Six Picks: September (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 are this month’s six picks.

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- Demi Lovato

old rock vibes. huge yin&yang vibes. your next anthem.

“My demons are on the hunt, but my angels taught me how to run. I’ve got two wolves inside of me, but I decide which one to feed.”

It’s giving Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” at the end of the Hannah Montana movie, but punk. It’s the alternative ending song to Camp Rock if the movie passed the Bechdel Test. (I actually don’t know if it would pass or fail, can someone get back to me about this?)

On Apple Music’s album description, Demi says, “The message of this song is that there are two sides inside of you, which represent the good and the bad, the positive and the negative. This song is a reminder that you are in control of your life and each side will make you feel a different way, so it’s up to you to choose which direction you want to go.”

DAMN, Demi!!

If you’re new to Demi’s roots in pop/rock, this is a great anthem to start with. (Eat Me with queen Royal The Serpent is my personal favourite, but you’ve gotta tolerate a bit of metal for that!)

why is this resonating with me right now?

Besides being a killer anthem for Demi’s incredible story of post-drug-overdose-resilience that they’ve shared with us through her YouTube series, this artist knows how to tell a story.

Using relatable analogies that reflect so many of our personal journeys, whether that be with addiction, mental illness, self-sabotage, this song is YOURS to play when you’re driving down Highway 401 into the sunset after doing a massive amount of personal healing.

hard out here
- raye

an r&b dream, with intoxicating lyrics for the fed-up American woman.

“After years and fears and smiling through my tears, all I ask of you is open your ears. ‘Cause the truth ain’t pretty, my dear.”

I dare you NOT to bop to this. Go ahead and try. Okay, the first time I heard this song, I didn’t even like it. But my gorgeous, conservative Grandma always said that you have to try something 7 times to know how you really feel about something.

Thanks for that one, Gram! I had no idea until round 7 how badly I needed this song right now.

Born Rachel Agatha Keen, Raye says, “Though I have found some peace and perspective now, this song captures my anger, and my red heated rage at what I went through in silence for all seven years being trapped in my major record label contract. Understanding I was just a product on a shelf, but knowing that my music has never been about business to me — it is the entirety of my soul, heart, and life.” Check out more about Raye’s journey here!

why is this resonating with me right now?

Sure, this song may be about being held back by a record label, but it can be applied to absolutely anything. If you’re in need of feeling powerful again, and have a couple white guys p*ssing you off (who doesn’t?), this is for you. For me, it’s working out my post-summer job, post-break-up and post-harassment rage.

“No weapon formed against me shall ever prosper.” What does that mean to you? Sure, it’s biblical, but it’s more to me. It means that we’re untouchable.

The label that wanted to crush this anthem from Raye? They just won’t prosper; won’t succeed.

The men in suits who want to control what we do with our bodies, they just won’t prosper; won’t succeed.

That obstacle you’re facing? It can’t touch who you really are. So put this one on repeat, and carry on. It won’t touch you.

mom jeans - morgen

you know when you say "i don’t care what they think" but you kinda still do?

“I don’t feel like me in a mini skirt, but in my blue mom jeans I’m the king of the world and man, I feel like a pretty girl.”

This should be the first song on a people pleaser’s morning playlist. Sick of all the voices telling you what to wear and how to look? This gender-confused blogger is too!

Ending Part One of September’s Six Picks with this happy, indie bop is very intentional. For anyone who feels things very deeply, especially the pressure of others’ expectations, I would encourage you to use this song to dance around your living room in whatever it is that makes you feel as good as morgen’s Mom Jeans.

This song is your permission, and your guide, to celebrating yourself as you are. You’re the king of the world, especially if you believe you are.

morgen’s advice? “Growing up is not as terrifying as people make it out to be, all you have to do is pretend you know what you're doing and you're halfway there.”

I think I can do that.