Sunday Playlist

Hey, as today is the very last day of this week-long half-term, I'm rather in the mood to keep it cool by disclosing my current favourite tracks to all of you - what could be better than listening to catchy songs on a sunny Sunday afternoon? Plus, I haven't really got much time to write a miniature essay on my penchant for eyeliners or the cons of wearing Converse as I'm particularly keen to soak up some Vitamin D in the sun later today, so adding some links to entertaining music videos (or ones featuring lyrics-only, as a couple of my heavily cherished tracks have unfortunately not been released as chart-topping singles) won't take up too much of my time or prevent me from conjuring some evil spells on my new Apartment Life PC-Rom. You'll know exactly what I mean once a green-skinned witch knocks on your door!

Basically, I've loved music from such an early age and can still remember bits and pieces of dancing to Kylie Minogue's best-selling hit Spinning Around when I was four or five, a memory of which causes my already blush-applied cheeks to turn a horrifying shade of red. Since then, I've thankfully grown out of party princess hits to a mixture of genres which expand from the 80s to this modern era, so you can pretty much declare that I'm not entirely loyal to simply one style of music; ideally, old-style dance and electronic-free pop are guaranteed to get me going (or as much as I possibly can whilst sitting on a creaky chair), though recently I have all but fallen in love with indie-style sounds because lyrics represent a high importance, as I strongly believe.

At one stage a few years ago, I toyed with the then-appealing idea of establishing myself as a songwriter after being inspired by my one-time favourite singer, Taylor Swift, for the duration of a very warm summer; perhaps the blistering heat played a large role with my holiday-long dream of producing so-called 'well-written' tracks, but I enjoyed myself nonetheless until I began to rip my songs into shreds several months later. Does a more embarrassing thing than an immature song exist on Earth or what? Anyway, I quickly realized that song-writing was not a potential job for myself and writing articles as I currently do is probably the best way that I can showcase my skills without becoming a red-faced victim of embarrassment!

Somewhere deep inside myself, music evokes so many unnamed emotions to swirl around like a cake mixture being stirred by a powerful Kitchenaid (if your cookery whizz mother owns what is the most critically acclaimed gadget on the market, you will surely know what I mean) and I'm transported to a place which seems a thousand miles away from my bedroom, swept away into the aromatic beat of a song which I instantly yearn to hear again as soon as the last lyric is sung. Regardless of the vocals, backing music or lyrics, I think that it's fair to say that these unleashed feelings never go away and it purely indicates what a fantastic song that you're listening to - and here I want to let you know which songs are my trustworthy pals during times of happiness, excitement, peace or a short-lived spell of the miserable teenage blues.

Helena Beat - Foster the People
One night whilst surfing on the free music-listening service, Spotify, I came across this dance-vibed track by accident. Well, I'm glad to say that finding Helena Beat by California-based band Foster the People - whom I hadn't even heard of until I listened to this song - was indeed a very happy accident because I've been struggling to get it out of my head since!
In my opinion, the music video makes a massive impact because it represents the ruins of war, but I was almost shocked out of my chair on the first occasion that I viewed it. Kids looking more badass than Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in an action-themed 80s film were definitely a memorable highlight, yet none of the bizarre scenes could distract me from the very catchy beat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABzh6hTYpb8

Ribs - Lorde
If you were hoping that a song which perfectly described your rib-loving addiction had finally arrived on the music scene, I'm sorry to say that this is certainly not the case!
In as few words as possible, I absolutely love New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, who just scooped her very first BRIT award earlier this week - only at the age of seventeen! Without heading towards the dreaded cliché territory, Lorde somehow manages to describe exactly how a muddled teen like myself feels whilst producing a cooler-than-an-ice-cube vibe which truly inspires the inner-writer lying inside of me.
Although I have already picked out several songs from Lorde's debut Pure Heroine, Ribs definitely counts as one of my highlights because everything - the vocals, meaningful lyrics and indie-inspired vibes - is my idea of pure perfection because it conveys emotions which cannot be easily put into words. I just hope with all my heart that Lorde does us - and myself, of course - a favour by releasing Ribs as her next single because it deserves to hold the top spot on music charts across the world!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qaeoz_7cyE

National Anthem - Lana Del Rey 
Yet another singer-songwriter of whom I can never get enough!
Classy, stylish and elegantly-dressed, Lana Del Rey reminds me heavily of the darlings who captivated the world during the glamorous 60s, whilst seducing her audience with her deep, heavily powerful vocals which sizzle as hotly as a pan of bacon (you see, talking in a seductive manner is a skill which I've obviously failed to hone).
I owe Lana plenty of gratitude because listening to her album, Born to Die, was a sort of lifeline shortly after my cat, Tom, passed away almost a year ago, and humming along to Video Games almost every night gave me something to look forward to during a horrible time when grief, sadness and mascara-streaked tears were rife.
As I await excitedly for Lana to release her new album, the fascinatingly titled Ultraviolence, later this year (rumours suggest that it could be out around May), I will be returning to my favourite track, National Anthem, which describes an extravagantly-led taking a turn towards turmoil. If you thought that the song was great, a single view of the video - which was inspired by the Kennedy family and also set in the 60s - will blow your mind. Seriously.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxDdEPED0h8

Green Garden - Laura Mvula
If you knew me inside out like a half-torn copy of Twilight, it wouldn't take you two seconds to realize that I have a strong admiration for soulful, powerful voices - and Laura Mvula has gained a place on my foot-long list of favourite singers, despite only breaking into the music industry little over a year ago.
It was this very song - the catchier-than-the-winter-flu Green Garden which, despite the title, isn't entirely set in a garden as green as my flu-fighting self in the video - which stole my attention and was the main reason for which I fell in love with the old-school sounds which Laura presented on her award-winning debut, Sing to the Moon.
Listening to Green Garden makes me want to do so many things - dance around the living room like I've lost all sense of sanity, place the largest smile to have ever existed on my face and appreciate how green my garden is before a seasonal drought sucks it dry of any colour. And hopefully you'll see what I mean once you listen to it, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5akYnlwubDo

Rescue Me - Madonna
In comparison to the relatively new tracks I've included above, the 1990 hit single Rescue Me from pop queen Madonna seems like taking a trip back to the Stone Age, but I can reassure you that it is entirely worthy of a place on today's playlist!
Why I find myself singing along to powerfully sung lyrics for no reason, I'm still incapable of understanding it, yet this song was released during an era when dance music literally ruled the roost and was at its height of popularity, so I guess that it isn't much of a surprising that my pop-appreciating self instantly took to Rescue Me as though I had known it all of my life.
Besides, it makes a pleasant change to listen to a Madonna song without being faced with the prospect of a little-known rapper popping up half-way through, supposedly giving Madonna street cred in the 21st century. I just love to listen to a proper song and this one perfectly fits the bill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz6yxSe4iEI

Five songs, all of which represent so many things going on in my life. At the end of the day, all that I'm searching for is a catchy beat, perfect vocals and lyrics which artistically describe something in admirable manner. And the ones which I've listed here today are my ideas of musical heaven, so let's take a ride to YouTube - obviously the largest music video-watching website available - and remind ourselves about the true meaning hiding beneath the music.

If you listen.