Music Monday | Cross-Genre Playlist

image source: studded hearts

I’ve compiled a bluesy 11-song playlist for a blue Monday morning. Dreaded school has been in full swing for an entire week now, and as you can probably imagine it’s been quite an adjustment from the Barcelona beaches and French pastries I was indulging in not too long ago. I’ve been really into music that, in the best way I can describe it, is a trippy mix between trance/electronic music and RnB/soul. Not the greatest description, but you’ll get the feel of it once you listen to it.

I’ve come across a couple of definitions across the web, such as “elegantly sad dubstep”, “post-dubstep” (interesting), “torch songs” (I particularly like this one, although I’m still trying to figure out its meaning) and “neo-soul”. Probably the most apt label is what many have simply called “cross-genre”. There we go. My friend Bongi and I lay on the floor of our hotel room listening to this kind of music for like 3 hours in a dizzy haze of mellow euphoria – basically sober/trippy. When I complimented her taste in music, she smiled with a sense of accomplishment and said, “I know.” Let me know what you think, guuuuyyyssss.

PS. Sohn and Kwabs and James and Benedict are brilliant *heart eyes emoji*

Music Monday | HAIM

who: HAIM (Alana, Este and Danielle Haim)

what: R&B/Soft Rock/Pop Rock American band

when: 2006 - present

Now I know I've arrived at the party long after the clean up has been done, and I'm sure they're already setting up for the next party, but I feel like when there's a hype over something new, there are two kinds of people: those who latch onto that the trend before it's even become a thing yet, and those who follow suit eons later. This time, needless to say, I have landed among the second category of often less cool people, who the first group are generally irritated by. (I've been on both sides, so I can relate.)

The hype I'm referring to is HAIM, an American rock band made up of 3 sisters, with the last name Haim (pronounced hi-um, like lion, but with an 'm' at the end). They've sort of blown up in the underground indie scene, and have already worked with some big names like Rihanna, Kid Cudi, Flo-Rida, Florence & The Machine, Childish Gambino, and the list goes on... The other night (morning), at about 01:40, I had a sudden revelation that instead of hopelessly tossing and turning, I could put my insomnia to use and finally listen to Haim, which I've honestly been meaning to do for the longest time. Long story short, I listened to them and bobbed my head and enjoyed their stuff and wrote this post. Not bad for a morning's work, eh?

Their style is a mix of a couple of genres. I don't think you can pinpoint it, but it has a sort of techno vibey, soft pop/rock feel. The kind of music that makes you want to put on a good old slip dress, whip your hair and dance around in a field of wild flowers. "Mellow, grunge, feel-good, easy-listening" is as good of a definition as I can come up with. I wouldn't say HAIM is everyone's cup of chai tea latte, but if you're into the this kind of thing, you'll love it. If you're a free bee like I am, and sort of let music grow on you, I'm sure you'll love them in the end - like I said, they're easy listening. It's always a fun realization when you start liking something you weren't too keen on at first. That's the beauty of life right? A little time goes a long long way!

Last year HAIM released their first full-length album called Days Are Gone. I'm sure this applies to a lot of people: when you first listen to a new artist or a new album, there are songs that you looooove straight off the bat, and others that become your favourites after a while. At this point, my off-the-bat favourite songs off their album have to be Falling, which I've embedded above, and Don't Save Me. PS. School starts today, meeeeehhh!

HAIM's links:

website | soundcloud | facebook | twitter | tumblr

(image source: Michael Flores for Spin.com)

Music Monday | Tinashe

who: Tinashe

what: Hip-Hop/RnB/Pop

when: 2007 - present

As you may or may not know, I have a bit of an obsession with the Kardashian/Jenner clan. They come up in my conversations as if I know them, like, "You know Ky did this, and Khlo did that." I don't know, but it's hard not be a tab bit obsessed with such fabulous people? My love for them goes to the extent of stalking them (and all their friends) on social media, Instagram, Twitter, Vine, Keek, Shots, you name it, and occasionally downloading songs they've mentioned. Kylie in particular has really good taste in music, so when she posted a video of herself singing a particular song with such sass, I just had to have it.

It turned out to be 2 On by Tinashe feat. ScHoolboy Q, which I've embedded above. This song has a really great beat and a sort of old-school-cool feel about it. The lyrics can be pretty vulgar, but so are most hip-hop songs these days (what are you gonna do?). Despite this, I have literally not stopped listening to this song, and neither should you - it's so great! You should also make sure to listen to Boss and That from her In Case We Die mixtape.

PS. am I the only one loving the increase in well-known female hip hop artists over the past few years? (ie. Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea etc.) Ladies for the win, keep 'em coming!

Tinashe's links:
website | twitter | facebook | instagram | tumblr
(image source: noisey.vice.com)
xo,

Music Monday | Paramore

who: Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis, Taylor York

what: American/Alternative rock group

when: 2004 - present

From around 2008 and into 2009, my group of friends and I developed some fascination with rock/alternative/metal music. One of the only band that really stuck with me beyond that "phase" was Paramore, my absolute favourite band to this day. There's nothing particularly recent that sparked this post, but a couple of days ago, I re-watched their performance at the iTunes festival, which was brilliant. Vocals, energy, everything was flawless. It was the kind of performance that covered you up in goosebumps, and made you like the band and appreciate their music, even if you don't listen to it. Hayley Williams' vocals are out of this world! (And she brought a fan up onto the stage to sing with her, and let me tell you, the screams behind this computer screen were real!)

The video I've embedded above is their single, Still Into You, from their latest, self-titled album. Other favourites of mine from the album are Ain't It Fun, Last Hope and Fast In My Car. If you've listened to their previous albums, you'll notice the difference when comparing it to the new album, but it still has a familiar, distinctly 'Paramore sound'. I probably sound like an obsessed freak, which I am, but I just have this incessant need to express my love for them to every Tom, Dick, Harry, Sally, Sarah and Susan. They're that good.

Paramore's links:

official website | twitter | facebook | tumblr | youtube

xo,

Woman Crush Wednesday | Iggy Azalea

I've been crazy about Iggy for a while, and I never really made it an official thing, but with the recent release of her Fancy (featuring Charli XCX) video, it seems fitting to do so now. The song is amazing on its own, and then you watch the video - a homage to the classic Clueless movie, with very similar outfits, very similar fluffy pink pen, same exact high school and everything - and you just die at how perfectly they've done it. Iggy plays iconic Cher Horowitz, and Charli XCX plays Tai Frasier. It's such a fun and fabulous throwback, and I'm already-watched-it-seven-times-today obsessed. Apart from the video, can we just acknowledge how insanely gorgeous Iggy is? I die. (I die a lot.)

xo,

Music Monday | Sonnentanz Cover - Will Heard x Cara Delevingne

who: Will Heard, Cara Delevingne and Klangkarussell
what: Cover of Klangkarussel's Sonnentanz
when: August 2013

Crazy talented Will Heard, a British soul singer invited, get this, the crazy beautiful Cara Delevingne to his studio to record an acoustic cover of 'Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)' by Klangkarussell. I don't know about you, but Cara's singing ability came to me as quite a surprise...

Prior to me actually listening to this cover, I'd heard that the supermodel could sing, but with her already having so many great things most of us would kill for (her face, her body, her modeling career, her face), and the ridiculous amounts of non-singing celebrities suddenly pursuing (and failing at) music careers à la Kim Kardashian's Jam, I can't deny that I was a little skeptical. Nevertheless, I finally got around to giving her a try, and she can sing, like, really-and-truly-no-jokes-no-gimmicks SING! The cover is great, and I've played it over a hundred times, but even though I'm obsessed with it, the little pain in my heart hasn't disappeared. I mean, Cara is literally winning at life. She's beautiful, she's talented, she has a job that she seems to love and could most likely cover her bills for the rest of her life, and now she can sing too?! I mean, give me a break.

The original song is by an Austrian electronic music group, Klangkarussell ('Sound Carousel' in English), and has a pretty sick beat. It's not the kind of thing you'd pump your fist to, but it's a sort underground dance track... It's the kinda chill, kinda funky, kinda easy listening type, ya feel? I haven't heard any of Klangkarussell's other songs yet, but by the refreshing sound of this one, it's definitely on my to-do list.

Klangkarussell (Tobias Reiser and Adrian Held)

Klangkarussell's links:

official website | soundcloud | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube

Will Heard's links:
youtube | soundcloud | facebook | twitter

xo,

Music Monday | Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

who: The Neighbourhood (Jesse Rutherford, Jeremy Freedman, Zach Abels and Mikey Margott)

what: Alternative/Indie rock group

when: 2011 - present

Before Oh, Kenzo I had a blog called Le Petite Pois which I've spoken about here. I used to have a Music Monday segment which I used to share all the lovely music I came across, because it was just too good (in my opinion) to keep all to myself. I feel like my music posts are lacking, which is pretty unfortunate, considering how rapidly my music library continues growing. And so, I've decided to start the Music Mondays again! Yay for finding, sharing and fangirling over good music!

For this first post, I've got Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. I've been crazy about this one for months (I'm surprised I haven't tired of it yet, it's that good!), and the fact that it's finally getting some decent recognition on the South African charts makes me tingle inside. I'm listening to it as I write this, singing along to every single word, and it's so good, and I wish I could be the one hearing it for the first time, and ughhhhh... You'll love me if you haven't already heard it. No doubt.

The song is off their album I Love You., which is just great (Let It Go, Staying Up and W.D.Y.W.F.M? are other favourites of mine from the same album). Get it here.

links:
official website | twitter | facebook | tumblr | youtube | vimeo | soundcloud

xo,

Bleh...

It has been a long week, and whether it's due to the fact that it's the first week back from holidays or it's simply been a drag, I feel like each day has been an entire week in itself. The exhaustion has reached an all time high, and in the only and most precise way I could describe it, I'd say I'm feeling rather bleh.

My go-to remedy for times like this is most commonly music, so for all the guys and gals inwardly hollering in agreement, I've compiled a list of 10 songs that have pulled me through this week, and maybe a few in celebration of the weekend! Can I get a whoop whoop?!

1.  Candles - Daughter

2. Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding

3. That's How Strong My Love Is - Alicia Keys

4. Christmas Eve - Justin Bieber (Yes, it's a Christmas song, and yes, it's by Justin Bieber, but at least give it a try.)

5. Burning Desire - Lana Del Rey

6. Waiting All Night - Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre

7. Wake Me Up - Avicii

8. Pursuit of Happiness - Kid Cudi (Steve Aoki Remix)

9. Silvia - Miike Snow (Robotberget Remix)

 10. Treasure - Bruno Mars

I sincerely hope that the majority of you (at least) have had a much better week than I have. Happy Friday, and enjoy your weekend! 

xo,

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

(image source: the amherst student)

There's really no one in the world that could possibly say they haven't heard of the dynamic duo that is Ben Haggerty, commonly known as Macklemore, and Ryan Lewis, or better yet, heard their hit song Thrift Shop. If that doesn't ring a bell, then I'd say it's about time you crawled out of the rock you've been under over the last few months... Just sayin'.

Anyway, their album The Heist is super incredible, and Thrift Shop (surprisingly) is not the only great song on there. After listening to the rest of their album, it's probably my least favourite. Two of their songs that I have on repeat right now are Same Love and Can't Hold Us. They're both quite different, with Same Love tackling the topic of same-sex relationships, and Can't Hold Us being the ultimate party song.

I am a little bit of a crazed fan, as I am with most things I love/enjoy... With that, I guess it's not surprising that in the two weeks that I've had these two songs on my iTunes, they've gained 64 plays between them. I don't think I'm ever not listening to music, so don't judge me. Take my word for it, or don't (you're missing out), but their album and overall sound is incredibly fresh, authentic and worth every cent.

So, here they are:

Have you fallen in love with them yet? No? Just me then, I guess...

xo,

The Great Gatsby

I recently watched The Great Gatsby and absolutely loved it, mostly because Carey Mulligan was in it (I adore her), but also due to the amazing soundtrack featuring Lana Del Rey and Florence + The Machine. The costume design was also quite a spectacle for all the 20's fashion lovers in the house!

Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

Over The Love - Florence + The Machine

xo,

Bucket List: No.7

After 5 incredibly long years, I was finally able to cross out the 7th thing on my Bucket List last night. This being seeing Justin Drew Bieber perform live in concert. I won't go on and on about it, but I must say, it really was the best night of my life. 

Whether you like him or not, if you were in South Africa this past week, and you didn't go to either the Cape Town or Johannesburg show, you missed out on some stellar entertainment! The opening acts (ChianoSky and Locnville) were miles better than I'd expected, and Justin's singing and dancing was phenomenal.

Due to the fact that I'd waited so long for that night, I made sure to have my phone switched off inside my bag, only to be switched on AFTER the concert, in an attempt to truly remember and experience my dream coming true. During the first 2 songs, all I did was cry a lifetime's supply of tears. It was all super emotional, but a truly incredible night.

Here are some pictures my best friend (Alicia) took, and a few from the web:

Alicia and I at the concert!

Alicia and I at the Dermalogica offices, prepping our skin for the concert :)

ChianoSky

Locnville showing us a really good time!

My husband... (keeeeding, not really!)

Absolute perfection!

The insane crowd building up!

I still don't quite believe it happened... What an unforgettable night! A huge thanks to Seventeen SA and Dermalogica Clean Start for the superstar treatment, pampering and tickets to the show!

xo,

Oh, Justin.

If you don't already know, I've been a belieber (fan of Justin Bieber) for the last 5 years. Before he came along, I was pretty obsessed with Justin Timberlake. (I guess I have a thing for Justins!) The fact that JT has returned to making music makes my heart so incredibly happy.

His album 'The 20/20 Experience' was released a few months ago, much to my excitement! It took a few listens to get used to his new sound, but after a while, it seemed like the old JT had never left.

The song I have on repeat at the moment has to be 'Mirrors'. I've become wildly obsessed (as with most songs), and I've had an urge to share it with you for a while.

With that, I hope you all had a lovely weekend, and have a great week ahead of you!

xo,

Music | Mystery Woman

Last week Saturday, @BigConcerts tweeted about something that caused quite a stir amongst it's followers. Before I say more, I must let you know that Big Concerts are the incredible people who have so kindly brought Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miguel and the like to perform in sunny South Africa.

The tweet read as follows:

"Monday morning, #BigConcerts are announcing a megastar, who'll tour SA later this year! Do you know who she is?"

They then went on to tweet a few clues, which led us all on a semi-investigation.

Within a few seconds, Google had already narrowed down my suspicions to Beyonce and Rihanna. By that moment, I was already freaking out. My parents happened to be scrolling through TV channels at the time, and landed on some music news about Rihanna rumours!

Yesterday, there was another round of extreme hype on Twitter, as @BigConcerts confirmed Rihanna's much anticipated tour here in SA! They tweeted the following picture, putting the clues together, alongside the tweet that follows:

"@rihanna DIAMONDS WORLD TOUR:

FNB Stadium Jozi, Sun 13 Oc

CapeTown Stadium, Wed 16 Oct"

8 Apr

Are you excited or what?! I mean, what have we done as a country to have been so lucky in such a short space of time? (I'm not complaining, though!) At this rate, my poor parents will be bankrupt before the year ends, but I cannot tell you how long I've wanted to see Rihanna in concert for, so I'm super excited!

Tickets go on sale on this Thursday for JHB, and this Friday for CT.

For more info, visit Computicket's Facebook Page or BigConcert's website. You can also follow them on Twitter @Computicket and @BigConcerts.

I'll bid you farewell with some pictures of Riri, and a video of one of my favourite songs of hers at the moment... Just to, you know, tickle your taste buds ;)

xo,

Music | 1901

I'm sure we've all had that 'pick-me-up' song at one time or another that completely lifts your mood whenever you listen to it. Well, I do at the moment, and I'm so completely in love with how happy it makes me that it's blaring from my phone all day, everyday.

I'm doing an absolutely rubbish job at illustrating it, but I'm guessing you reasonably get the picture I'm trying to paint for you. It's quite funny, really, because when I first heard this song, I couldn't get through half of it. I honestly hated it that much... It's funny how a little time can make such a difference.

It's called 1901 by Phoenix.

Original:

Below is a cover by Birdy, which I preferred for a long time... Until one day, the original sounded a whole lot better.

You can thank me later ;)

xo,