The fact that it is half way through the year and I’ve achieved borderline zero is kinda startling given all the goals I had at the beginning of the year. Well… there’s still another 6 months., right?!

I pre-wrote out an intro for this week about a really perfect music-listening experience I had on Sunday morning when I was walking the dog and the streets were empty but I read a bit too ‘dear diary’ and you know what that’s just not the stylistic choice I’m going to make today.

I have decided to test something in these lil reviews with a new “best bit” subhead for each song, as if my reviews weren’t already a short paragraph you can cut through even my smallest amount of bullshit and get to the most important part of what I’m saying.

So here they are, a whole bunch of songs you should listen to and the reason why they’re worth three-or-so minutes of your day.

Click here for the Spotify playlist with all the tracks in it

Andy Grammer – Some Girl

As much as this song is properly laden in clichés and I cannot stress enough how much Andy Grammer needs to crack open a book or at least get on rhymer.com to come up with some new rhymes that aren’t so predictable, this is a really nice little song. It’s cute, it’s a bit like Maroon 5, and that pre-chorus melody is so sad and soft and good.

Best bit: the falsetto in the intro + pre-chorus

SPIN

 

Conor Maynard – Hate How Much I Love You

Can you believe in the year of 2019 I am writing to you about a Conor Maynard song? I don’t know a whole lot about him, but I’ve always thought he was one of those YouTube cover artists that were like a less attractive Justin Bieber. Speaking of, this is such a Justin Bieber Purpose-era song: breezy little hook, not too hard on the ears, a cute lil song.

Best bit: that chorus, so damn catchy

SPIN

 

Delacey – The Subway Song

If you are going to call a song The Subway Song you better make me feel like I’m on the underground and shout out to Delacey for evoking that quiet non-peak-time, night-time train feeling. The melody is simple, the heartbreak concept is well presented and I felt every single second of it.

Best bit: that simple piano melody | also the soundbite at the end from an actual subway

SPIN

 

Ed Sheeran – Beautiful People (feat. Khalid)

How do you cope when you come from a humble beginning and are thrown into the world of glamour? You write a song about how you don’t belong apparently. I am really feeling this new Ed Sheeran music, and having seen I’m actually hopeful having seen the tracklisting that the rest of this album won’t be another snoozefest. This is such a sadbop, I actually think this might be his best ever?

Best bit: Khalid’s pre-chorus

SPIN

 

Grace VanderWaal – Ur So Beautiful

I try not to look at who is singing the first time I play through all the songs so I’m not too biased about it and I was surprised that it was VanderWaal – y’know, it’d be so easy to go down such an obvious pop-route after winning America’s biggest talent show and being compared so heavily to Taylor Swift, but instead this is far more reserved and a smarter move in building her credibility. There’s something really early-00’s about it, and it’s kinda reminding me of All Saints’ Pure Shores which is a high compliment.

Best bit: that guitar line in the intro

SPIN

 

Ingrid Michaelson – Young and in Love

A nice little 80s-synthy-pop song with a simple but effective hook. Also, I have just read that Michaelson’s new album is fully inspired by Stranger Things and if that’s not a good enough reason for you to listen to this then you need to get over yourself x

Best bit: the bridge

SPIN

 

Ivey – Bodies

This song literally sparkles I swear. I don’t know, it’s like, Kylie-Minogue-meets-Robyn-esque and I was really feeling it when I played it the first time, I can imagine this being such a concert moment.

Best bit:

 

Julia Michaels – 17/Hurt Again

I’ve come full circle to stan Julia Michaels and I couldn’t pick which song from her new EP Inner Monolgoue PtII which came out on Friday so I picked two. 17 is reminding me of Anne-Marie’s 2002 from last year and Hurt Again is so clickable. Both and all are great.

Best Bit: just go and listen to the EP it’s goooood

SPIN

 

Kygo + Whitney Houston – Higher Love

Maybe I should think that this is a monstrosity for existing but in all honestly it bangs. Whitney singing danced-out cover of Higher Love and produced by my fav boy Kygo? A gift.

Best Bit: when Whitney sings “my love” in the chorus

SPIN

 

Mike Perry + Charlotte Haining – Bloodshot

This is what I will be starting my day off with from now until forever I feel like I’m flying.

Best bit: The melody when Haining sings: “I got these bloodshot eyes/Over countless sleepless nights”

SPIN

 

NF – When I Grow Up

This grabbed me so hard, like, I’ve not heard rap from someone I’ve never heard of before that hit me this way in a long time. His flow and how he delivers the verse is so slick and good and authentic sounding, you can tell this comes from a point of real frustration. Exciting as fuck.

Best bit: uhh, the whole thing? Sae good

SPIN

 

Sasha Sloan – Dancing With Your Ghost

This is just so sad it broke me a little. Haunting.

Best bit: Sloan’s vocal

 

Stan Walker – Give

Hella soulful and apparently I still fancy Stan Walker in 2019. Sure, it’s kinda clichéd out, but it’s easy listening in an x-factor runners-up never released winners single kinda way, y’know?

Best bit: all those awful, predictable rhymes

 

Violet Skies – I’ll Buy A House

I forgot to drink my afternoon coffee so I’m tired and low on words but this is a good lil pop song with a tried and tested lyrical concept.

Best bit: the sheer concept of  “fuck you I’ll take my pain and turn it into $$”