are usually seen as unreliable, but the tables are turned. Lynn’s former friend/lover is the unreliable one and the psychic was right all along.
Mood: Eager
Do you ever wake up one morning and a song is on your heart? Well, that happened with this song. As a Christian, I listen to a lot of worship, and sometimes that worship feels like it goes after intensity rather than intimacy with God. This song aims at something different. It’s stripped back and you can get clearer on what it means to desire intimacy with God.
These are simple desires but recognizing them as such is what is so powerful. Just beautiful.
Mood: Deep sorrow
Switching to pop punk, Movements released a new album called No Good Left to Give. That album name is inherently incorrect – this album has a lot of good to give its listeners. Tunnel Vision feels like the perfect song for my high school self who loved post-hardcore/screamo music. This song has the perfect balance of screaming with it already being a loud pop punk song. It’s about Patrick’s depression, and his foray into thinking about his death, so laser focused he can’t think clearly.
With any sort of difficulty that has dragged on, especially mental illness, you can be eager to move past it and think of desperate ways to get there. I encourage you to get help if you feel you’re feeling yourself getting darker and deeper. And if you’re like me, just sad sometimes and finding yourself in pop punk songs, enjoy the music!
Mood: Desperate
// Better
This song represents the changes I want to see in Christian music. As much I love praise music, I just feel like worship leaders and Christian artists feel this need to project a perfect relationship with God but sometimes that’s not where you’re at. I think you can hold doubt and faith in your hands at the same time. You can find it hard to believe and still hold to the tenets of faith.
This song represents the changes I want to see in Christian music. As much I love praise music, I just feel like worship leaders and Christian artists feel this need to project a perfect relationship with God but sometimes that’s not where you’re at. I think you can hold doubt and faith in your hands at the same time. You can find it hard to believe and still hold to the tenets of faith.
Funny story – I actually thought the song said “I know You’re good news, but God I’m just not good at this.” Reading the lyrics puts a new spin on it for me. Do you ever sing the lyrics wrong and only realize after the fact? Let me know in the comments below!
Mood: Thankful
// Valleys
Cortes is another Christian artist but he’s in the hip hop/afrobeat space. Every once in a while, I just need some beats to keep me going. Blssd music on Youtube is such a good place if you want to vibe to Christian music, but don’t want to go to secular music for good beats. This song is Cortes reminding himself how God’s redemption involved such stunning compassion.
When I first heard this song, I immediately put it on my playlist. It’s just that good!
Mood: Chillin’
// Fall
Back on my pop punk jam with this song – I was interested in Neck Deep’s new album even though I wouldn’t call myself a fan. I only know a few songs from their albums, nothing too in depth. But woah, listening to this album All Distortions are Intentional. I had a hard time choosing a favorite but this song checks all the boxes. It’s loud but still gives out sweet vibes.
Sonically, it just might be the perfect song for an intro to pop punk – it’s fun and loud without being too overwhelming.
Mood: Vibin’ out
I know what you’re thinking. I’m so late to jump on the train of Harry Styles and ~Watermelon Sugar~. Well, you are sort of right. I didn’t even know this song existed until The Maine decided to cover the song for Harryween. The Maine’s version is raspier and I think their version of the music video is creative with its intro.
I swear I’ve heard this song everywhere – in the dining hall, out to dinner with friends. After hearing The Maine version, I just heard the Harry Styles version play everywhere! The lyrics seem so inconsequential, but the feeling of the song is what matters here.
Mood: Honest
I spent a lot of time in September listening to Christian artists and that leads up to this song. I decided to listen to Cory Asbury’s second album. His first album I liked and so I figured it was worth listening to the second one. What a great idea! I feel like he’s so much more real and honest about his faith. It’s easy to wrap everything up with a bow, but this album felt like some songs he wrote in the struggling and in the processing and I needed to hear that. I need to hear that sometimes life is a little dark and hope is hard to find. God is hard to find in the darkness of our world. It doesn’t mean we abandon our faith, but it doesn’t mean we cast our feelings aside for a false sense of security.
It’s an incredible thing to admit where you are even if it’s not a good place. That honesty takes bravery and it’s commendable to me.
Thank you for reading this post and checking out these songs! I know my taste in music is all over the place but I figured that making this post would be a little time capsule for my future self who might wonder what I was listening to during the COVID school year times. Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know in the comments below your thoughts!
Signing off,
Gigi
