It’s mid-afternoon and the warmest part of the day has passed. Wood and bamboo come together to face the ocean to the west, and above the crashing waves a sun slowly slides to a distant part of the world. It’s a place where the sand and bar floor are one. Shirts and shoes are not required. Shoobies beware.

Along with sun kissed skin and sand from head to toe, you’re blanketed with the feeling of satisfaction from a fulfilling morning. Now, you face no obligations or worries for the remainder of the day. You’re next few hours require watching people pass and drinking just fast enough to beat the cold’s escape, but slow enough to enjoy every sip and delay any need to get up from your seat. You time it perfectly so tipsy joins you for golden hour. It’s that subtle inebriation that has you thinking about faith, purpose, and the beauty of the world in a new light.

Crashing waves and chirping birds make up the background noise, but there’s also music. There’s sticky bass riffs, guitar chops on the off beat, complementary horns, bongos, steel drums, and other auxiliary percussion that can be mistaken for the clicks and clanks from behind the bar.

When the temperature stayed below my age and snow piled to my line of sight this past winter, I would longingly envision the oasis above. I tried to create a passageway with this mix of reggae and samba, knowing that soon enough I’d get to taste this flavor of heaven again.

The Starting 5

Album of the Month: Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. by Harry Styles

There’s a few male pop stars who successfully lure me into fan boying, including Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Harry Styles, to name a few.

There’s a lot going against Harry Styles in my simple mind. He’s a reality show contestant turned boy-bander. He drove a wedge in my guy Jason Sudeikis’s marriage. And he comes up with dumb album names like Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.

But he also crushes on SNL and can act in movies like Dunkirk. He runs marathons and has Pink Floyd-inspired tattoos. He continues to create hits that make me want to dance even though they tell me to “Dance No More” and the lyrics are provocative (“One time is alright / Two times is one too many”). His albums surprisingly rip, particularly Harry’s House and KATTDO (damn it, am I becoming a Stylist? Er, Styler? Sty Guy?).

When the NFL announced Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime show performer in September, outcry was an understood cost of doing business. Hearing a foreign language and an incomprehension of sovereignty is enough to ignite a political backlash, but it’s nothing new to Bad Bunny. The people who don’t listen to his music took offense at his decision to replace an American tour with a residency in Puerto Rico. He built it, people came, and in turn helped to inject hundreds of millions of dollars into an economy that is largely unrepresented, unsupported, and ignored by its federal government. As Bad Bunny said while looking directly into all of our eyes on Sunday: “It’s because I never, ever stopped believing in myself. You should believe in yourself too. You’re worth more than you think.”

Let’s be real: anything that is politicized today is rarely about politics. It’s never actually about gas stoves or light beer. Driving a wedge within a seemingly innocuous issue, including who’s performing music at a football game, is a tactic to create division within a body of people and distract them from the actions of the people in power. Whether you’re mad at the issue or the reaction to it, you’re still mad, and as you argue online and boycott whatever you feel empowered to boycott, the invisible hand is finding ways to become richer and more powerful.

Enough whining has bent the wills of corporations and parents alike, and yet the organizers and advertisers involved in the Super Bowl didn’t falter in advance of one of the biggest global live performances. Evidently, it’s easy to have a backbone when it’s propped up by stacks of cash.

And Benito knew this. That’s why a week before his big performance, on a night where he won three Grammy’s, including one for Album of the Year, he started his first acceptance speech of the night by saying something that would force the world’s most powerful man to put down his McDouble and rage tap his greasy hands on Truth Social.

A week later, Bad Bunny’s performance drew more viewers than the game itself. Millions of people danced in their living rooms, along with a hundred people dressed as grass and Pedro Pascal and Toñita, the owner of one of the few remaining Puerto Rican social clubs in NYC.

“People don’t even have to learn Spanish. It’s better if they learn to dance.”

Bad Bunny stepped onto the biggest stage with a portion of the country already hating him before he could even sing “Ey, Tití me preguntó.” And for the next 12 minutes he beamed joy and passion as he celebrated where he was from and brought us all together through a universal language: music.

As he marched off the field with the 700 performers who joined him, the video board at Levi’s Stadium read, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”

The Starting 5: FDT Edition

Album of the Month: It Could Be Worse by Samm Henshaw

Samm Henshaw is yet another English singer who makes you wonder how the hell they’re English when you hear their voice. He stepped into the studio to record this album the day after a break up, and the pain and processing lives throughout the soul album, but his incredible vocals and the production from Josh Grant have you uncontrollably bopping and swaying. When asked by Rated R&B what this album title means to him, Henshaw said, “Optimism. Faith. It also represents patience in the process, not rushing to get to the end of something. Go through what you need to experience so you can come to a well-rounded conclusion. ​

Featured Tracks

May you find love this weekend. And if this playlist results in rounding any bases, you’re welcome.

Peace, love and positivity.

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My wife and I traced our finger up the coast between Rome and Tuscany and landed on Porto Santo Stefano. We took our little RC car up to the quiet seaside town to combat our jet lag with a dip in the clear blue ocean and a couple espressos with the seagulls. We rode up to Siena to rendezvous with our best friends, congregating for a few days before a wedding. I somehow avoided stalling out on the hilly, ancient streets or violating the ‘zona a traffico limito’ and was rewarded with wine and laughter in Piazza del Campo.

We took the Fiat to Montelpuciano to see how they harvested, pressed and aged the wine we loved most, only to find out it tasted even better served within its own home. We traveled between Pienza and San Gimignano, feeling as if we were driving across a Windows wallpaper.

The car carried us through the hills near Arezzo to Casa Cornacchi where we shed tears during “I do’s” in the foreground of olive trees. We danced for hours, fueled by seemingly unlimited Spritzes and a DJ named Fabio. We ended our night jumping into a pool under moonlight despite the security guard’s best efforts to stop us.

Throughout the few hundred kilometers that we traveled in that little gem of a whip, I flipped through radio stations to see how the locals got down. Sure we heard a lot of what would be heard on American radio stations, from Bruce to Bruno, but it was the Italian music that had me slapping the ceiling and drumming on the steering wheel. When I returned home, I’d dive deep into the artists I shazammed, discovering Italian classics, pop, or disco music that made me feel like when Jennifer Coolidge says “Palermo.”

This is a reminder that travel isn’t limited to what you see and taste. At the heart of every place is the rhythm that carries it. Maybe you’ll find it busking on the street corner, in the background of an excellent meal, or traveling from here to there.

I encourage you to make part of your trip prework or homework to listen to music from your destination. And if you happen to be going to Italy, I have you covered.

The Starting 5

Album of the Month: Nobody Can Live Forever: The Existential Soul of Tim Maia

I came across Tim Maia in the backseat of a white surf bum van somewhere between Lisbon and Sintra. My driver, DJ, and tour guide, Simao, was an incredible vibe curator, and after a shot of aguardente on the cliffs of Portugal he decided Tim Maia would carry us home.

This compilation album was pulled together by Luaka Bop, a record label founded by Talking Heads front man David Byrne.

Three fascinating things I learned about Tim Maia:

1. He spent 5 years in the United States starting when he was 17, but was arrested 5 times including his final time in which he was smoking weed in a stolen car, which led to his deportation.

2. Maia was known to miss his own concerts after completing his own version of a triathlon, consuming whiskey, cocaine and marijuana.

3. “Starting in 1974, Maia spent a couple of years involved with a religious group called Cultura Racional that held the belief that humans are really aliens that need to reconnect with an elemental form of energy through the teachings of a book called Universo Em Desencanto (Universe in Disenchantment).” (NPR)

Featured Tracks

The plants at Tropenhaus in Berlin were treated to an absolutely incredible Kylie Minogue cover.

Peace, love and positivity.

It can be a lot, this world, but I don’t need to tell you that. Pain and guilt and sadness unite us. But so does love and hope and joy. And through all of that, we’re all just floating in space. Conscious of our mortality, finitude, and presence within it all.

It can be a lot, this mind, but I don’t need to tell you that. There’s grace to be given, to yourself and others. Everyone’s fighting a battle you know nothing about. After all, we are all just floating in space.

And while we’re floating here, together, we might as well put on some bangin’ music.

DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny

Vacation destinations and famous musicians are a lot alike. They’re a spectacle to see in person and as a result people feel entitled to a piece of it. Yet, all the pain, hard work, and struggle that it took to create it is hidden behind the facade of its beauty.

Bad Bunny has come to understand his own experience as a global icon by observing his home of Puerto Rico. He puts all sides of the island on display on his sixth studio album, and uses it as a call for awareness and activism.

On “TURiSTA,” he says, “Tú solo viste lo mejor de mí y no lo que yo sufría” (”You only saw the best of me and not how I suffered”). Bad Bunny mixes in all different styles on his latest record, from his familiar Latin trap, reggaeton, and rap, with more traditional Puerto Rico sounds, like plena, bomba, jíbaro and salsa.

Lonesome Drifter by Charley Crockett

Charley Crockett makes me want to open a pawn shop in San Benito, Texas and shoot beer bottles off a fence with a pistol. The only time I would take a toothpick out of my mouth is to smoke a cigarette that I light by striking a match on my boot.

I was in Nashville for work recently and I stumbled upon The Nashville Palace, which catches the overflow or passing traffic from The Grand Old Opry. They host line dancing and musicians looking to catch a gig on Broadway, but they were also very proud to have hosted Charley Crockett over the summer, who celebrated his new record deal with the same crowds that he started his career with. During this celebratory set, he told the audience, “Country music is learning how to stand up for yourself.”

It’s crazy to think that it took Charley Crockett 13 album releases to land his latest record deal with Island Records, which gave us Lonesome Drifter in March and Dollar A Day in August. He’s been a drifter in his musical journey, floating, fighting, and ready to stand up for himself when the opportunity strikes.

The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean

Olivia Dean is here to remind you that in order to love someone else, you have to love yourself first. And she’s riding that message to fill stadiums, take down corporate monopolies, and add a different shade to what it means to be a man. She’s curating dancing in the kitchen while no one’s watching and delivering bars like, “I’m the perfect mix of / Saturday night and the rest of your life.”

“Man I Need” has taken social media by storm, empowering people from the macho-est of men the cutest of grandmas to dance like no one’s watching. Under this roof of mine, it’s one of the first non-children’s songs that my 2 year old son has fully embraced. Hearing his little voice sing “talk to me” and showing pure joy while dancing to this GRAMMY nominated jam warms my soul. It’s a moment that will be played in the highlight reel of my life. And in building these core memories we’re also laying the foundation for a strong and loving little man with a great taste in music.

People Watching by Sam Fender

Do they have Taylor ham in East Midlands? Because Sam Fender feels like British Bruce. He’s captured the The Boss’s heartland rock and brought it to modern day UK with energetic ballads, deep vocals, and provoking lyrics, channeling pain of the past into perspective of the future. He’s collaborated with Elton John and Olivia Dean on his extended album, and brought in Andrew Scott (aka Hot Priest from Fleabag) for his “People Watching” music video.

Hope We Have Fun by Mt. Joy

I love tracking a band’s assent by seeing how they rise through the Boston music scene when passing through town. They’ll often debut in front of hundreds at Brighton Music Hall or the Theater District’s Royale. They’ll then go on to earn their balconies and mezzanines near Fenway at the House of Blues or the new MGM Music Hall.

Most stall there, but a select few go on to share the same institutions as Boston royalty. I’m talking about those who earned and defended the moniker for this salty “City of Champions.” They are the legends who have left blood, sweat, and teeth on the parquet or the Davids who have defeated the Goliaths of Green Monsters and Curses. A few times a year, the keepers of these hallowed grounds will allow musical greats to attempt to bring the same magic to tens of thousands.

Mt. Joy has taken this very trajectory in their gradual rise over the past eight years since their debut album. And they’re still having fun. Hell, it’s in their name (and this album’s name, for that matter). Matt Quinn, lead singer and law school drop out, told NPR, “I think for us, it’s like, we’ve realized that where we’re at our best is when we’re having fun making music, and shows are a place where people can come and kind of let loose.”

Lotus by Little Simz

I’m admittedly listening to less hip hop now than in previous years. Maybe it’s the state of the game, maybe it’s having a toddler, maybe this is just being in my 30s. But Little Simz is one of those rappers who always brings the smoke and makes me want to act like Chalamet in the EsDeeKid feature.

Little Simz balances the hard with the heavy. Sometimes she makes you want to run through a brick wall and tackle whoever is on the other side, like on the album opener “Thief.” Sometimes she makes you want to lean up against the same brick wall and watch the clouds pass overhead. On “Free,” she raps:

“I think that love is forgiving yourself
I think that love is offering your immediate help
I think that love is everything that we need in this world
I think the key is being honest and being yourself
I think love is understanding that people can change
And loving them anyway through every stage”

Copper Changes Color by Caamp

Your clothes smell like the fire, the food is simple, but you have everything you need: the company is great and the drink in the cup tastes as good as ever. The sound of silence shakes the voice in your head loose, bringing depth and clarity that’s normally clouded back in the noise of the regular world. Caamp curates camping folk and evokes the perspective that comes with it. On “Mistakes,” Taylor Meier sings, “I feel like I am just trying to keep my plants alive / And trying to drink water.” Same, man.

Caamp created the intro music for Stick, one of my favorite shows of the year. And while we’re on the subject, I also really enjoyed The Studio, Mo, and The Bear.

LUX by Rosalía

A sign of someone truly being an exceptional artist is their ability to move across styles or mediums while still being able to excel. They are not bound by their past success or current cultural expectations. I think of actors like Ryan Gosling, who can make you believe in love in The Notebook, want to dance in La La Land, or roll on the ground laughing as Ken in Barbie. There’s Beyonce, who found success within a trio or as a solo artist, earning the most GRAMMYs ever by performing pop, hip hop and country. And then there’s Picasso, who expanded past painting into ceramics, sculptures, and print making across different periods of work.

Rosalía never ceases to amaze me, bending each genre she decides to step into. She has a Master’s degree in Flamenco, debuted her discography with folk, and moved on to flourish in pop, urbano, and reggaeton. But LUX seems to take it to the next level, creating a classical, operatic experience that is absent from the mainstream. Rosalía will make you feel like you’re in a thousand year old cathedral making a groundbreaking scientific discovery.

Give Me All Your Love by DON WEST

I wish I could buy stock in DON WEST because, mark my words, my guy is going to be a star. You’ve got an Australian built like a Tight End with a velvety smooth voice singing timeless romantic soul music. On “Day to Night,” he sings, “If Heaven was a place to go / Just 30 minutes down the road / Oh, lead you to a wonderland / Anything you need is on the menu.” He goes on to sing in the chorus, “I’m a candle, You’re the flame / Come on over and light me up and we can slip away” I mean, COME ON.

He makes me feel like Koumba Diabaté in Pluribus. Despite the end of the world as he knows it, Koumba is just out there making the best of world around him, creating a story with himself as the protagonist and hero in the middle of it all.

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Honorable Mention

The Life of a Showgirl by Taylor Swift
Game respect game.

Snipe Hunter by Tyler Childers
That moment when a sip of bourbon warms your soul after coming inside from the cold. Also, Rick Rubin.

Balu Brigada
The Strokes and Tame Impala had a baby and named ‘em Balu Brigada.

Royel Otis
What can I say? I love Aussie indie bands. My most played artist of 2025.

it’s Franky baby! by Young Franco
Speaking of Aussies. Sunny Saturday vibes. Great supporting cast.

Getting Killed by Geese
The noise in my head as I navigate the seemingly never-ending to-do list on a Tuesday. Not the jam band Goose.

If you made it this far, I appreciate you greatly.

Peace, love, and positivity.

• Imagine showing up to a wedding and leaving before the ceremony is even over. You get all dressed up, shake some hands, but miss out on all the actual fun of a wedding celebration. Oh, and your date is naked. That’s essentially what Kanye did at the Grammys. I have not been able to confirm or deny whether he was kicked out, but nonetheless he made a statement and missed out on all of the fun. Helluva weekend when you add in his Saturday night twitter rant that included a lewd Kamala tweet.

• Kendrick absolutely cleaned up, winning four Grammys and kicking off an epic week before he flies to New Orleans for the Super Bowl halftime show. Turns out winning rap battles is very lucrative. I was wondering if and how he’d take a dig at Drake, and he did so in a perfect manner: wearing a Canadian tuxedo.

• Doechii, aka “Hip Hop Madonna,” also had a groundbreaking night, between her epic performance of 'Denial Is a River' and 'Catfish' and being only the third woman to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album. She also delivered one of my favorite speeches of the night: “I know that there is some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there that are watching me right now and I want to tell you: You can do it. Anything is possible. Anything is possible.”

• I couldn’t believe that Beyoncé, in all her 30 plus Grammys, had never won Album of the Year until last night. I was hoping that she’d take a dig at the country music establishment after winning Best Country Album, but her hardware speaks for itself.

• My favorite performances:

  • Sabrina Carpenter showed she has moves, a sense of humor, and originality.

  • I didn’t really know who Benson Boone was prior to the Grammys (until I heard his song and realized I’ve heard it a hundred times on IG), but he crushed his performance. He started his set sitting at a table with J Lo during a Trevor Noah bit and had Jenny from the Block thinking about pulling her own May December experience with his tuxedo being ripped off, backflips, and crotch grabs. Timothée and Benson may have convinced me to grow a mustache.

  • Boone kicked off an incredible back to back to back wave of performances by the Best New Artist nominees. Raye was the closer and she came out like Mariano Rivera. She showed off her incredible, smooth vocal range and shut the place down like Mariano’s cutter.

• My favorite GIF:

Starting Five

Album of the Week

Acts of Faith by SAULT

“The UK’s most mysterious collective” released their 11th studio album on streaming services on Christmas. They keep a low profile, with little-to-no promotion or interviews. When I first heard SAULT, I thought, “Who the hell is this with this beautifully enchanting vocals?” before realizing it’s Cleo Soul. Then I realized she’s collaborating with Kid Sister, Chronixx, and Jack Peñate to bring this wonderful neo-soul, funky, gospel music into our lives.

Featured Tracks

• Bad Bunny also released a short film to coincide with DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. Gentrification, aging, living in the moment, a trippy little frog: a few of the themes and characters you’ll find.

• Hi, my name is The Albumist and I am an Eagles fan. I have been and will continue to be very anxious about the Birds facing the Dark Lord Patrick Mahomes on Sunday, so I decided I am going to bump up-beat music and dance to get the vibes up for the 90 minutes before kick off. Here’s The Albumist’s Super Bowl LIX Tailgate Dance Party.

Peace, love and positivity.

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Along with enjoying some wine, cheeses, and cured meats with my wife, a tradition we’ve developed over the last few years, here are a few of the things I’m looking forward to on “music’s biggest night.”

How Will Kendrick Lamar’s Week Play Out

K Dot is nominated for seven Grammys, and they’re all for individual songs dropped in last year’s rap beef with Drake. I expect him to bring at least one home and add to the 17 he already has. But Kendrick has his eyes set on New Orleans, where he’ll perform the Super Bowl halftime show with SZA (and I am sure other friends) the following Sunday. Helluva week for the current king of rap. It’ll be very interesting to see if any additional digs will be taken at Champagne Papi.

Please No Sweeps

Man, I hate it when an artist or movie sweeps all of the main categories at an awards show. I mean, when Billie swept in 2020, I wasn’t mad at her and FINNEAS. They had a killer year. I just want the love to be shared, particularly for such a subjective event. I don’t think we’ll have a clean sweep this year, but I’d say Beyoncé is my top choice for if someone were to do so.

Prince’s Lifetime Achievement Award

I just love seeing the music community celebrate and appreciate a universally adored artist. Give me a collaboration of artists covering “Purple Rain.” Give me an audience rocking to “Kiss.” The tribute is going to be incredible.

Doechii Winning a Grammy, or I Rage

My support for Doechii has not been a secret in this newsletter. Her charisma, bars, and durability puts her up there as a top rookie performance and female rapper performance over the past year. And this is her opportunity to prove she’s one of the best rappers in the game right now. I don’t care which award she wins, I just want her to win at least one of the four she’s been nominated for (Best New Artist, Best Remixed Recording, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Album).

Top Performances I am Looking Forward To

1. Chappel Roan - she seems to always catch people off guard, doing what she wants and not giving a fuck what people think about her. Her SNL performance was indicative of it, but also fantastic and entertaining. And she gets the people going.

2. Teddy Swims - After listening to his interview on Armchair Expert, Teddy Swims falls in the category of artists you’d want to have a beer with, along with Post Malone, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, and Darius Rucker. Plus, he has absolutely killer vocals.

3. Doechii - Duh.

Starting Five: Grammy Noms Edition

Album of the Week

Six Songs by Tom Misch

Just before Christmas, Tom Misch dropped this EP, a precursor for a full album that will drop this year. Misch continues to grow and adapt his music style as he collaborates with more and more talented artists year by year. Six Songs is introspective, yet positive, taking obstacles and turning them into opportunities.

Featured Tracks

• Abuelitos dancing to DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

• Speaking of, Bad Bunny tapped out of Hot Ones, but continues to steal our hearts. “I should’ve spoken with my doctor before doing this shit.”

• Pitchfork’s most anticipated albums of 2025.

Peace, love, and positivity.

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Lofty, right? Well it’s a pretty simple pyramid that will help you focus your energy, particularly when you’re feeling lost, stuck, anxious or overwhelmed with life.

The first level is Body. Prioritize the physical aspects of your life, like exercise, eating a healthy diet, and getting proper sleep.

The second level is People. Invest in and nourish the relationships in your life, from your family to your neighbor to your friends far and near. Build community.

The third level is Self. The easiest way is to journal or meditate. Some may talk to a professional. Get a better handle on what’s happening between the ears.

Here’s a clip from Jonah Hill’s documentary on Phil Stutz to hear the man explain it himself.

I don’t who needs to learn about Life Force, but it certainly has given me a sense of clarity and groundedness in this complicated, unpredictable world we live in.

At the least, you owe it to yourself to listen to some dope music.

Starting Five

Album of the Week

DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny

Vacation destinations and famous musicians are a lot alike. They’re a spectacle to see in person and as a result people feel entitled to a piece of it. Yet, all the pain, hard work, and struggle that it took to create it is hidden behind the facade of its beauty.

Bad Bunny has come to understand his own experience as a global icon by observing his home of Puerto Rico. He puts all sides of the island on display on his sixth studio album, and uses it as a call for awareness and activism.

On "TURiSTA," he says, “Tú solo viste lo mejor de mí y no lo que yo sufría" ("You only saw the best of me and not how I suffered"). Bad Bunny mixes in all different styles on his latest record, from his familiar Latin trap, reggaeton, and rap, with more traditional Puerto Rico sounds, like plena, bomba, jíbaro and salsa.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he said: “It’s not like we’re always just hanging out Friday, Saturday, Sunday. On Monday, you have to go to work. So that’s how I express myself. When it’s time to party and talk about ass and pussy and all that, you do that. When I’m sad about love, I say that. But when something makes me mad … That happens a lot. But you can’t complain all the time, and our personal life takes us out of that — relationships, your significant other, all of that takes you out of the social issues sometimes. So that’s how I work.”

Featured Tracks

• Here’s Bad Bunny’s full interview with Rolling Stone, including him talking about his adorable nickname for Adam Sandler.

• In the wake of Hurricane Fiona, a look at the case for Puerto Rico’s independence.

• Get an understanding of and appreciation for the gymnastics goat in Netflix’s Simone Biles docu-series.

Peace, love, and positivity.

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The Queen Bey proved that she was the rightful heir to her throne by combining some halftime show staples into the Beyoncé Bowl, including marching bands, choreographed dances with large swaths of people, famous featured guests, and trapezing into the nosebleeds. She opened with a (probably) pre-recorded intro on horseback, which begs the question: How the hell did those horses keep their chill around pyrotechnics, live musicians and cars?

And while the football players who usually sprint around NRG Stadium are usually what come to an American’s mind when asked to think of an “athlete,” Beyoncé showed that she and other stadium status performers should be in the discussion. She went coast to coast on that field several times while singing and dancing and riding on cars, horses and a group of men. The coordination, preparation, and cardio is that of any professional athlete, no oxygen tank needed.

Whether or not Cowboy Carter brings home a Grammy in a few weeks, Beyoncé can take the $20 mil from Netflix, 27 million Beyoncé Bowl streams, the record for most Spotify streams ever of a debut album by a Black woman, and Billboard #1 debut, and carry it into a Cowboy Carter tour that will certainly rake in nine figures. And the CMA can take all of it and shove it up their chaps.

Starting Five

Find all these songs on The Albumist: Now Playing.

Album of the Week

Can’t Buy a Thrill by Steely Dan

I’m on a bit of a Yacht Rock kick, the feel good, sunshine pop-rock of the late 70s and early 80s, and Can’t Buy a Thrill is at the nucleus of that universe. As Steve Huey, who co-created a series parodying this delightful little genre back in 2005, described in an interview with Rolling Stone:

I turned 30 right before we started doing the series, and I thought, well, this is a nice round number. What do 30-year-olds do? I feel like it’s time I get into Steely Dan. I bought most of the catalogue and was like, This is my new identity. I’m gonna unwind, start listening to Steely Dan, and leave parties early.

Right around the same time as Huey’s show, Tony Soprano was singing “Dirty Work.”

Featured Tracks

• If you’ve ever seen a cymbal before, it’s probably a Zildjian. Here’s the story of the 400-year-old cymbal-making company based in Massachusetts and the love and care they put into their craft.

• I had no context or preconceptions going into Wicked. I never saw the play and I honestly couldn’t remember the ins and outs of the plot of The Wizard of Oz other than Dorothy being swept from Kansas and introduced to a strange, maybe creepy, quartet that escorted her to flying monkeys. Anyway, Wicked was a spectacle and worth a watch. #FreeElphaba

• I know, Doechii is here again, but her “DENIAL IS A RIVER” music video is fantastic and features Zack Fox (aka Tariq from Abbott Elementary).

Peace, Love, and Positive Vibes.

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After all, 91% of people will fail to achieve theirs. Don’t get me wrong, I support the reflection, self-inventory, and aspiration that comes with this time of year. You’ll hear people who say they want to work out more or read more or drink less, and yet those ambitions will be long forgotten by Groundhog’s Day.

You can just tell when someone has an empty promise of a resolution. It’s like hearing “we should get together soon” knowing damn well you won’t be.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking “fuck you, man. I’m going to stick to it and prove your ass wrong.” I wish you would. Prove it. If it takes me being a hater for you to accomplish your goals, I’ll be honored.

But what I really want is for you to not get so caught up in the resolution. Don’t let an arbitrary destination steal from your progress, and don’t confine that progress to a goal or time period. You have an opportunity to be a better version of yourself each and every day. All it takes is being 1% better and that growth will compound. Celebrate your wins and progress as they come and don’t feel shame or regret on days when you have to take a step back or when showing up is the best you can do.

Maybe you’ll need some music along the way that gets you fired up. Here’s 100 songs that get my energy and confidence up.

Starting Five: Dialed In Edition

Album of the Week

Model by Wallows

Sometimes you just want an alt rock album with catchy riffs and choruses. You may have seen Model as an Honorable Mention in My Favorite Albums of 2024.

Featured Tracks

We’re entering an elite cozy period. Embrace it. Here’s some music-related streaming recommendations:

• Yacht Rock: A Documentary (MAX): Whether or not you are privy to yacht rock and its cult-ish sub-culture, this documentary is excellent. I mean, if you don’t like the feel good, soft rock vibes of The Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Toto and Michael McDonald, you can fuck off.

• Beyoncé Bowl (Netflix): Watch this unreal 12-minute performance from Beyoncé at halftime of the Ravens-Texans game on Christmas Day.

• Rhythm+Flow Season 2 (Netflix): Take American Idol, drop the corniness, make it hip hop, add electric celebrity hosts, and showcase some very legitimate talent.

• Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Prime or Disney+): The Harlem Culture Festival in 1969 was considered “black Woodstock” with nearly 300,000 people in attendance, but it received essentially no media attention. In his directorial debut, Questlove pieced together old concert footage and interviews with attendees to bring this essential documentary with legendary performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and The Family Stone, and many more.

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Slow news day in July? Let’s rank quarterbacks. Who’s the GOAT? Lebron vs MJ. Top dynasties. Who’s the best player in that draft happening in six months?

The debate is endless, and that’s why the likes of ESPN, Barstool, and Skip Bayless go to that bag all the time. People will engage, disagree, and argue.

The same formula is applied to music, but the debates become even murkier. With sports, at least you have stats. MJ has six rings, LeBron has the most points ever. But how do you stack a hip hop album vs a folk album? How do you compare an artist’s first vs a third? How do you compare one person’s piece of art to another?

I’ve ranked my top 10 albums of the year in the past, just like Rolling Stone, NPR, or Pitchfork, but this year I’m just going to deliver all 10 in no particular order. If I had to pull this list together a month ago, it would look very different, just as it would in one month. So let’s just enjoy these 10 (plus some honorable mentions) for what they are.

Here’s to another great year of music.

PRATTS & PAIN by Royel Otis

This is my favorite album of the year.

I know, I know. I just had this whole diatribe on ranking albums, but I am not saying it’s the best album of the year, just my favorite.

I can’t really explain it, but Royel Otis just makes me want to smoke darts and have deep conversations with strangers.

Whether it’s in their “Linger” or “Murder on the Dancefloor” covers or in this top to bottom ripper of an album, you can just feel the chemistry between Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell and how it creates new season of alt rock. And how dope are those two names? They probably had the easiest conversation about what to name their band, didn’t even take a whole dart.

Alligator Bites Don’t Heal by Doechii

We’re truly in an elite female rapper era. And if it were a game of King Queen of the Hill, Doechii’s huffing and puffing at the top. She’s nominated for three Grammy’s, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album, and is the first woman nominated for Best Rap Album since Cardi won in 2019.

I mean, look at her performance on Colbert from a couple weeks ago. She could’ve taken a mic and stood in front of a band like every other late night performance, but instead turned it into a Broadway performance. And then the next day she goes on Tiny Desk and cooks it like “Roasted Peanuts” (“You want some boiled peanuts? /The fuck is a boiled peanut?”)

F-1 Trillion by Post Malone

What an all-time shot call by Post Malone! He threw this out to the world before he had a record deal, studio album, or even a mixtape. It was just three months after releasing “White Iverson,” a fucking jam, but very different than country music and the vibe that Post Malone was creating at the start of his career.

He was probably just having a lovely Tuesday evening back in 2015 and feeling himself, believing in himself, and threw up a shot. But it wasn’t from the logo. My guy was in the nose bleeds just happy to be there.

We’ve since learned that Postie can be whatever he wants to be. He has crushed any performance he’s taken on, and brings great energy to all of them. He’s the friend you always invite to whatever you’re up to, because you know he’ll make friends wherever he goes and bring a smile to the face of whoever is around.

COWBOY CARTER by Beyoncé

A key moment in Beyoncé’s country music villain story is when she performed with the Chicks at the 2016 CMAs. Her performance received some aggressive backlash, mostly because she wasn’t considered a country music artist at the time and also probably because she didn’t look like other country music artists at the time.

But I don’t think people realize: Beyoncé does whatever the fuck she wants, however she wants. You can’t really put Cowboy Carter in a particular box. Sure this is a “country album,” but she bends what that means to her will to create her own island within the genre. In the opening of “Spaghetti,” Linda Martell says, “Genres are a funny little concept, aren't they? / Yes, they are.”

HEAVY by SiR

This family, man. You’ve got SiR and his brother D Smoke (Grammy nominated, rose to fame by winning Season 1 of Rhythm + Flow). Their mom was a background singer for Michael Jackson and Anita Baker. Her brother was a bassist for Prince and niece is the singer-songwriter Tiffany Gouché. Gah damn.

But with any success and rise to fame, there are downsides. SiR told NPR, “I was depressed if we're really going to be just frank and beans, I was trying to navigate success in a way that I best knew how and putting myself in real dangerous situations and just having trouble dealing with who I wanted to be.”

He bears his heart on HEAVY and brings some very talented friends along the way, like Andy .Paak in “POETRY IN MOTION”: “They told me ‘Slowly is the fastest way to get where you wanna be’ / So I ease to a steady speed, let that bitch breathe.”

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish

Billie and FINNEAS have raked in Grammy’s and sold platinum records perfecting their own brand of Prozac-pop (not to be confused with Noah Kahan’s Zoloft-folk). It’s what you listen to when you’re in your feels in a dark room after a tough day.

But it’s not all painting your nails black after crying in the shower. Billie sprinkles in some jams, like “LUNCH” and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” that give your daily dose of Vitamin D. Man, I don’t know if the kids are alright, but they’re making great records.

PERFECT FANTASY by EARTHGANG & Spillage Village

When everyone in corporate America embraced AI with open arms, their shareholder satisfaction silver bullet, EARTHGANG started pushing back. One of Dreamville’s finest, they compiled a few previous EPs to deliver PERFECT FANTASY in late October. Olu of the duo told Rolling Stone, “And it’s like, why is everybody being forced to make these same decisions? Who’s deciding this? Why not [drop on a Tuesday]? We can drop music whenever we want.” In this meta, taking-on-the-man expedition, they dropped some bangers between “U GOTTA,” “DEEP BLUE,” “BOBBY BOUCHER,” and more.

Got a Story to Tell by Thee Sacred Souls

You have the top down on a 1958 Buick Limited driving on one of those Southwest desert highways. You’re on a road trip, a movie set, or trapped in a GIF the way the landscape rolls by you without feeling like you’ve made any progress. You can’t even tell what year it is. Maybe you’re in a fever dream. It doesn’t matter because you have a pair of those sunglasses on that fit you perfectly and make you feel like a celebrity. Your hair blows in the wind. And Thee Sacred Souls is playing, and it feels like you’re hovering on the road below you towards the love of your life.

Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee

I’ve overlooked Waxahatchee for too long. I didn’t even give her a chance. Before I really even listened to her or know who she was, I used to think she was just like an outcast of Haim, creating over-hyped folk music and dropping flowers in your guns. It’s a good reminder to not judge a musician before you actually listen (same applies to Sabrina C. in the honorable mentions). It’s a good reminder to not judge a musician after even one listen. Waxahatchee doesn’t fuck around. Her song writing is elite.

GNX by Kendrick Lamar

The beauty of owning your own record label is that you can release your shit whenever you want. K Dot needs no promo plan. And he doesn’t need to maintain an identity around last summer’s beef with Drake. Kendrick probably could’ve easily gone from roasting Drake to a Super Bowl halftime show and possibly winning a Grammy along the way, but he’s moved on and wants you to know he’s still at the top, packing heat, and no one is safe (“N*ggas cacklin’ about - - - / when all of y’all is on trial”).

Honorable Mention

• Model by Wallows

• Why Lawd? by NxWorries

• Acadia by Yasmin Williams

• Short n’Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter

• WELCOME HOME, KID! by Jordan Mackampa

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Sometimes it can trigger pain or trauma, like when Pat in Silver Linings Playbook hears Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour.”

But sometimes a song can bring you back to some of the most beautiful moments of your life.

Whenever I hear Maxine Nightingale’s “Right Back Where We Started From” it takes me to Discos Lattimore in Seville. Riding the high of a week abroad and exploring a city that we may never return to again, my wife and I stumbled in to see what a Spanish record store offered. Maxine came on and found us perfectly right where we were, and we started dancing through the aisles as if we were main characters in a rom-com.

“Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee, makes me think of the wedding of two of my best friends. It takes me to their first dance, but also to that feeling that bounces off the walls and floors of a wedding. It’s where joy is unavoidable and a smile can’t be shaken off your face. All you can help but do is dance like no one is watching and embrace the people around you as if you may never see them again.

Zach Bryan’s version of “You Are My Sunshine” takes me to the birth of my son. When the nurse handed him to me, tears were uncontrollably flowing down my face, a result of watching my wife suffer and persevere for over 30 hours. A result of experiencing the overwhelming happiness and fear and relief in that moment. I held him close, and in an effort to console myself and this being that was only a few minutes old, I hummed the first song that came to my head.

Music can be grounding. Next time you’re listening to a song and it makes you feel 10 out of 10, take a deep breath and soak that moment in. You never know, maybe one day you’ll be able to transport back to it.

Starting Five

Album of the Week

2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole

10 years ago today, J. Cole took us to Fayetteville, NC on this legendary album. The impact that a childhood home can have often isn’t appreciated until it’s left, and here Jermaine opens up about where he’s from, how far he’s come, and how he can use that experience to drive him to where he wants to be. With a lot of production done by himself and no features on the record, Cole let his craft stand on his own.

He gives us tracks that go hard (like “Fire Squad” and “A Tale of 2 Citiez”) and others with inspiring choruses (“No such thing as a life that’s better than yours”). He also gives us the perfect snapshot of the pressure, anxiety, and vulnerability of losing one’s virginity on “Wet Dreamz.”

Featured Tracks

• If you want a deeper dive into 2014 Forest Hills Drive and J. Cole, check out Road to Homecoming on Max.

• Fuck it, I made a Christmas Playlist. I love Mariah and Bublé, but they won’t be found here.

• Tune in next week for My 10 Favorite Albums of 2024.

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Most of it sounds the same and is underwhelming, some performances are fantastic, and there’s a certain context where it just absolutely hits the spot like the first sip of water after a run.

For one, it’s day-drinking on a Summer beach day, riding on a boat at golden hour, and bar-hopping in Nashville.

For the other, it’s decorating a fresh Christmas tree, baking cookies with my family, or gift shopping at the mall.

Sure, by the time the big man slides his fat ass down the chimney, the Christmas music will taste like the stale cookies that sit on my counter. One more Target commercial featuring a rendition of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” will drive me to rip an ornament off my dead tree and huck it at the wall.

But for now, I’ll embrace it. Tis the season.

Starting Five: Christmas Edition

Album of the Week

War & Leisure by Miguel

Cali-chill R&B. Psychedelic guitar riffs. Rap verses from the likes of Rick Ross, Travis Scott (“It’s lit!”) and J. Cole. Yesterday marked seven years since Miguel dropped his fourth studio album that lays the vices, from sex to shrooms to spliffs, that help us cope with the external tensions that exist in our world. In an interview with Billboard, Miguel said, “The album is intentionally about the ethos right now, that we ware right in the middle of all this. We’re trying to flourish in the middle all of this.” But just like the closing line of “Pineapple Skies,” Miguel just wants you to know that “it’s gon’ be alright.”

Featured Tracks

• Gift recommendation for the hip hop fan in your life: Hip Hop and Other Things by Shea Serrano. Favorite chapters include Is Action Bronson a Good Travel Partner?, What’s Lauryn Hill’s Career Shooting Percentage? and Which Line on Illmatic is the Most Nasian?

• Whenever I hear “505” by Arctic Monkeys it transforms me to their performance at Reading Festival in 2022. They got the people going.

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Now imagine that guy went on to start a multi-billion dollar social media conglomerate and he’s able to pay T-Pain to bring him the moon and the stars. That’s what Mark Zuckerberg did when he dropped an acoustic cover of “Get Low” two weeks ago. When it came out, I thought it was an archived Onion article from 2009 or a marketing ploy for a new AI music company. 

There’s no need to link the song here and subject you to Guantanamo torture fodder. One listen to Zuck singing “‘Til the sweat drops down my balls” and you’d rather be trapped in the metaverse. 

But to be honest, if I could pay T-Pain to auto tune my voice and make music with him, I would in an instant. And to cover your classic middle school dance anthem that is also the song that was playing when you first met your wife!? Zuck’s truly a lover, not a (MMA) fighter. 

I hope Priscilla Chan-Zuckerberg loved the gesture. Hopefully Zuck got laid. At the least, he got to briefly live the dream of being a music star. Money can buy happiness.

Starting Five

Album of the Week

GNX by Kendrick Lamar

The beauty of owning your own record label is that you can release your shit whenever you want. K Dot needs no promo plan. And he doesn’t need to maintain an identity around last summer’s beef with Drake. He’s moved on, but he wants you to know he’s still at the top, packing heat and no one is safe.

Featured Tracks

• Okay, fine. Here’s Z-Pain.

• Forget Kendrick vs. Drake. It’s Kendrick vs. Father John Misty.

• I’ve been loving Thefvmousace’s wholesome videos where he teaches people abroad how to dance. Here’s the video for “squabble up.”

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You can’t blast records in your house until your walls tremble and windows shake. Some (like, Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry) feel like a speed dial to DCF (“I’m Jim Perdue / Cocaine’s Dr. Seuss”).

Live shows come much less frequently. They’re accompanied by finding (and paying for) a babysitter. And your baby doesn’t give a shit if you stayed for the encore. They’ll be up at 6 AM on the dot regardless.

But no one also tells you how it feels to watch your child dance for the first time. They don’t even realize their body is moving how it’s moving. They’re just driven by pure joy. You get to share the music you love with this little human. Your favorite songs become lullabies, and the soundtracks to some of your most precious moments.

Starting Five

Album of the Week

Leon by Leon Bridges

‘Little Debbies from the corner store, caught bruises at Hillside / Drinking that fruit punch on a Saturday”

Leon serves up Texas summer nostalgia so hard that I just bought a pair of snakeskin boots and a bolo tie.

I need to know if the similarity between “That’s What I Love” and “Sho Nuff” is intentional.

Featured Tracks

• Some of the dopest COLORS performances, according to New Branches

• Netflix’s new-ish Starting 5 series followed King James, Sabonis, Ant Edwards, Himmy Butler, and Deuce Tatum’s Dad during the 2023-24 NBA season. Come for the basketball montages and Celtics championship highlights, stay for a great playlist and Lebron dressed as Beetlejuice.

• The Albumist’s Swaddle Sesh

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We all wake up looking for happiness, whatever that may look like to you. We aim to better ourselves and the people we care about most. We welcome children into this world with hope, love, and optimism, no matter how short their fuse of innocence burns. We lose. And we move forward.

We eat. We quench our thirst. We fall in love. We lust. We sin.  

We laugh and smile. We sing and dance, some much better than others. 

Music finds us all like a good night’s sleep or a warm meal. It’s the therapeutic release to loss. It’s the soundtrack to our victories, no matter how big or small. It finds us in the kitchen while cooking dinner, in the car as a reprieve from life’s hustle, or with strangers vibing at a concert. 

This is a reminder that we have more in common than that which divides us (shout out to Jo Cox). 

This is also a reminder to listen to dope music. 

Starting Five: The Optimist’s Edition

Album of the Week

Legend by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Dorm room posters, t-shirts, Hollywood biopics. This illustrious classic has been so transformed by the jaws of capitalism and appropriation that it’s original enchantment can be lost. Half a century later, Bob Marley’s messages still resonate. Legend is a manifesto on how to approach life: be positive, speak up, love often, and stay faithful.

Featured Tracks

• I started creating this playlist in college to harness a 20 past 4 type of energy. It somehow picked up a bunch followers (now called Saves, in Spotify-ese) along the way, which in turn gave me the confidence to share the music that I love through platforms like this.

• One day soon I’ll explore why the hell SNL musical guest performances are so underwhelming. Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” from a couple of weeks ago was not one of those performances.

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I love that feeling you get when you hear a song for the first time and it intoxicates you. It vibrates through your head and the only remedy is to hear it again and again.

I love finding a new artist that’s up and coming, and you know they have something different. Their breakout is inevitable, just give them a few months, and when they finally make it you feel like a proud uncle or neighbor. 

I love rediscovering the classics, music I’ve overlooked or return to for a touch of nostalgia. Maybe it’s a song that has been sampled 10 times over and you want to appreciate its original format. Or maybe it makes you think of someone you love, because whenever that song or artist played their love radiated to the world. 

I don’t claim to have a “better taste” in music than others (whatever the fuck that means). I don’t have any expertise in music theory (though, I was in the high school band). I’m no AI algorithm that can queue up music based on your likes and create personalized playlists.

I’m just here to share some albums that are great from start to finish, songs I can’t stop listening to, and other musings somewhat related to music. 

Welcome to The Albumist.

Starting Five

Find all of these songs and other jams on my Now Playing playlist. Updated on the reg.

Album of the Week

Got a Story to Tell by Thee Sacred Souls

You have the top down on a 1958 Buick Limited driving on one of those Southwest desert highways. You’re on a road trip, a movie set, or trapped in a GIF the way the landscape rolls by you without feeling like you’ve made any progress. You can’t even tell what year it is. Maybe you’re in a fever dream. It doesn’t matter because you have a pair of those sunglasses on that fit you perfectly and make you feel like a celebrity. Your hair blows in the wind. And Thee Sacred Souls is playing, and it feels like you’re hovering on the road below you towards the love of your life.

Read + Watch

• While we’re on the subject, check out the Thee Sacred Souls Tiny Desk from earlier in the year.

• Before Season 2 drops later this month, watch the first season of Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow. Take American Idol, drop the corniness, make it hip hop, add electric celebrity hosts, and showcase some very legitimate talent.

Peace, Love, and Positive Vibes.

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