Songs that age with me but are timeless
Music has a deep spiritual effect on us. It is an echo and can be our reflection of what Aldous Huxley called “the blessedness that is at the center of everything.” I agree with Susan Sontag, who wrote an entry in her diary when she was just 15. She wrote
Music is at once the most wonderful and the most alive of all the arts; it is the most abstract, the most perfect, the most pure, and the most sensual. I listen with my body, and it is my body that aches in response to the passion and pathos embodied in this music.
Music is powerful; its influence is not limited to mere enjoyment and expression. Thinking about the music industry, which is a social and discursive construction, it creates networks of exchange, sharing, and cooperation generated by the numerous agents involved in its production, transmission, and distribution. There are many examples of how music bonds and shapes people and societies, e.g., songs considered to be revolutionary or protest due to their involvement in political movements and praise reform. But this post is all about my favorite artists and music; therefore, it is shallow and not so enlightening and informative.
The artists who have stood the test of time and still amaze their fans, including me, are Grimes and Lorde
Some people may only know Grimes as one of Elon Musk’s former partners and the mother of the uniquely named son whose name contains digits. Perhaps a few people acknowledge her as an extremely talented and futuristic artist. She creates every part of her songs all by herself, not only the lyrics but the sound as well. It amazes me that she produced an album with songs that feel like they define me in a deprived situation just from thinking about her remarks. She is exceptional and one of the rarities because, in order to complete her third record on time, she isolated herself from the outside world in a room with opaque windows, and stayed up all night for three weeks without sufficient food relied solely on amphetamine. I like many of her songs from the Vision album.
Genesis, Oblivion, Symphonia IX (My wait is you) and Nightmusic. If I were in her shoes, my brain would be out of function just within five days, and I’m sure my health would be in collapse for a while. She isn’t a drug addict; rather, she resents drug abuse and its effect on her life. She dedicated her song “Delete Forever” to her deceased friends who overdosed on drugs. Once, she stated that “losing people to drugs and alcohol is the worst because they destroy any good memories you have of them before forcing you to deal with the empty space they leave behind. I want people to know that I hate hard drugs. All they’ve ever done is kill my friends and cause me to be unproductive.”
Everyone might know Lorde from her hit song, “Royals.” She was just 15 when she was producing her first album, “Pure Herione,” and writing the lyrics of the songs from this album I still like to listen to: “Buzzcut Season,” “Ribs,” and “400 Lux.” She always amuses me because she reinvents herself fully each time she releases a new album. She is such a versatile and authentic singer, but nowadays she’s lost her unique features and free spirit. It seems to me that she is fading into a uniform mold, like her outlook is becoming similar to Dua Lipa’s. Melodrama and “Pure Heroine” brought me back and reminded me of my teen years and early adolescence. I always think back to my 18th summer whenever I listen to “Perfect Places” and “Green Light” in random public venues.
Not many artists can perform well and same as in records in live shows. Beach house’s performance is entrancing and enchanting, especially this live version of the song.
One of my favorite bands is Beach House and Cigarrettes After Sex. The songs I like to listen to from time to time from Beach House are “Take Care”, “Somewhere Tonigh” and “She’s so Lovely.”
Even after the lead vocalist’s death, the music from this band continues to be legendary and lingers on. I still like to listen to “Dreams” and “Linger.” There are many other rock bands with leading female vocalists other than The Cranberries, and I like to listen to some of their songs, such as “What’s Up by 4 Non-Blondes” and “Don’t speak by No Doubt.”
This song resonates with me in many ways, and sometimes I wonder if I will stop stumbling upon it and try to figure out what’s going on in my life. Even I’m out of tuned voice sometimes I follow sing it from the top of my lungs and it brings me so much relieve.
I cherish most of Norwegian singer Ane Brun’s songs. Her voice is so relaxing and truly heavenly. She’s covered many well-known artists’ songs, and I like her versions more than the originals, such as “Halo” and “Make you feel my love."
It seems my favorite music genre is dream/indie pop. This band gets their song inspiration from cigarettes after sex and beach house. I’m certain that soon they will receive more credits and recognition around the world.
It is one of the featured soundtracks of the film “Liza Rókatündér” (Liza, The Fox Fairy, it was available on Netflix). I didn’t expect the singer of this song to be Hungarian when I was watching it. BTW, this film is very enjoyable to watch; its dark humor and scenes make you burst into laughter. It is one of the good art house Hungarian films I enjoyed besides on Body and Soul. I like all the other soundtracks from this film, including “Liza Forever” and “Dance Dance Have a Good Time.”
My teen-hood favorite singers and bands
Attending a Coldplay concert has been on my bucket list since I was 17. I’m hoping that one day it will manifest, and I’ll watch how Chris honors the stage and the audience with his pre-concert rituals. I want to immerse myself in the hundreds of fans that came together because of this band’s music, singing hits like Fix You, Yellow, and Sky Full of Stars from the bottom of our hearts. Perhaps if I find my significant other, who has the courage to be open, receptive, and accountable, will accompany me to the concert. As Chris stated, life is beautiful in all its colors, even the darker ones; they’re here for a reason.
I used to listen frequently to this band’s particular songs from their first album like, “K,” “Keep on loving you,” and “Nothing’s gonna hurt you baby”, when I was seventeen. From their second album, I immersed myself in this song because it has some soothing effects.
I started listening to Lana Del Rey since she got public attention with songs like “Born to Die” “Summertime Sadnass” and “Young and Beautiful.” But my all-time, go-to favorites from her are “Blue Velvet”, “Music to Watch Boys To” and “Yes to Heaven”. Through Blue Velvet, I first discovered Lana and was immediately captivated by her magnetic voice.
From its name, “Enigma,” this band is so unique and diverse. It has many good songs I still enjoy listening to, including “Mea Culpa” and “Age of Loneliness.” This band’s two songs, “Age of Loneliness” and “The Eyes of Truth,” feature Mongolian traditional folk songs named “Tosongiin oroigoor” (“On the heights of Toson”) and “Alsyn Gazryn Zereglee” (“Mirage of a Distant Terrain”), but I think they were sung by different singers. I was introduced to this band when I was very young by my uncle, who has the original CD and used to play it very often.
