Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space.
— a desperate Brand (Anne Hathaway) in Interstellar
What do you think is the most powerful force in the universe?
The Holy Spirit doesn't count, please.
I'm leaning toward love, but for the sake of this post, allow me to posit—MUSIC.
Music is powerful. It is the only thing that can speak into your mind, your heart and your soul without your permission.
— Emmanuel Jal
A catchy song can bounce from one mind to another like a tick bounces from one dog to another before infecting the community pack.
I'm sure this has happened to you before: You're thinking about a song, then all of a sudden, someone walks in singing that very song and you sit there quietly, doubting your sanity.
Whether you're channeling Tupac's anger in Hit 'em up, screaming along to Kansas' Carry on my Wayward Son, or gyrating to Keith Sweat's Twisted, music stirs up feelings we (sometimes) have no business feeling.
How else can I explain the urge to run the New York City drug scene against all odds (or opps) without mentioning my rote rumination on Jay Z's Black Album?
Music can inflate and deflate. Music can change your day. Music can change your life.
If you hacked my Spotify account this week, you'd know my moods during any given period, and if you were clairvoyant, you could even calculate, with fairly decent accuracy, where I was at the time or what I was doing.
After a successful and thankless hack job, here's what you'd find:
Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
It's Sunday morning, and I don't intend to do anything. I'll clean up, wear comfy clothes, open the balcony door to let the breeze (and mosquitoes) in, and sit with my thoughts and memories.
Rob Tucker (I love you, brother), one of my favorite white men, introduced me to Chicken Fried, and I love it.
Country Music reminds me of my college days—a time when I grew up in many ways. Country Music is full of the kind of relatable storytelling I aspire to muster. Plus, the country folk and I agree that a woman in a plain white t-shirt and well-fitting blue jeans is irresistible.
Here I Am by Rick Ross, Nelly, and Avery Storm
This is one of my favorite Hip-Hop songs. Rick Ross' brand of "luxurious rap" is unmatched, and he has a penchant for bragging, only rivaled by Jay-Z. These are wild takes, but this is my blog, so sue me.
My favorite line in this song is:
"She used to fight with her mum til I sat 'em both down, now she tight with her mum"
Because WHAT? Do you know how cool (or rich) you must be to broker a peace deal between a mother and a daughter you haven't even married? BOSS!
When I listen to this song, I'm in a damn good mood, and I'm likely wearing my best clothes to go live my best life.
I Like Me Better by Lauv
"To be young and in love in New York City..."
Another reason music is powerful—you can't even relate but the melodies make you levitate and you float on the soft clouds of their notes. Maybe even text your ex while you're up there.
I'm probably driving in my car with the windows down on the way to see my parents or using GPS to find the location of the latest plot. Not too excited, but getting there...
Just the Same by Bruno Major
The combination of the piano and drums on this hyperbolic rendition of the elasticity of a (down bad) lover's love just gives me chills. Again—can't relate, but I levitate.
I don't leave the house with this one. I'm either going through my morning routine or busying over the cooker, making my morning oats, and annoying the neighbors by playing it on repeat. It's the beat and the weight of emotion he portrays, I tell ya.
Banks by NEEDTOBREATHE
I fell in love with NEEDTOBREATHE in 2011 when I attended their closed concert in a basement at the University of Central Florida. The lead singer has a beautifully hoarse voice that reaches into your chest and massages your heart. It's the kind of voice that makes you think singing isn't too hard until you try it outside the shower. Guess what song at the concert won me over...
The entire band unplugged all the instruments and went a-cappella. The lead singer grabbed a banjo flippantly, like he didn't know he was going to use it that day, sat on one of those precariously tall bar stools that are probably responsible for many a stage accident, and strummed the banjo strings to THE Stand by me.
I was in tears, and my heart was theirs.
"Banks" is my most whimsical choice here. I could be on a walk, at a cafe, or in the gym. I must confuse my enemies.
The lyrics to "Banks" really get me. I wish I could go back in time and make them my wedding vows.
"I wanna hold you close, but never hold you back
Just like the banks to the river
And if you ever feel like you are not enough
I'm gonna break all your mirrors"
As I type this, I've listened to all the songs here, and my emotions are scattered like marbles rolling off a kitchen counter and bouncing on a glass floor, but I'm grateful.
I wrote this one for me.
I hope the sound of your season takes you where you need to go.
Happy Easter ✌🏾
PS: If you enjoy my stuff, I have more stuff:
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