april ambition
self-awareness at an all-time high
hello internet friends,
i’m back with another monthly media roundup! if this is your first time here, this is where i share all of the music i’ve listened to as of late. basically, you’ve reached the checkpoint for another installment of my alliterative playlist series, featuring a song for every day of the month and five-word summaries of my listening history.
returning readers may notice that some categories of this newsletter are lighter than prior months. that’s because i’ve taken on more work this season, including a temporary WFH role that requires a fairly sterile environment (read: no music while working), which has reduced a lot of my listening time. it’s definitely an adjustment for someone who can listen to music around the clock.
still, i’m grateful for the work opportunity and that i’ll have a lot to catch up on later this spring. expect next month’s recommendations to be stacked! without any further ado, here’s what made it to my radar.
music i missed last year
Saint Levant — DEIRA
hopeful for a brighter future
Holy Gather — Joy in the Morning
upbeat devotional music from Atlanta
Nappy Nina & Swarvy — Nothing Is My Favorite Thing
intricate inner monologues captured stylistically
new releases
Ray Lozano — SILK&SORROW
i like her style
Aqyila — Falling Into Place
sensual and sweet
Butcher Brown — Letters from the Atlantic
rich jazz with great features
Alabaster DePlume — A Blade Because A Blade is Whole
mystical and elusive but worthwhile
Sunny War — Armageddon in a Summer Dress
music for the dive bar
Hannah Cohen — Earthstar Mountain
perfect for spring musings
Fright Years — Still Life (EP)
recommendation from Music Directory chat
Duckwrth — All American F*ckboy
a cool, highly conceptual album
Jadu Heart — POST HEAVEN
fun album for the shower
Arp Frique & The Perpetual Singers — The Gospel Of Jesamy
funky gospel fits my vibe
Dreamer Isioma — StarX Lover
they get better and better!
Malcolm Todd — Malcolm Todd
*sings* i love, i LOVE
Cari Cari — One More Trip Around The Sun
a psychedelic compilation of sunshine
Sirens of Lesbos — i got a song, it’s gonna make us millions
good rhythms and reflections
Deante’ Hitchcock — Good Things Take Time
charming, aspirational Southern rap
duendita — a strong desire to survive
cathartic expressions deserve repeat listens
Destin Conrad — LOVE ON DIGITAL
R&B is forever!1
Sault — 10
uplifting devotional music from England
Marlon Williams — Te Whare Tīwekaweka
a beautifully sung native tongue
Salami Rose Joe Louis — Lorings
very true to her
Emma-Jean Thackray — Weirdo
highly emotive jazz holds attention
Fly Anakin — (The) Forever Dream
a universe i will revisit
bbymutha — left4dead: the triplets
Atlanta looks good on Mutha!
tobi lou — Baggy Weather
he’s consistent and i love it
Baby Geoff — give it to me (EP)
nearly skipped, glad i didn’t
Silas Short — LUSHLAND
some artists offer such an outstanding first impression that you hope to hear from them again (sooner rather than later). this was my experience with musician Silas Short after hearing his 2021 EP Drawing, which debuted via Stones Throw Records.
based in LA with Midwest roots, Short has returned with his full-length album LUSHLAND, a sensual 38-minute ride that situates itself perfectly into the canon of modern R&B while providing tangible recalls to earlier origins of the genre. this album was truly worth the wait and that’s why i’ve chosen it as my #1 play of the month.
the five-word summary for LUSHLAND is: i reiterate: R&B is forever!!2
music to look forward to
DOPE LEMON — Golden Wolf (5/2)
Xavier Omär — HunnyMoon Mountain (5/2)
PinkPantheress — Fancy That (5/9)
Oddisee — En Route (EP) (5/30)
Turnstile — NEVER ENOUGH (6/6)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard — Phantom Island (6/13)
Theo Croker — Dream Manifest (6/13)
Yaya Bey — do it afraid (6/20)
L’Eclair — CLOUD DRIFTER (6/20)
Kokoroko — Tuff Times Never Last (7/11)
april ambition: the playlist
the notes: knowing that your goals are within reach, trying new things, hitting the reset button, a clean slate, creating for creation’s sake, locking in, new and/or diverging career paths, perseverance, divine timing.
(april ambition: the playlist on Apple Music)
i already shared this prediction on IG, but i’ll add it here too: “KISSING IN PUBLIC” will be a strong contender for song of the summer.
it really upsets me and my homegirls when folks say R&B is dead. because if you don’t know how to look for what you want to hear, all you have to do is ask.
This is a great list! Saint Levant was my most listened to on Spotify last year, and I'm looking forward to the new Xavier Omär.