It was refreshing taking a break from the magazine. Stepping back from something you love for a bit allows you to fully refresh your mindset and go back in with new eyes. That seems cliché, but it’s true. I’m excited to share this list with you all as these songs really brightened my mood despite everything going on in the world. This week’s editor’s pick features Lisa Remar, Elisia Savoca, Tarot (who was previously featured on the site), JAWNY, Taylor Castro, Griffin Clawson, Shamir, and Tele Novella!
Lisa Remar, “Fell Into”
“I wanted this song to be a little more empowering through the production, an ode to Boom Bap. It was written when I started exploring my sexuality. I consider myself bi. I was going to meet up with this girl I had been talking to through Instagram, but dating was intimidating for me. I’d been hurt and didn’t know how to carry myself. I should’ve just been myself. I was so afraid, but it was exhilarating. Still, it was a very awkward date. She rejected me because of her ex or something and I felt pretty stupid. She ghosted me, so I wrote about deceptive people who only care about themselves.”
Lisa Remar is a half-Japanese New York native whose biracial heritage influences her creative work. Her music video embedded below includes stunning, melancholic visuals from Japan. “Fell Into” is a beautiful single showcasing the artist’s soft vocals. The use of minor notes within the composition add to the initial despair Lisa details within the lyrics. However, it’s the continuous build-up that allows the true message of empowerment and acceptance to shine through.
Click here to listen to the song on Spotify. You can also find the lyric video here
Elisia Savoca, “DO RE MI”
A mix of Electropop and Alternative Hip Hop, the Elisia Savoca’s vocal style was reminiscent of Danish singer-songwriter MØ. Like MØ, the fusion of various genres works wonders for the artist’s overall sound. I was blown away by Elisia’s entire discography after delving into it. I can tell that she will become another big name this decade.
Watch the music video below.
Taylor Castro, “Breathe”
Taylor Castro is an incredibly powerful vocalist. This song reminds us to take a moment and breathe. Especially fitting after the year we lived through, through tough times and unexpected moments we need time to ground ourselves. She says this about the creation of “Breathe”:
“I wrote ‘Breathe’ during quarantine, in the midst of a rage. In both length and theme, it’s equivalent to one single breath: a breath that will calm unparalleled anger. It deals with the frustration of feeling like someone’s doormat, like they only see you for how you affect them rather than as your own entity. Although I’ve since calmed, I hope this song will give listeners a sense of empowerment. I hope it will lend an ear to their quarrels. Lastly, I hope it will allow them to breathe.”
Watch the performance video below and be on the lookout for Taylor Castro’s full-length album GIRL, AFRAID releasing this year.
JAWNY, “Trigger of Love”
JAWNY has just released a captivating surrealist video for his latest song “Trigger of Love”. The classic JAWNY sound will have you grooving out alone in your room or with your friends during your next Facetime session. Fans in the comments are waiting for the day he blows up and I am too. For fans of Still Woozy, JAWNY might just be your next favorite artist.
Griff Clawson, “Chasing Highs” (Acoustic Version)
Following the release of his latest single back in October, Griffin Clawson has just gifted us with the acoustic version of “Chasing Highs”. Listening to this version feels like I’m falling in love with someone who doesn’t exist. Slow dancing in a flower field with the warm sun on our skin; young love.
Shamir, “Diet”
Shamir’s latest single “Diet” was not originally meant to be a single. The artist had this to say:
“‘Diet’ is a song I never thought I’d make a video for – it wasn’t a single, nor was it planned to be one, but it’s a song that instantly resonated with everyone when the album came out.
The origin of the song is pretty dark, taking inspiration from the film ‘My Friend Dahmer,’ but the deeper meaning of the song is less about the gore or even Jeffrey Dahmer and more about the battle we all have with our darker urges and/or neurosis that tend to appear during our adolescence/pubescent years and how that plays a part in developing our moral compass.”
Turning towards 90s inspired pop rock, Shamir writes about these struggles of adolescents and not letting these urges become part of our “diet”. The praise and recognition this track and the entirety of his self-tiled album garnered these last few weeks is well deserved. Shamir is breaking boundaries with his work and I’m excited to really dive into his discography.
Tele Novella, “Paper Crown”
Get teleported back to the 70s with Tele Novella’s new music video for “Paper Crown”. Ahead of their sophomore album Merlynn Belle, “Paper Crown” is a lighthearted tune that’s acts as a “pep talk”. The lyrics of this song are based around the necessity of self-care, something we should all do during these stressful times.
Lead singer Natalie Ribbons had this to say about the song which was written right after she moved to Austin, Texas:
“I was deeply lonely but in love with the city, and would ride my bike home late at night across Congress bridge while humming little fragments of songs to myself. This was a tune I would often be found singing then, but I didn’t finish it until we needed one more song for this record. It was the last one that we recorded for Merlynn Belle, and it made perfect sense here.”
D!XON, “Arms Around Me”
D!XON’s latest release teaches us to be unapologetically ourselves. Released at the end of last year, “Arms Around Me” is an upbeat pop tune that will definitely brighten your mood. The music video is just as captivating as the song itself which is no suprise considering that it was directed by Dan Lemoyne, Hollywood Jade (Drag Race Canada resident choreographer) and Marc Andrew Smith (Drag Race resident stylist). Watch below
