Muse Clues! #4 (Music Discoveries)

Hello Insighters! Welcome back to another musical start to the weekend. I know I’ve been away for what seemed like an eternity, but now I’m back and better than ever. Once again, it’s the first Friday of a new month, which means that it’s time for yet another installment of ‘Muse Clues!’ here on FiveOnFridays!

And for those of you who may not be familiar with how ‘Muse Clues!’works, here’s a brief overview.

Yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of Muse Clues. I’ll give a brief backstory of how I discovered said songs, and as always give my depiction of each one.

Now, I’ve been off the blogging scene for like two month so a lot of today’s entries will be songs I came across from the month of March, maybe even February. With that said, don’t crucify me for being a little behind on the times for this Muse Clues segment.

So without further ado, let’s get on with today’s countdown!

NUMBER-FIVE [5]

Lizzo – Tempo ft. Missy Elliott [2019]

Arguably, this song has one of the nastiest, grittiest productions I’ve heard all year. Lizzo’s ‘Tempo’ (which I discovered one night on YouTube) channels themes of self-love and body positivity in the best way possible. It’s this third single from her recently released album ‘Cuz I Love You’ and needless to say, it’s an absolute banger!

The Singer, Rapper, and Flutist teams up with the legendary Missy Elliott on this track. And honestly, these two create alchemy together with their magnetic personalities which shine equally as bright as the crisp, bassy, and distorted production. A guitar rift to open and a flute solo in the outro only add to the musical appeal of this song.

However, Missy’s feature was surely my favorite part. “Kitty cat, kitty cat, prrr/ All the thick girls down on the flrrr (On the floor)/ Ice on my neck like brrr (Like brrr)/ I’m big-boned with nice curves (Nice curves)” , she spits smoothly adding an extra jolt of charisma and flair with this series of catchy tongue rolls.

Without a doubt, this track is just a reminder of how talented of an artist Lizzo truly is.

NUMBER-FOUR [4]

Billie Eilish – Bad Guy [2019]

A rippling base courses throughout the veins of this sinister cut from Billie’s debut album ‘When We All Fall To Sleep, Where Do We Go?’. ‘Bad Guy’ exudes a sadistic confidence from Billie who seems to enjoy causing trouble for the men in her life.

As far as lyrics go, they’re sweetly disturbing and pretty eye-brow-raising considering she’s only seventeen. “I’m that bad type/ Make your mama sad type/ Make your girlfriend mad tight/ Might seduce your dad type”, were a set of lines that immediately snatched my attention. Nonetheless, Eilish manages to make it all work, feeding us major breadcrumbs of personality throughout the track.

As soon as I listened to the song on YouTube, paired with its visuals, I knew it was going to reel in major success for the young Pop star. And it’s much deserved. From its inception, the track gets you bouncing along with Billie’s pitter-patter vocal arrangement. And as you brave the chorus, you’re pulled down several octaves on the very gurgling sounding “I’m the bad guy”.

Afterwards, the production gets really zany and infectious, in an awesome circus kind of way. All in all, just one of many stellar tracks this year from the young Billie Eilish. “Duh”.

NUMBER-THREE [3]

Sigrid – Don’t Feel Like Crying [2019]

Being my favorite genre, I was really yearning for some great Pop music this year. Hence, I sent up some prayers to the universe, and the Pop gods answered with this cut from Norwegian Singer-Songwriter Sigrid. ‘Don’t Feel Like Crying’ popped-up in my YouTube recommendations and it was love at first listen.

Admittingly, this was the first thing I’ve ever heard from Sigrid and this track was enough to convince me to listen to her debut album ‘Sucker Punch’. (Which by the way, is seriously impressive for a debut). The dancy, euphoric sonics of the track sharply contrast the morbidity lining the lyrics.

Sigird is saying no to crying over a love too soon a tragedy; she’s placing her emotions on hold and dancing herself numb. “At least tonight, no, I don’t feel like crying”, she muses beautifully as her vocals elevate the song to another level of remarkableness.

And I absolutely adore her opting to talk during the post chorus – “It hasn’t hit me yet (Ooh)/ And I know if I go home I’m gonna get upset, yeah”. Now realizing her emotions can only be repressed for so long, she anticipates the imminent breakdown. Something I find so painfully relatable. Overall, the song is an excellent, cathartic listen with ton of replay value. So by all means, enjoy not crying.

NUMBER-TWO [2]

Wallows – What You Like [2019]

Song-after-song, the band Wallows is increasingly becoming one of my favorite musical acts. And with this stellar cut from their recently-released, debut album ‘Nothing Happens’, who can really blame me? Like much of the album, ‘What You Like’ offers old-school flavors while still giving consumers a contemporary feel.

The lyrics are simple yet resonating, making for an easy listen the first go-round. Furthermore, they convey a sense of regret the persona is feeling over losing a lover he took for granted and never actually listened to. It’s kind of a classic case of “give me another chance and I swear I’ll treat you right this time”.

Hence the swooning chorus, “Go ahead, tell me now, what you like/ Maybe this time I’ll listen”. But what I found extremely engaging about this part were the swelling synthesizers that literally pull you into the magic of this song. Plus, the kickass guitar rifts, bass lines, and steady drums work harmoniously throughout the track’s brevity.

All in all, this song offers a simply mellow feel; but it’s certainly interesting enough to keep you coming back for more listens. I know ever since listening to the full album on YouTube, I’ve been hooked! And chances are, you will be to.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• Raury – Forbidden Knowledge ft. Big K.R.I.T [2016]
• Starley – Call On Me (Ryan Riback Remix) [2017]
• Big Freedia – Rent [2018]
• Azealia Banks – Playhouse [2019]
• Tame Impala – Patience [2019]

*NUMBER-ONE [1]

Solange – Almeda ft. The Dream & Playboi Carti [2019]

Now, I will be upfront and say that I am one those individuals who did not necessarily take a liking to Solange’s recent release ‘When I Get Home’. It was my first time fully listening to a Solange project and it left me feeling more so tired than impressed. However, some tracks from said body of work still managed to grow on me.

And personally, I feel ‘Almeda’ is hands-down the best the album had to offer. I literally melt into the melody and sonic landscape of this track with each listen. It’s ambient, light, ethereal, and filling. It’s pretty much musical manna for the soul.

Taking time to reflect on Black pride, Solange lists throughout the track features and landmarks exclusively indigenous to the Black race. She crows softly, “Brown leaves, brown keys/ Brown creepers, brown face/ Black skin, black braids/ Black waves, black days/ Black baes, black things/ These are black-owned things”. Soon enough, her words become a chant that radiates empowerment, joy, knowledge, and heritage.

The Dream’s blissful vocal contributions paid off, adding to serene vibes of the track. Likewise, Playboi Carti’s verses got my head bobbing and played well into the song’s experimental mannerisms – “All black coupe (Holup, yeah)/ Now I want you (Holup, yeah)”. Conclusively, even after all the Florida water, this remains one of the best songs of 2019 thus far!

Did you enjoy today’s Muse Clues segment? Have you given these songs a listen? If so, which ones do you enjoy the most? Let me know in the comment section below.

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Thank you so much for reading and I’ll see you next time on Introverted-Insight!

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