Posted in The Here and Now

Spotify Tour Part 1

Happy Tunesday!! Today I’ll be highlighting some of my Spotify playlists. Feel free to follow me or any of the specific playlists that strike your fancy! I really like curating playlists and love talking about music so I figured hey, why not showcase some of my pet projects.

I’m going to be posting this in 3 parts but the playlist selection is in no particular order.

This is being published in January 2021, so if you read this at a significantly later date, it’s possible the exact titles and emotions for the playlists may evolve. If that happens I’ll try to update this post as needed!


dark & stormy

what’s the vibe: this playlist is for songs that are a little bit sinister. Lots of minor keys, complex chords, and the occasional sad lyricism.

when to listen: put this playlist on shuffle on a moody night when you just want to DANCE and forget that you’re in your feelings but still feel seen by the artists you’re dancing along to

title insight: this is just one of the many playlists i have named after beverages. this seemed the most appropriate based on the goal of my playlist

sample artists: BANKS, MS MR, Lorde, Lykke Li

honey wine

what’s the vibe: this playlist is for songs that you might describe as fun folk. anything that can make a city dweller feel like they’re on a ranch in the middle of a square dance night. it’s similar to my “on my Indie B.S.” playlist but the key difference is honey wine tracks usually have a banjo or fiddle or mandolin at some point.

sample artists: Half Moon Run, Billy Raffoul, Matt Corby, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Birdtalker, Churchill

the vibes? immaculate.

what’s the vibe: this is filled with chillhop and R&B for the most part

when to listen: at the kickback where the friendship is much more important than the playlist but that still allows for lulls in conversation to have you immersed in something tasteful and smooth. we’re relaxing and it’s incredibly chill.

title insight: the vibes are just immaculate, idk what to tell you….

sample artists: Nao, Masego, Chloe x Halle, Brasstracks, Cautious Clay, The Internet, Kid Cudi, WILLOW, Khalid

breath of fresh air

what’s the vibe: i made this in order to spend 7 hours walking one day. ever since, i’ve curated it a bit further to be a collection of upbeat songs that i generally like but don’t necessarily seek out– like elevator music for my brain.

when to listen: on a long long walk in nice weather :~) smell the grass!!! feel the earth beneath u!! smile up at the sun !!

sample artists: Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Julia Michaels, Lizzo, Sylvan Esso, Wrabel, Fletcher, Vanessa Carlton, alt-J, Ruth B., Young the Giant

electro-trash

what’s the vibe: i had an electro swing phase in college, around the time the new Great Gatsby movie had come out (which I never saw but I listened to the playlist religiously). the songs are jazzy and fun and some of them have really good drops as well as repetitive hooks and lyrics.

when to listen: either when you’re going to a roaring 20s themed party or when ur doing work and u gotta focus!!! the repetition and use of loops is incredibly helpful for a scatterbrain like me but if you’re someone who needs pure instrumentals, this might not be for you 😦

title insight: i was embarrassed by my obsession so this was me trying to downplay it. i’m keeping it though because i can’t think of anything better. let me know if you have ideas that are in the bevvy theme!!

sample artists: Parov Stelar, Caravan Palace, Belleruche, The Electric Swing Circus, Swing Republic, Beats Antique, Scott Bradlee

by any other name

title insight: shakespeare quote because i am incredibly unoriginal. this playlist contains songs that are names, that’s it! there are a few that include names such as “What Sarah Said” or “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty” simply because i adore those songs but for the most part they are all just single name titled tracks.

what’s the vibe: there is literally no vibe — the songs span a host of genres

when to listen: don’t lol just find ur name or the names of your friends/boo/family, listen to that song, then keep it movin xoxo


So that’s all for this week! Let me know how your organize your playlists? I feel like my Virgo and Aquarius really woke up and chose harmony and that’s why I’m Like This when it comes to my music playlists!!

Posted in The Here and Now

Book Review: You Should See Me In A Crown

This review is mainly spoiler-free but tread lightly if you have yet to read it!

Last week I read and finished the book You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson. If it’s not available at your local library, you can buy it here from a local bookstore rather than Am*zon! This came out during the summer of 2020 and I found it on a list of, at-the-time forthcoming queer literature. I completely forgot that I discovered the book from a queer list so I was surprised when our protagonist, Liz Lighty, ended up being a lil homo!!! We love it here!

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

This adorable story is about Liz Lighty, a Black high schooler who feels out of place as a poor, Black, tomboyish girl attending an incredibly affluent school. This is her senior year and she has to earn enough money in order to attend college next year. The musician decides to run for prom queen in order to earn the scholarship prize money in order to attend her dream school and become the doctor that she wishes her mother had. She meets Mack, a new student who has just joined the school orchestra as a drummer. The story explores their relationship to one another and to prom in general.

There are many side stories happening in this book. Some might find it overwhelming and unfocused but I think Johnson did an incredible job of keeping each “side quest” extremely relevant. All of the relationships in the book are incredibly realistic in how many layers any one high schooler would be sifting through.

Rating: ★★★★☆

I’m giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. Overall this book is so incredibly CUTE!! While reading, I thought that there were some incredibly foreshadowy moments– it almost made me not continue reading. I was pretty certain there was going to be a very specific outcome. Gratefully, I was somewhat incorrect, but it was a little off-putting to feel like I had “figured it out” before the story really even got started.

This is a great read for anyone who is in the mood for a cutesey-feel good dose of adorable sapphic charm.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Posted in The Here and Now

Juicy Jams

Happy Tunesday y’all! If it isn’t yet apparent, I absolutely love music! One of my favorite things is just listening to a bunch of new radio stations and finding new songs and artists to add to my playlists. I’m going to make a post soon about the playlists I have so far– I just did a lil winter-organizing and my playlists are looking #GOODT if I do say so myself.

Today I just wanted to share (in no particular order) some absolute BOPS that have provided me a wealth of serotonin over the past few weeks. These are songs I would typically pop onto one of my fave playlists that I share with a friend which you can check out here if you’d like!

Mountains by Charlotte Day Wilson

I find this song so haunting and warm at the same time. Like I get the feeling that I’m both underwater and in a beautiful cathedral simultaneously. Fun fact: Babyface is credited as one of the writers! It’s generally about heartbreak and betrayal, light and fun stuff~

Guilty Conscience by 070 Shake

I haven’t seen the music video and am solely basing my appreciation of this song on the audio. Regardless the artist is QUEER so that is incredibly important. But this song makes me want to drive around with my windows down and have an absolute “IDGAF” attitude for the rest of the day…maybe even week. The most PG iteration of the “story” being told is that it’s about accepting that you and your partner may both have faults and coming to terms with that equal footing.

HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS by PawPaw Rod

this right here is a lil bop!! it’s PawPaw’s first release and it absolutely makes me want to know what else he has in store. It’s groovy, funky, and SO danceable. Don’t ask me what the song is about because I literally have no idea.

Bodies by The Knocks & MUNA

This song is the epitome of serotonin. I love MUNA they are queer icons. This is the first thing I’ve heard from The Knocks but I’d like to see if they have other bangers such as this one. This song is about a party… does anyone remember those? I’d give up SO much to dance to this in a club but I will have to settle for my bedroom for right now.

Have you heard of any of these songs? If you happen to listen to them all, let me know which ones you like best. If there are songs similar to these that you think I might like, please put me on!! I’m always trying to expand my musical mind, ya feel ~