Tag: Lauryn Hill

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Happy Valentines Day! ❤️❤️

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Happy Valentines Day everyone Hope you all had wonderful days/nights!!

Just a quick one. Here are 5 of some of my favourite modern love songs. I’ve focussed on the theme of the beginning of the relationship when everything is all rosy and fresh. I have also included my current slow jams and throwbacks Spotify link. I am in the process of filtering out some songs from there and as soon as I have a new an improved slow jams mix you will all know. Have a read and listen below.

1. Fantasia – When I See U (2006)

I’ve written about my love for this song before and boy is it perfect for a day like today. Fantasia sings her heart out in this song and you can’t help but feel the love. The opening verse describes how it feels when you have that crush or first love for someone; “I put your picture on my mirror, start to blush when somebody says your name” a feeling many of us know. The main reason I love this song so much is because of how relatable it is. It’s one of those songs that will have you thinking of a particular person as you belt out her verses. Fantasia’s voice in this song is sensational and the video is just as beautiful. Have a listen and watch below.

2. Beyoncé – Dangerously In Love (2003)

Okay so this is one of my favourite Beyoncé songs of all time. I love the sentiment behind the song and the calming vibe it provides you with. The opening lines “Baby, I love you, you are my life..my happiest moments weren’t complete if you weren’t by my side”, beautifully sung. Beyoncé harmonises with her own voice in this song and I feel like we are intruding on a duet between herself and herself! The lyrics are beautiful in this song.

3. Usher – U got it Bad (2001)

If we’re being honest 99% of Usher’s discography can be featured in this list. I picked this one because it plays on the theme of the beginning of falling in love. The song plays on the idea Usher is ready to leave his player ways as he has found the woman of his dreams. Again, this song focusses on the honeymoon period; “You got, you got it bad. When you’re on the phone, hang up and you call right back”, the beginning of the relationship when you’re in looooooove. Have a listen below.

4. Jennifer Lopez Ft. Fat Joe – Hold U Down (2005)

“You don’t know how much you mean to me, whenever you’re down you know that you can lean on me”, wiser words have never been spoken. I love how wholesome this song makes me feel. The idea that in a relationship you both help and support each other. I like how the partnership is demonstrated with the merging of verses with JLo singing her verse and Fat Joe rapping his but sometimes linking together.

5. Bob Marley & The Wailers Ft. Lauryn Hill -Turn your Lights Down Low (1999)

Last but not least one of the greatest songs from Bob Marley or Lauryn Hill in my opinion. I know I’ve written about this song before but I will always bring it up when talking about love songs! This remix features the two legends’ voices merging like it was meant to be. My favourite lines have to be when Lauryn raps “Loving you is a like a song I replay, every three minutes and thirty seconds of every day”…I mean what better analogy to express love than with music! Haha! Honestly the harmonies in this song are heavenly! Check the song out below.


*A MOTOWN POST WILL BE UP SHORTLY*

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Throwback Thursday (US Style)

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Today’s throwback track is by the one and only Lauryn Hill. Her 1998 single “Ex Factor ” was released from her critically acclaimed album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”.

Cardi B sampled this song on her 2018 song “Be Careful” and most recently Drake sampled this song on his 2018 hit “Nice for What” & reaffirmed people’s love for the original. The song is mostly Lauryn pouring out her love and pain to this ex which is why it is considered a song that people associate with breakups. The first line of the song “It could all be so simple but you’d rather make it hard” could be argued to relate to the end of a relationship. Sometimes there will always be that person that is willing to hold on while the other is not cooperating. There a few songs that the first line when played captures people’s ears and is enough to make them sing in unison, this is one of the songs.

A line that sticks out to me and highlights the desperation one may feel towards the breakdown of a relationship; “Tell me, who I have to be to get some reciprocity”… When you love someone so much you want to do anything you can to make it work. In addition you want them to be on the same page and to feel the exact same way you do about them. The common theme in this song is the fact Lauryn’s love is not mirrored in this partner.

One of the most famous lines and a line that Drake himself sampled in his song is “I keep letting you back in, how can I explain myself “. Some point in everyone’s life there is that one person we may keep running back to. No matter how hard you try to move on, it may be too hard to let them go. The success of this song definitely has something to do with the relatability we all may feel to the situation.

The final verses and the outro are a repetition of lines such as; “Care for me, care for me, I know you care for me…There for me, there for me! Said you’d be there for me“. The repetition reminds me of questions you may ask yourself when thinking back to the relationship and the reminder of the empty promises.

Overall this song can be considered a classic. What makes a song a classic in my opinion is a song that can relate to you everytime you hear it.

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Throwback Thursday

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Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill are arguably and respectably considered two of the some of the greatest musicians of all time.

‘Turn your lights down Low’ featuring Lauryn Hill, released in 1999 is a remix of Bob’s original song. The song almost sounds like it was made for a voice like Lauryn. The song is marinated with so many harmonies as Lauryn repeatedly sings “I wanna give you some love…I wanna give you some good, good lovin'”. Lauryn even provides a rap voice to expand her already talented range. The song is definitely one of the greats and if you haven’t had a listen, please do.