This week’s playlist takes music therapy to another level. If you appreciated Alessia Cara’s transparency on “Sweet Dreams” and “Shapeshifter,” the relatability of the singer-songwriter’s newly released album, In The Meantime, will have you nodding in agreement and quietly whispering “amen” from beginning to end. Similarly, Wonho’s mini-album Blue Letter helps you to grapple with feelings of isolation and depression brought on by the pandemic while Sebastian Javiar delivers hope and motivation on “Day at a Time.” Myles Lloyd and Asiahn get assertive in “Down Under” and “Fall Back,” respectively. Plus, Jordy addresses feelings of aimlessness that are sometimes triggered by random hookups in “If He’s In Your Bed.”
Check out our picks for this week’s Best New Music Friday.
Alessia Cara, “Best Days”
After dropping a series of singles this year, Alessia Cara debuted her third album, In the Meantime. The 18-track compilation is brimming with highly vulnerable musings of love, loss, anxiety, insecurity, and heartbreak. Along with the new album, the Canadian singer released an emotionally moving visualizer for “Best Days,” an introspective ballad that examines the inescapable uncertainty of being in your early twenties.
Wonho “Blue”
Wonho premiered his second mini-album, Blue Letter – a metaphorical project, which likens the isolation experienced during the pandemic to the blue ocean. The project’s title track “Blue,” while upbeat in tempo, is one that addresses trudging through the deep waters of depression. “Feeling blue means feeling depressed, right? I wanted to talk about feeling depressed and how it's important to accept it as is and then seize it, when you can,” Wonho told Femina of the single, which is recorded in both English and Korean. “I want to talk about that attitude through my title track, ‘Blue.’ I want to say that you're not alone if you ever feel blue or depressed.”
Sebastian Javiar, “Day at a Time”
Sebastian Javiar helped to lift our spirits this week with “Day at a Time.” The guitar-driven track is a mantra for those deeply challenging moments we are all bound to encounter at some point in our lives. With a sweet melody and reassuring vocals served over an acoustic beat, Sebastian reminds us that the only way to get through anything is to take it one day at a time. The Argentina-born singer recorded the song in both English and Spanish. “It’s a reminder to take everything one day at a time and focus on right now,” the singer and songwriter shares in a press release. “Wake up every day and start fresh."
Myles Lloyd, “Down Under”
If you’ve been struggling with self-assertion lately, Myles Lloyd’s “Down Under” is a song that you’ll want to add to the playlist you listen to when you need to pump yourself up. “Doing right all the time may take you far but only for so long. It comes to the point where people think they can take advantage of you and tell you what to do,” Myles shares in a press statement. “I had enough of being patient and had to start coming for what is mine. Not attacking the narratives from above anymore but attacking from down under where nobody will expect it. Attacking my goals from somewhere nobody will expect but everyone will respect. I feel like it’s time people hear this braggadocious side."
Asiahn’s, “Fall Back”
Asiahn rolled through with the “Fall Back,” a brutally honest number, which addresses a lover doing too much too soon. Asiahn uses her soulful voice to inform a woman that she is only interested in a casual relationship and nothing more. According to an interview that the singer-songwriter did with Out Now Magazine, “Fall Back” is based on a real-life experience. “We’ve all been in a situation where we’re trying to get to know someone casually and made it very clear from the beginning that you weren’t looking for anything serious,” said Asiahn. “We’re amazing and people don’t listen so, of course, she falls in love anyway and starts leaving her belongings at my house.”
Jordy, “If He’s In Your Bed”
Speaking of casual relationships, Jordy tackled the empty feeling that comes as a result of hooking up with random people. The summer-themed visualizer was inspired by the lifeguard scene from The Sandlot.
