New Music Friday: My Top Picks
It’s New Music Friday!
Here are a few of my favorite tracks this week.
Adele — “To Be Loved”
It’s been six years since powerhouse Adele released her chart-topping single “Hello.” Since then, fans have been waiting for the return of the vocalist. But wait no more. Last night Adele released her fourth studio album, 30. The album includes songs like “I Drink Wine,” “Easy on Me,” and “Woman Like Me.” One of my favorite tracks off of the album is “To Be Loved.”
“To Be Loved” addresses the divorce from her ex-husband Simon Konecki. If you can recall, rumors implied that Adele and her husband Simon didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement before marrying in 2018. According to California laws, allegedly, Adele would have had to give Simon half of her earnings made within the marriage. Fortunately, Adele’s divorce has been settled and she will no longer have to pay spousal support to her husband.
Unfortunately, those events transpired in that way. But we know that, if anything, Adele will always sing her way out of that pain. Throughout the song, she continuously repeats how much she tried to keep the relationship afloat, but in the end, it sank anyway. I think that’s all anybody can do in any situation. We put our all into something we care about, whether it’s a job, a friendship, or a marriage. You can only do so much on your end. But nothing is worth your happiness.
I admire how confident she is on the record. Although it’s supposed to be a sad song, it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like redemption. It feels like a victory. It feels like I went through some tough times, but look, I made it through.
August 08 — “Keep Me Around”
August 08 is a new artist out of Los Angeles, California. In his latest track, “Keep Me Around,” he takes us through his journey of being with a woman he knows isn’t good for him. The constant inconsistency, playing victim but not being able to get enough at the same time. I like that it’s not your typical “toxic girlfriend” type song. He blames himself as well. Hence the song title “Keep Me Around.” Though he doesn’t go into detail to expose his toxic traits, he does allude to the fact that there may be some.
The repetitive lyrics and smooth instruments make the song easily digestible and perfect for replay.
Aiyana-Lee — “Gangster of Love”
Love attempts to crack the hard outer shell of Aiyana-Lee in her latest single, “Gangster of Love.” In this track, she explains reluctantly falling in love with someone who may or may not be an “f-boy.” In this song, she is depicted as someone who doesn’t typically fall in love. Instead of being worrisome, she threatens the guy, ensuring that he never breaks her heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the lyrics and the way that she described her angst in this situation. Her approach to love is pretty bad*ss!
