Tuesday 13 January 2015

Mid January's Anthems

Ah, where would I be without music? New York? Milan? Or the same rural (which is a con word for 'in-the-middle-of-freaking-nowhere') village in which I reside? I'm not entirely sure whether music affects your residence, but there is no doubt that it massively contributes to your perked-up mood: it gives you an energy-boosting hit like a Mars bar, albeit without the startling amount of sugar and frosty-eyed threats from your braces-obsessed dentist.

It's been ages since I've last done a feature on my favourite songs which, despite my long-term absence from the topic being completely unacceptable, is due to one very important reason: I've been exploring. Before you leap from 50-foot tall trees with the grace of a gorilla (and hopefully with more dignity than a mostly nu Tarzan) in the jungle that is your wild imagination, I haven't been following in the footsteps of Dora the Explorer, but have instead been embarking on an exhilarating journey. Unlike a trek in a rainforest, mine has mainly been restricted to Spotify, YouTube and a ten minute look in HMV one day during the Christmas holidays. Not quite so Bear Grylls, am I now?

Adolescence may be renowned for its numerous negatives (which I can't even be bothered to go into right now - aren't you sick of imagining what my spots look like?), but there are enough reasons to make us appreciate these wacky and wild years in our lives. Among these is our feverous desire to explore - from clothing shops to music genres, very little is left unexplored (apart from the Barbie department in Toys R Us, obviously). If we aim high enough, we can reach for the prized jewel: the music that not only understands us, but defines us in a way that Gangnam Style never can.

Of late, I've given into the urge to delve into my inner (but better-dressed) Dora the Explorer and rummaged through countless albums in stores and online. Receiving several albums at Christmas provided a thankful boost to my quest, injecting the dash of inspiration that was vital for making it a recipe for success.

Several weeks on, I think that I'm finally getting somewhere - miles away from my starting point, yet a distance to go until my adventure is over - and have discovered plenty of treasure along the way. From sweet-as-candy pop to indie electronica, I've given most genres a go, learning more about my likes and dislikes than ever before. And you know what? I have surprised myself on several occasions. Really, I wouldn't have expected myself to have fallen in love with what I used to consider as 'weird' songs a couple of years ago but, like many things, tastes change. Over time, my passions for some things have either blossomed or died: of all the things in life, your interests are definitely the most unpredictable.

However, do I embrace these changes? Hell yeah! If I like a song, very little will persuade me otherwise: its genre doesn't influence my fondness for it at all. Although I usually refer to them when looking for music, genres can sometimes been unfairly categorised. Had I not taken a leap of faith in the past, I probably would never have been introduced to the many songs that I love. Therefore, we shouldn't limit ourselves by what a song is described as on Wikipedia: as the audience, we have the power to make up our own minds and decide what does and does not work for us. Like food, it's best if you adapt a 'try and see' approach - who knows, a song might become your new anthem!

As for my anthems, I am proud to display the product of my findings in musical research. Do enjoy, relish every lyric and sing along as loudly as you wish - what else can compete with the joy of music?

1. Foster the People - Miss You



Exactly what I'm saying after getting out of my lovely warm bed in the morning...

2. Taylor Swift - Blank Space




Especially worth listening to when Taylor belts out 'I'm a nightmare, dressed as a daydream' - rather like me when I'm in a horrific mood, albeit dressed in fabulous attire comme toujours!

3. Ella Henderson - Ghost 



Tell me of a chorus that is catchier than the one featured in Ghost. Can't think of one? Very little can compete with this, which makes you want to fish out your neon pink hairbrush and sing into it like you would with a microphone. In private and with locked doors, of course.

4. Clean Bandit - Rather Be



The one song that you are guaranteed to find me singing along to whilst washing my hair in the dark at five thirty in the morning. Yes, I'm really that sad!

5. Sia - Chandelier



Music-mad LikeATeen: most mind-blowing music video ever.

Hair-obsessed LikeATeen: Where can I get a wig like that from?

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