Hey there! I know so many of y’all have that one constant question on your brain. And that is…”What on earth does Jermaine listen to?” Well, stress no more! Your prayers have officially been answered. :)
Okay but honestly, music is such an important facet of my life. It keeps me sane, it helps to clear my head, think straight, focus, have a good time. Literally, music is everything to me. I take pride in my libraries. (Yes I pay for Apple Music and Spotify, actively listening to both) I take pride in the music I suggest to others as well. In the spirit of suggestion, I wanted to create a playlist every so often and connect it to my blog to talk about a few of my favorites! So, let's get into round one!
2 Places By Tori Kelly For those unaware, Tori Kelly’s third album “Inspired by True Events” was released on August 9th, 2019. The album has been critically acclaimed, of course. Tori’s songwriting abilities matched with her impeccable vocal prowess is key to making this amazing piece of work. My favorite song on the album by far is 2 Places. The song chronicles the emotions that come along with feeling like your heart is split into two separate locations. In between one and the other but having no home ground. The song says, ”in between the two, standing still on the run. I feel like the moon, trying to stay up on the sun.” To me, this is one of those emotions that no one has ever quite put the correct words to. I know we’ve all been in that place where we’re moving and doing things, however, you have no idea what’s happening. The feeling of being everywhere but nowhere at the same time. Yea, this song hits that perfectly. Paired with the passion of Kelly’s voice, you have a storytelling masterpiece. Listen to “2 Places” here
All the Man That I Need by Whitney Houston The Voice. Ms. Whitney Houston. My absolute favorite performance was of this song, from the “Welcome Home Heroes” event that was broadcast live on Easter Sunday in 1991. In the live recording, the way that Whitney commands the audience is impeccable. Bringing them to scintillating peaks, all the way down to hushed excitement within the confines of 6 minutes and 30 seconds. I absolutely love the raw soul just oozing from Whitney’s vocals. The way she sings this song is like no other. It’s something about those words, “He fills me up” when she hits the chorus. She never sings it the same way twice. It is the variety in choice and vocal control that really sets Whitney apart from the rest. But y’all knew that. Enjoy the masterclass. Listen to “All the Man That I Need” here
Something Good by James Vickery “Take time, wait for me, baby” This silky smooth rendition is everything you could ever need from a neo-soul jam. Personally, it’s a toss-up between which part of the song speaks to me the loudest. Both the lyrics and the instrumentation really take equal parts in creating this song. Of course, lyrics and instrumentation work together to create a song, but this sound makes them almost as if they’re one and the same. The syncopation in the chorus running against the rhythm but with it at the same time is mesmerizing. The song has such a breathtaking power behind it. Some would even venture to call it a vibe. The type of vibe that is visceral. There’s a reason why soul music is labeled as such. It’s because of the way that it reaches... the soul. Listen to this when you feel ready to let it take you over. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait. Listen to “Something Good” here
If these songs caught your attention, please take the time to listen to the rest of these handpicked gems for your listening pleasure. I got y’all on Spotify and Apple Music. :)
Originally Published: September 10th, 2019