Songs of the Week 09/21/18

As September is coming to a close, with pumpkin spice lattes and muffins beginning their reign, here are the songs you should be listening to this week to get into the fall mood.

"Slow Dancing in the Dark" by Joji

Joji (George Miller), mainly known for his past YouTube persona, Filthy Frank, released this single as a preamble of his upcoming album BALLADS 1, making it one of his most prominent and signature trademarks as he steps into the world of R&B while keeping his melodramatic tone in his lyrics. As a continuation from his last single "Yeah Right," "SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK" is about an unrequited love that he knows has feelings for someone who is better than him. The soundscape of this single is unique and distinct compared to his first EP In Tongues, which became the threshold into Joji's musical life. "SDITD" is a song full of raw emotion, which deserves a listen from anyone who is experiencing heartbreak or not.

"I Love It" by Lil Pump and Kanye West

This unexpected collaboration between the two most controversial rappers in 2018 is a small guilty pleasure song that has your heart saying yes, but your logical mind saying no. With African-American actress and comedian Adele Givens as the opening and closing of the song, she sets the mood and overall message: all she wants to do is get it on. Lil Pump's dirty simplicity is received in a repetitive but catchy beat that has you think about the lyrics all day. But the one to really emerge in this single is Kanye West, as in the music video, he seems to enjoy this song and smiles throughout. A funny listen and deserves a chance.

"Feels Like Summer" by Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino continues to surprise his audience with more unexpected hits with strong messages like "This is America," and his last album Awaken, My Love! This summertime package came with two mellow songs that both have extreme substance; however, a music video for "Feels Like Summer" was released recently, and is one of the most talked about videos to date as the cameos in the video were all of the prominent and legendary artists within black culture. With the subtle messages and incidents that were shown through metaphor, Gambino's song is really about the destruction of the world and the growing issue of global warming, and how no one focuses on the real problem, but instead follows the drama between these black figures in their entertaining lives. "Feels like Summer" is the perfect song to take a long stroll to, and if you live in the south, it feels like summer all of the time.

"Freudian" by Daniel Caesar

After a full year of this album being released, Daniel Caesar continues to impress people hit after hit on the same record. As an emerging artist with award winning songs, Freudian takes a dive into Caesar's life, as he takes on the topics about falling in love, falling out of love, the pain of love, and the people who built him to be the person he is today. With nationwide hits like "Best Part" featuring H.E.R. and his earliest single "Get You" featuring Kali Uchis, Caesar is on his way to the hearts of many people in the R&B industry. Starting with a love story in "Get You" to a fallen state in "Freudian," the album takes you on a roller coaster of feelings, leaving you satisfied at the end, knowing one chapter is over and soon another begins.

"Still Feel" by Half•Alive

Indie rock band half•alive is making a scene into micro mainstream with their new single "Still Feel," which released last month and has made over 4 million views on YouTube. This new jazzy plain is eccentric and shows individuality as the seemliness and aesthetically pleasing music is accompanied with the song. Choreography by a group called JA Collective, the song is given a very groovy vibe and a feel good message, leaving you uplifted and confident. This is the first single that half•alive has received extremely popular views for and is growing everyday. Highly recommended you give it a listen.