Hey! Welcome to "My Personal Faves"...of the Month!
At the end of each month I'll be making a list of songs that I love / couldn't stop listening to during that month. The songs are honestly not in much of any order. I just wrote them down as I remembered which ones I was the MOST obsessed with this month haha.
Music is so special and has a different meaning or purpose for everyone. I've always found that sharing music with my friends or loved ones makes us closer and allows each of us to find new songs, bands, something new in the music, and we typically come out of it with a bigger appreciation for music and each other. I wanted to make those memories with you all by sharing my top songs of every month.
I swear I have so much to talk about when it comes to my favorite music, so even though this is an edited down version, I wanted to create a space to share favorite new finds & old favorites.
So, let's get started!
*everything mentioned in this blog is my personal view & opinion, not facts.
May 2022
1. talk shit- Cheyenne Pohl
Shameless self-promo coming through...and I'm not sorry about it haha. "talk shit" is one of those really special songs for me. The writing process was so unique. I remember hanging out with a friend and realizing I talk a lot of "shit" about my ex when I'm with my friends but when I'm just in my thoughts I don't necessarily think about all of the bad stuff, or hate them and even miss some of the good things about our relationship. So, I went home, starting writing, and the first lyric that came out to start the song was "yeah, I talk some shit, about you, but sometimes...I still miss you, maybe wanna still kiss you, boy". I loved that opening line because it was so honest and true to how I was feeling. The next night, I saw a post on social media of my ex and his toxic ex-girlfriend together. Basically, she was the girl I was told not to worry about, so this sparked some...feelings if you will. The rest of the song turned into this journey of sorting through the feelings of reminiscing, anger, frustration, betrayal, longing, healing, and being better off.
Creating the sound and production of this song was my favorite thing I've ever done. We played with gospel choir-esq harmonies, tones, vibes. We took inspiration from the 1940's, specifically the song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrew Sisters for some of the verse harmonies. We achieved this huge sound and vocal production that I had always dreamed of! For example, Ariana Grande has big sounding vocal production. There's lots of doubling, harmonies, little ad-libs...so Ariana was a huge technique inspiration for this song, even though the song itself sounds nothing like her. Meghan Trainor's "Hurt Me" was also one of the starting inspirations for the vocals. I loved how smooth, big, and harmonious they were in that song. I got to work with so many elements and inspirations that I had always admired so much and dreamed of getting to work with someday. "talk shit" will always mean so much to me.
"talk shit" is available on ALL streaming platforms!!!
Favorite Lyric: "And I knew, it was never me...when you...bend over backwards but just let, me, leave" "Maybe just admit, you're a little bit a you know what boy"
2. Harry's House - Harry Styles
Sooo no one should be surprised to see THIS masterpiece on the list lol. Honestly it's all I have been listening to since May 20th and it is a stroke of pure genius. I can't even express to you all how much I needed this album. It's such a breath of fresh air for today's music. It is so incredible I couldn't choose just one song to put on this list....it's a body of work that is so special all together, in order, it feels wrong to break the songs up. In this album Harry experiments vocally, using numerous parts of his voice, many that we've never heard...instrumentally, the huge sounds in almost every song, the different effects, the feeling of him not being afraid to showcase everything he's got, every idea. That last thing honestly goes for every part of the album. I will never not be mind blown by this record and it is in my top 5 all time favorite albums. Harry is BACK, and absolutely dominating.
Favorite Lyrics:
"If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you, you be the spoon, dip you in honey so I could be sticking' to you"
"scuba duba do boo boo"
"music for whatever you want"
"in my kitchen, you never listen, I hope you're missing me by now"
"do you think I'm cool, too, or am I too into you"
"you got, you got the cinema, I bring the pop to the cinema, you pop when we get intimate"
"I can't get you off my miiiind"
"I was thinking about who you are, your delicate point of view"
"And you're trying to lift off the ground on those old two wheels"
"A small concern with how the engine sounds"
Okay, I need to stop myself, I could keep going for AWHILE. These are only a FEW. Leave a comment if I should review Harry's House song by song! I have LOTS of thoughts & similarities of songs to share haha.
3. About Damn Time - Lizzo
I LOVE that Lizzo brought the FUNK in this song. It's so groovy, bassy, funky, and makes you feel like "that bitch". For real though, this is the first single to come off of Lizzo's upcoming album "Special" and she came hot out of the gate. I've always loved and admired Lizzo's attitude in her music. She always acknowledges that she's gone through some shit, but manages to put a positive spin on the situation every time. She never forgets that self-love and confidence even when she's at her lowest, and this song is no exception. One of my favorite lines in this song is "it's been a minute tell me how you healing". Most of us expect her to say "feeling" cause that's normally the phrase people use, but she took a spin on it and used the word "healing" which I think is a lot more relevant to people, especially considering the last two years. Also mind you that Lizzo hasn't released a new album since 2019. So I really loved the creativity, relevance, and warmth that line holds. Thank goodness for Lizzo and her giving us a space to feel and express our confident energy.
Favorite Lyric: "it's been a minute tell me how you healing"
4. Don't Know Anybody Else - Two Year Vacation
I found Two Year Vacation on an independent artist music blog and since then I can't get enough. This song was made with pure serotonin. For the last month I have been blasting this song in my car with all my windows down, driving down backroads, dancing my little butt off while people stare at me from their cars. It gives...main character energy. I also had a dance party, by myself, in my kitchen, to this song only lol. I just adore this sort of vibe. That beachy, catchy, makes you love life and feel like you're in a movie vibe. That's the best way I can describe it. If you haven't already, go listen to Two Year Vacation and take a trip to the beach while you're at it.
Favorite Lyric: "Cause you and I are not the social kind, I'm happy I got you to myself" "Cause I don't know, anybody else, like I know you .... & you don't know, anybody else, like you know me"
5. Highlight of My Night - Two Year Vacation
This was the song that introduced me to Two Year Vacation. It's their latest single leading up to their EP May 20th. If Saint Motel and Almost Monday created a band, it would be Two Year Vacation. I don't know exactly what it is about them but they give me the vibe of those 2 combined. Highlight of My Night is fast paced, upbeat, driving, and just really ear-catching. I can't get enough of the chorus. It's constantly stuck in my head. It's got such passion in every part of this song, especially the vocals. One line that especially sticks out to me is "to the beat of the drum you learn to love yourself". It's so simple, yet relatable, comforting, and kinda deep. Think of all the times we turn to music...whether it's to feel comfort for any emotion we're feeling, to feel less alone through lyrics that remind us of us, and then there's the songs that truly make us love ourselves, put us in a great mood, cheer us up. Music has so many healing properties to it, so I think that line, although simple but clever, is really special.
Favorite Lyric: "to the beat of the drum you learn to love yourself"
That's a wrap on the May 2022 edition of "My Personal Faves....of the Month" ! This month's list was a little on the shorter side since I did spend majority of my month listening to Harry's House haha.
Thank you for hangin! If you're interested in finding MORE new songs check out my playlist "My Personal Faves" on Spotify & don't forget to follow my Spotify artist profile. :)
Come back next month for the June edition of "My Personal Faves...of the Month"
Comment YOUR "personal faves of the month" !
Have a happy day
Peace, Love, Music
-Cheyenne <3
Leave a comment