#1. "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man
If you've read my First Impressions #1 post, then you probably know all about my adoration of this song. Pretty much everything I have to say about it I said in that post. I've had it on repeat for the past few weeks and I haven't gotten sick of it. There's just something about indie music like this that screams "fall" to me, and this has quickly become one of my favorite indie songs. It's currently one of the biggest songs in the country and it deserves to be.
#2."Havana" by Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug
I briefly mentioned this one in the First Impressions post I linked. I was talking about Camila's other song "OMG" and I just noted that this song is superior. Latin-inspired music has been a big trend this year and this is honestly my favorite take on the trend. That piano riff is simple but intoxicating and the chorus is addictive. I don't know why this song gives me a fall vibe but it does. It's one of my favorite songs at the moment, which I didn't expect from Camila.
#3. "Praying" by Kesha
This is one of the most emotionally resonant songs I've ever heard. I remember when I first heard about Kesha's case with her producer Dr. Luke (this Rolling Stone article does a pretty nice sum-up of it if you're unfamiliar/curious) and the entire time I was rooting for and supporting her. To see her come back stronger than ever like this is so inspiring. This song hits hardest if you're familiar with her struggles, but even if you aren't, you can still feel her. It's an amazing song and you all need to listen to it if you haven't. Also, the high note (if you've heard the song, you'll know what I'm talking about) is legitimately one of my favorite moments in music ever. Anyone who still claims Kesha can't sing without autotune after this can fight me.
#4. "Friends" by Justin Bieber and BloodPop
Moving on from that emotional rollercoaster of a song to something a lot less gripping but still awesome, we have Justin Bieber's latest song, "Friends". I don't care at all about the Biebs's personal life, but I like his music more than you'd expect. His current music (maybe 2015 onward) has been consistently good and this is one of my favorites. It feels like a sequel to his previous hit "Sorry" and honestly I think I like this one more. The chorus is catchy as hell and the production is great.
#5. "Night Changes" by One Direction
Like Bieber, I like One Direction a lot more than you'd expect. I won't claim to be a mega-Directioner or anything but they have some pretty good songs. This is one of them. It's also one of those songs I rarely listen to but still like a lot. I put this song on the list because the atmosphere has always reminded me of fall/winter. It just feels cozy for some reason.
#6. "Unforgettable" by French Montana ft. Swae Lee
Just like "Havana", I also mentioned this song in the First Impressions post when talking about some other French Montana song, saying "Unforgettable" is way better. Honestly though, French Montana is not the reason why I love it. I can barely even remember how his parts go. I like this song for two reasons: featured guest Swae Lee (of Rae Sremmurd), and the beat. Swae Lee does a pretty solid The Weeknd impression for the chorus, which is incredibly catchy and likable. The beat is unique and danceable and I adore it. It's an unforgettable (pun absolutely intended) song.
#7. "Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake ft. Majid Jordan
My brother (a massive Drake fan) always thinks I hate Drake, but I don't. He has some songs I don't care for, but he also has songs I love, like "Hold On, We're Going Home". This is my favorite Drake song to date. He doesn't actually do any rapping in this one, it's all R&B crooning. And it works. This is just one of those songs I've always loved, and it's always reminded me of fall. I think that's just because it came out during the fall of 2013.
#8. "The Hills" by The Weeknd
This one doesn't remind me of fall as much as it just reminds me of Halloween. This is a creepy song. It's slow, plodding, ugly, and dark, but these traits work in its favor. It perfectly accomplishes what it tries to do. I can totally see why someone wouldn't like it, because I don't think I liked it at first, but I love it now. It's one of, if not my favorite, songs by The Weeknd.
#9. "3005" by Childish Gambino
I don't remember exactly how I found out about this song, but I've loved it ever since. It sounds like a Drake song, but a really good Drake song. The chorus is great and there's some pretty good wordplay in the lyrics. This is also the point where I accept that for most of these songs, I can't adequately explain why they remind me of fall. These songs just sound like fall to me, and the atmosphere of this one reminds me of autumn.
#10. "Alone Together" by Fall Out Boy
Although I can't think about Fall Out Boy without reminiscing about my emo phase last year and cringing, I still like a lot of their music, even though I don't listen to it often. This song appears on the album Save Rock And Roll, and even though the album came out in the spring of 2013, a lot of the songs from it remind me of fall. I'm guessing it's because of the aesthetic of the Young Blood Chronicles movie they made to go along with the album (which yes, I have watched in its entirety multiple times. I was hardcore, yo). I specifically chose "Alone Together" because it reminds me of Thanksgiving 2013 and singing along to it in the car. Good memories.
#11. "Gasoline" by Halsey
Another artist I associate with my emo phase last year is indie pop singer Halsey. Even though I think the way she presents herself is really pretentious, I still like her music a fair bit. A lot of it, yet again, inexplicably reminds me of fall. This one in particular, "Gasoline", has always been one of my favorites, and I'm pretty sure it's a fan favorite as well. I like the message of how she's not going to change who she is as an artist despite being constantly pressured to do so.
#12. "Hurricane" by Panic! At The Disco
Throughout most of my emo phase, Fall Out Boy were my #1 favorite band, but Panic! At The Disco were a close second. Once I realized I was starting to get sick of Fall Out Boy, I started to become obsessed with Panic! and I still really like them to this day (also I did NOT expect to put this many songs from my emo phase on here lol). This song, "Hurricane", is on their album Vices and Virtues, which is one of my favorites. It's always been my favorite song from the record and it's one I believe is really underrated. It's a slightly dark and maniacal song (there's some evil cackling in the background), but it's infectious and fun to sing along to. You can bet I know all the words.
#13. "Atlas" by Coldplay
This song was on the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is a movie I will forever associate with the fall of 2013. It came out in the end of the fall of that year and I remember Banana_Elephant and I being unbelievably excited for it. "Atlas" is one of those songs that I love but rarely listen to. My favorite thing about Coldplay's music has always been how atmospheric and pretty it is, and the instrumentals in this song are particularly pretty (
#14. "Chocolate" by The 1975
This song got popular in the fall of 2013 (much like a lot of these songs) and I think that's the reason why I associate it with this season. It was the first song by The 1975 I heard, and while I've always kind of liked it, I didn't fall in love with it until I saw Ariana Grande's November/December month video a few years later. Every time I listen to this song, it conjures a specific aesthetic that I'm not really sure how to explain. I guess it's sort of similar to the music video, but more fall-appropriate. This song led to me getting into The 1975 and they're now one of my favorite bands.
#15. "Sweater Weather" by The Neighbourhood
I saved this song for last not because I feel it's the best overall song or the worst one (In all honesty, these songs are all pretty equal in terms of my liking of them. Yeah, there are a few I especially like, but overall these songs are pretty consistent in terms of quality to me). I decided to finish with it because, in my mind, it is the fall song. When I think about songs that remind me of fall, this is the first one to come to mind. It's a song called "Sweater Weather", after all, and what article of clothing is more associated with fall than sweaters? (Scarves are also an acceptable answer.) This song feels like wearing a cozy sweater, drinking warm apple cider, and playing in the brightly colored leaves. This isn't my favorite song of all time, but it is my favorite fall song of all time (and yes, there is a difference). You can bet this is the first song I listen to every time fall rolls around.
Here is the link to the Spotify playlist containing the songs, if you so choose to listen to it.
https://open.spotify.com/user/stellar.emma/playlist/18cE45GlhmkrkKOSXKAKI7
OK, that's all I have this week on Stellar in Neverland. Next week, I was planning to use my free trial of Apple Music to do a First Impressions post on Beyonce's Lemonade. I've wanted to listen to that album forever because I've heard nothing but good things about it, but it's not on Spotify (my preferred streaming service). I thought it was on Apple Music but it's not. My plan for next week is to either get a free trial on Tidal (where the album is available to stream) and do a Lemonade First Impression or do a First Impression of another album I haven't decided on yet. Either way, I'm doing First Impressions next week. The week after, I'm doing another First Impression, this time on Taylor Swift's Reputation. Not because I think I'll like it, but because it's going to be the biggest album of the year and I want to see if it'll be worth the hype. (And also because it'll hopefully get me views on here.) That's all for this week. I'm Stellar in Neverland, signing off. Peace!
Stellar
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