Six Picks: October (Part One)
music is a key part of healing and self-soothing for me.
i'm like a musical encyclopedia sometimes. i love reading and watching interviews from artists sharing how they created their art.
i’ll try to mix up some different genres to fit all of your tastes, but keep an open mind. ;) welcome to my musical brain!
here is part one of this month’s six picks.
noah (stand still) - noah cyrus
beautiful folk tribute to a family mantra
“And my father told me, "Noah, when you don't know where you're goin', just stand still. Soon enough you will.”
Noah Cyrus is a force. I remember hearing “Ready To Go”, one of the first singles off of this new album, right after a break-up and feel so moved by the story-telling. The indie-folk sound on top of the bare-all lyrics create a space for peaceful processing of really challenging topics.
Oh yeah, did I not mention that Noah is on a sobriety journey?
According to a press release, this song “came after Noah's visit to her father's home in Nashville during her early recovery stages from a Xanax addiction. There, Billy Ray reminded Noah to feel the earth under her feet, get grounded with nature and to stand still — a notion that's been passed down from generation to generation in their family.”
why is this resonating with me right now?
This song beautifully captures the power of mindfulness.
Like this quote I shared a few weeks ago, this song explores how slowing down messes with the systems that harm. When we choose to pause and focus on the little things, we change our focus and energy.
I’m not on a sobriety journey myself so I can’t even imagine the pain and exhaustion that Noah has experienced. But her ability to capture mindfulness and how it can help improve heavy feelings is going to benefit so many, myself included.
mirror - sigrid
i dare you to NOT dance to this one.
“Nothing compares to the feeling right there in the mirror. I needed loneliness to know there's nothing that I can't turn into confidence.”
Sigrid can’t write a bad song, change my mind. But this one? I remember loving it at the time it came out but I wasn’t in a place to fully enjoy it. I saw Sigrid live and her performance of this song was *chef’s kiss*.
The best part? She wrote the very song she needed to hear! “This is an industry of perfection and I want to do as well as I can, but I still need to hear that it’s OK to do your best and that is good enough. I get really paranoid and up in my own head about not being good at something straight away, then I remember ‘Mirror’’s message of: ‘Just love yourself – just have fun with it.’” NME.
This is the exact song that I need to jumpstart the harder days. The lyrics are wonderful affirmations and a great way to say it ‘til ya believe it!
why is this resonating with me right now?
No matter how many motivational songs I keep in my back pocket, they always tend to take me back to a time and place in which I heavily relied on it.
I love this song because it’s perfect for the place I’m at right now and I’m always going to remember its connection to my current season. This is a time when I really need these affirmations and I hope that listening to this catchy tune on repeat can help them absorb in my brain!
satellite - leith
For the dreamer afraid of their dreams.
“I don't want a normal life but I don't know what that means. I think I want a perfect one but it's ripping at the seams.”
This song is an indie dream-come-true from Toronto artist Jessie Munro, stage name Leith. The synths truly enhance this story; one of a girl who has dreams so big that she frustrates herself. Honestly, relatable.
I love the lyrics to this song because they’re truly up for interpretation and can be applied to many of our journeys. No matter what we’re chasing or hoping for, this song captures the frustrations of the ups & downs and the inability to let go of the passion we hold for what we want.
why is this resonating with me right now?
This song comes on and I’m instantly the main character who just achieved a coming-of-age milestone after setback after setback, and I’m excited but know that there is so much more ahead of me.
Oddly specific, but it’s actually where I feel like I’m at right now. This song truly engulfs me into a place of acceptance; acceptance of the anxiety and unease that comes with wanting a good life for yourself but not knowing what that means yet.
Here’s to giving it out best shot!
