Tag: Slow Jams

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Throwback Thursday but make it about Love!

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Hello everyone!! Apologies for the lack of posts! Valentines Day is coming this weekend and whatever some of you lovers will be doing to celebrate…I’m sure there will be music involved!

I’ve picked 5 tracks that may put you in the valentines mood from my Slow Jams Mix! Feel free to check them out below and follow the whole playlist!

Donell Jones – This Luv

Donell is one of my favourite artists and for me, his music is timeless!! Some of the best songs about love are from Donell! This particular song is one of my favourite tracks from him and possibly one his most popular!

Wyclef Jean Ft. Mary J Blige – 911

One of my favourite love songs. This is the kind of love that translates into the best songs! You can hear the passion through their voices! “If this is the kind of love that the old folks used to warn me about, man I’m in trouble” is the perfect description of this song. You can literally hear the pain on Mary’s verse especially when she screams out. This song also reminds me how love songs used to be, the dramatics and the rawness. I love the video too!

Yo Trane- High Off You

This is one of Yo Trane’s older songs and by far one of his best! The whole song is a reflection from Yo Trane’s point of view. He is realising what he had with his previous girlfriend, the main issue being that he was unable to fully open up to her and give her his all. He compares his love for her like a drug and he sings about how much he is in withdrawal.

Brent Faiyaz – Make Luv

Our toxic fave Brent Faiyaz has a catalogue of love songs to pick from but this song is extra special. The song isn’t so much of a love song but a middle finger up to those that have wronged you! Fortunately Brent can make any subject/topic sound beautiful!

Wale Ft. Jeremih – On Chill

There was no way I wasn’t going to find a way to fit this in the list!! One of my favourite songs of all time! This song just screams sexy love! I love the blend of Jeremih’s soothing voice and Wale’s rapping on this song.

Check out the Slow Jams playlist below and stay tuned for a special Valentines Day EP review out this weekend!

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#ThrowbackThursday Donell Jones…A Pioneer?

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It’s nearly the end of what has felt like a very long week! Hope everyone has a nice peaceful end to it. One of the features of Spotify I enjoy is the “Daily Mix” playlist. Today’s one for me brought back some memories of some classic throwbacks I thought I’d share with you all based on one of the best Donell Jones. I’m talking about some songs from his second studio album ‘Where I Wanna Be‘ as well as some other songs. I’ve been thinking and I genuinely believe Donell Jones could be considered to be one of the pioneers of R&B. When you read about how he has written music for acts like Usher, it makes so much sense.

Donell Jones – U Know What’s Up (1999)

Possibly one of Donell’s most well known tracks and literally his biggest hit to date. This song has been cemented in slow jam and romantic music history. “Ooh say what, say what, say what…Ooh girl, you know what’s up” are lines I’m sure most music lovers know very well. I can’t even talk too much about this record because the song literally does all the talking. If you somehow weren’t aware of this song, please have a listen. Also check out the remix featuring the late Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez.

Donell Jones – Where I Wanna Be (2000)

“But when you love someone, you just don’t treat them bad” another classic line from Donell that is reused in many of our songs today. The song itself is quite sad as it can be argued to be a breakup song as he sings “I’m not saying I’m gone, but I have to find what life is like without you”. Throughout the song he explains how much he cares for her and how sad he is that he has to eventually hurt her. The main message is that he is putting himself first and he is being honest about it.

Donell Jones – If U Want Ft. Bun B. (2006)

I’ve previously talked about my love for this song. I feel this is most likely my favourite song from him. The intro rap from Bun B; “Now if your man ain’t lovin’ you right, you need to roll with a ‘G’, get a thug in your life” grabs your attention straight away. The contrast of Bun B’s playful rapping style and Donell’s sweet voice work well. The song gives us the impression Donell is singing to a woman who is currently in an unhappy relationship with another guy. Donell encourages the woman to leave him so he can take car of her. The idea of him repeating the phrase “If u want” indicates that he is making sure she does not feel pressured to do anything. I enjoyed mostly the flow of this song, it’s very upbeat and vibrant.

Donell Jones – This Luv (1999)

This is another song embedded in my personal ‘Slow Jams Mix’. “Do you mind if I take this seat right here cos you’re sitting alone”….fist part of the song is my favourite. Donell has the ability to story tell in a song that just flows with his tone of voice which is so soothing. Something Usher also does so well. I think this is my most preferred love song from this album if I’m honest.

Donell Jones – I Wanna Luv U (1999)

Wow! Another contender in the battle for best Donell Jones love songs This song is so sensual and soft on the ear as Donell pleads how much he wants to love the woman. The lyrics are definitely very love fueled; ” You are the reason why I live, a newfound joy I can’t contain, yeah”. Whew! Love is sweet!!

Here is the album link below;

I could go on all day talking about Donell Jones songs! I will do another post soon with more recent songs of his.

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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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30Day Music Challenge – Day 12; (Songs that I love from 2011)

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2011 was an incredible year for Hip-Hop and music as a whole. As you can probably tell by now I can never seem to stick to one song for these challenges so here’s a few songs released in 2011 that I love;

1. Big Sean Ft Chris Brown – My Last (2011)

Wow! I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this song! It was being premiered on the old BET hit show ‘106 & Park’. I remember it being the day I fell in love with Big Sean and his music. The song definitely was the song that propelled Sean into stardom. We can’t forget the impact Chris Brown’s vocals have in this song, I’m sure Chris Brown can slay every feature.

2. Drake – Headlines (2011)

This was the first song to be released from Drake’s legendary “Take Care” album. To be honest, the whole album could be in this post but I’ll stick to one for now. The song gave us the impression that Drake was developing a lot of confidence from his success and was ready to share it with the world. The song was produced by ‘Boi-1da’ and ‘Noah “40″ Shebib’ and the production is incredible especially towards the end of the song. Favourite line has to be ; “I guess it really is just me, myself and all my millions”! What a line!!!

3. Wretch 32 Ft Josh Kumra – Don’t Go (2011)

UK music was big in 2011 and this song in particular was a popular one. Wretch 32 could be argued to be one of the country’s great rappers. Wretch 32’s clever wordplay and Josh Kumra’s soothing voice make a match made in heaven.

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Queen Naija

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Queen became popular as part of a couple with her now ex partner Chris Sails on YouTube. After the end of the relationship she began to publicly work more on her music and we were gifted with her song ‘Medicine’. Queen is definitely talented and her voice can be argued to be a sound we are missing at the moment. She released her first EP titled “Queen Naija” and the EP is filled with 5 beautiful R&B songs. The songs featured are based on her life and what she has experienced; being heartbreak, love and also being a mother.

For me R&B is definitely a genre that can be argued to be dying down unfortunately. This EP is simply classic R&B and reignites the feel for the genre. The songs are very personal and you can feel the emotion in every single song. A sign of a good song is when the listener can either relate or get a good sense of what the singer is feeling or has felt. I believe this EP does everything…raw emotion, great melodies and all the while keeping us entertained.

I really hope she is here to stay because her voice is definitely a beauty to hear.

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SlowJam Sunday

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‘Hurts the Most‘ is a song by US singer Monica from her 2003 album “After the Storm”. The album also features her famous hit “So Gone”.

‘Hurts the Most’ is an emotional song based on how someone may feel when they bump into someone they once loved. All the love and emotion they may have felt for them may come back. Monica sings in the first verse; “Boy, it’s been a long time since the last time I saw you. Feels like nothin’ changed since we’ve been together”… even after all this time, the love is still there.

The song also explores the feelings when that love has moved on; “& recently you found someone that you
decided to dedicate your whole life to…& baby, what hurts the most is letting go”. The rawness one may feel when you realise that the other person has closed the door completely on you even though you still saw hope. The most wonderful thing about this song is the emotion you feel from Monica. The song feels extremely personal and is a situation that is very relatable to a lot of people.

The song is filled with regret, love, loss and the most important…acceptance.

I love songs that have the potential to make you cry or laugh or reminisce over something that may have happened in your life. This song is a prime example of that.

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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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Music & Life Podcast Links & Spotify Playlists

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Hey everyone! These are the links for the Music & Life Podcast! Hope you all enjoy!

Spotify:

Apple Music:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/music-and-life-podcast/id1543981409?at=11lo6V&ct=podnews_podcast

Spotify Playlists:

Please feel free to follow some of my Spotify Playlists. They are updated regularly but are still a work in progress!! (Click the link above)

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Making Love (Into the Night)

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Listen. I am the BIGGEST Usher fan EVER. My biggest wish is to attend a concert where he can perform every song from his classic ‘Confessions’ album.

This particular song is just a casual underrated song he previously released. My favourite line/bit is actually towards the end around the 3 minute mark where he sings “You gonna wanna tell everybody ’bout how I got you all”… where the beat changes and his voice gets deeper. The song is classic Usher. He sings about pleasing his woman in all the right ways.