Hello, and welcome to the third volume of Music, Mood, and Muse. Unlike the previous volumes, instead of it being focused on a singular artist, it will focus on the music and podcasts that have become the soundtrack to the weird quarter life crisis I have found myself in. And yes, I did say podcasts because a majority of the time I am listening to podcasts at work and they do heavily influence my mood. So If you are wondering what I have been listening to on my day-to-day, when I am happy, sad, feeling like a boss, or feeling nostalgic then sit back, relax, and put on your overpriced airpods because we are about to dive right in.

DAY TO DAY:

Because I work in corporate America (currently transitioning jobs), my Monday through Friday are pretty routine. It starts with live streaming The Bert Show on my phone while I ride the train to work. I have been listening to this radio station for years and enjoy listening to a few segments before work. I really enjoy their segments Relationship Report Card, War of the Roses, and anything involving a good Davi rant.

Now, once I get to work it is usually straight podcasts, and I have a very punctual schedule. I won’t get into my exact schedule, but here is an overview.

I like to start my week with the Culture Kings Podcast. During this podcast hosts Jacquis Neal and Edgar Momplaisir dive into black culture, sports, and Disney…? They are hella funny and not only do they come on on Mondays, but also Wednesday and Friday. After Culture Kings, it’s Lore, Every Little Thing, and Movie Crush. Lore is a podcast about the myths and fables and real-life events that have shaped our dark understanding of the world. Every Little Thing is a podcast that answers any and every random question that you may have. My favorite episodes take on subjects like flamingos and the Wilhelm Scream. Other podcast throughout the week include The Breakfast Club, Stuff You Should Know, Nerdificient, Up and Vanished, The Read, Welcome to Nightvale, Heavyweight, and Myths & Legends. ***I do want to say that The Read is a podcast specifically meant for people of color and can and will offend its non- black listeners*** On my way home from work, I typically listen to Spotify, either my Nonstop playlist or PGA playlist. But there are those days when I am really in my feels, and I need a playlist to fit my mood…

IN MY FEELS

So, I suffer really bad from getting really sad when its raining consistently, for multiple days. Which means this Winter has been a highkey mess for me. So when it’s gotten really close to me building an ark, these are the five songs I am listening to:

Sometimes my sadness can turn into anger and frustration. Let’s be honest here, we all get mad. It’s human nature, and when I feel like its time to throw axes, I will be listening to these:

“Hold Up” - Beyonce
“Don’t Hurt Yourself” - Beyonce
“The Catalyst” - Linkin Park
“Afraid” - The Neighbourhood
“Thru Your Phone” - Cardi B

Now, the anger usually subsides, and when it doesn’t bae always knows how to cheer me up (unless hes the one pissing me off). So what do I listen to when I am with bae? Well these of course.

With the good vibes flowing, I feel like I can take the world by storm. This means it’s time for some lady boss music featuring the following:

“WIN” - Jay Rock
“Smile (Living My Best Life)” - Lil Duval ft. Snoop Dogg and Ball Greezy
“Freedom” - Beyonce ft. Kendrick Lamar
“Goodnight Gotham” - Rihanna
“Money” - Cardi B

After being a boss and making money moves, I like to relax by taking a nice shower and listening to some good mood music such as:

THE CLASSICS

That is generally my mood music. Unless…. Its Thursday and I am feeling nostalgic. In that case I am listening to throwbacks. These are the songs that stood the test of time and still hit each time. Please enjoy a series of throwback Photos as you listen:

There are days when I wish some throwbacks make me wish they had continued making music or did not change their music style. These people are:

Adele #comeback
The Old Kanye
Old Hip Hop in general. I don’t get this new stuff
Ariana Grande. I really want her to SING again. Not just make pop hits.
Outkast. I am from Atlanta. #enoughsaid

And because its a music blog, there has to be a hit and miss list. So here it is:

HIT AND MISS

Artist that are hitting:

H.E.R. - I don’t know if you saw her performance at the Grammys, but H.E.R is literally saving R&B one song at a time. AND she plays electric guitar. #wholegoals
Cardi B - She can do no wrong with music at the moment. If Money and Please Me are any indication of what her sophomore album will sound like, then sign me up for the pre-order.
Dua Lipa - She make BOPS. The soundtrack to teenage clothing stores in your local mall. I love it
Gary Clark Jr. - Sultry voice, electric guitar. That’s all you really need.
GoldLink - I am not sure what genre he is yet, but I’ve been dabbling in his music after listening to his song “Got Friends” that features Miguel

Artist that are missing the mark for me:

Ariana Grande - She was once compared to Mariah Carey as far as vocal ability, so it really sucks to listen to her last two albums and not get many vocals out of it.
The Top 50 in general - Who are half these people? Why so much pop?
Future - Mainly because he keeps trying to trash Ciara while she lives her best life and his music has not really evolved.
Reality Stars and Rainbow Rappers - Not everyone needs to be a musician, but make your money, can’t hate on the hustle.

So yeah, that is my life summed up in music pretty well. In case the mania was not at an all time high, I am starting a new job soon, looking to see what moving out would look like, and generally trying to accomplish some hefty goals that I set for myself this year. Lucky for me, Spotify is only $10 a month and Apple Podcast is absolutely free. If you haven’t figured out by now, each song and artist is linked to its Spotify page( except Beyonce, I don’t have Tidal, I instead bought the Lemonade album through iTunes) so you can enjoy for yourselves and maybe find something that fits your current mood.

Music, Mood, and Muse Volume 3: A Playlist From A Meek and Manic Millennial

DAY TO DAY:

IN MY FEELS

THE CLASSICS

HIT AND MISS

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