Six Picks: September (Part Two)

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 two of this month’s six picks.

you might not like her
- maddie zahm

inner-child healing and nostalgia, my favourites!

“You’ll lose your faith a bit and question if she’s you. And for a while you might not like her, but I do.”

Where do I even start with this one? Wow. Musically, it’s beautiful. But, lyrically? Incredible, honest story-telling.

To know Maddie Zahm is to love her. You may recognize her from your TV screens, on American Idol Season 16. Every single song on her new EP, “You Might Not Like Her",” is daringly vulnerable.

In an interview about the EP, Maddie says, “I was a 23 year old who was raised in a church that taught me that my only goal was to be a good kid. But good kids get older and unfortunately that means we're not ready to face the world when we should be.

I was lucky enough to be able to process these things by writing a project to my younger self, my hometown, my parents, the world, etc. This project quite literally saved me and I hope it reaches even just one person who is questioning if they're allowed to be their full selves.”

why is this resonating with me right now?

My mom remembers when I was little and looked at this girl, saying she just looked so pretty. It’s funny that I didn’t really consider bisexuality until high school because it was pretty obvious there was something going on, but environment has a massive impact on your perspective.

My small town is the cause for a lot of trauma and obstacles I’ve faced in my life. Striving to be good, be straight, like your body, follow the rules, not disappoint your family …this one speaks right to my soul.

For all of my friends doing inner-child healing, allow this song to guide you into self-compassion and give your little self a massive hug for me.

P.S. I burst into tears watching the music video. 10/10 recommend.

off my chest
- elio

atmospheric affirmations for a complex mind.

“Finally closing the door on what happened, don’t know what comes next but I’m moving on from the weight on my chest.”

I have anxiety, you have anxiety, we have anxiety together! I truly wish I knew the story behind this little jingle she sings at the beginning but it’s hilarious, but it’s a mystery to me for now.

Then bam, a beautiful riff to start this song. It sounds super similar to Hanging By a Moment by Lifehouse, but in a different key, so I really hope she doesn’t get sued because I love the nostalgia it offers. Instantly reminiscing on listening to a Now 7 CD of 2000s music in my mom’s Santa Fe when this song turns on.

The lyrics of this song definitely explore growing pains, but the way they’re incorporated into a round throughout the song with the atmospheric synths makes it feel like that pain all just part of what makes beautiful art, and beautiful journey.

why is this resonating with me right now?

I love a song with a layers and atmosphere, so already I’m a big fan. My only complaint is it’s super short.

Then, lyrically, this song is incredibly vulnerable. I struggle with really bad memory loss, I have no idea why (my guess is dissociation side-effects), so I really relate with the lyrics “Rose coloured glasses change the way that I remember the past / Can’t tell the difference between good and bad when I’m looking back.”

I genuinely mix up and good and bad memories all the time, which makes healing quite challenging. At least if I’m struggling, I can listen to this beautiful song to guide me through and feel less alone with it.

changed - catie turner

how to grow up while everyone around you is at a stand still.

“I’m too young to be afraid of getting old, I’m getting old. Thought these were my better days. Is it okay to let them go?”

I don’t think that I need to tell you what it’s like to feel several years older than the people around you because you’re an emotional person. If you’re reading this, that’s likely your experience.

Catie is a really young artist (and another former American Idol contestant), so I don’t have a lot of information about her and where this song came from, though I wish I did. For now, I’ll just share my interpretation:

Feeling like your growth is accelerating beyond what you’re really comfortable with, and what suits your environment, is really hard. Life keeps moving and some people move along with it, others just don’t as much.

This song is an anthem for the parts of you that have grown, and permission to grieve the parts of you that aren’t there anymore.

why is this resonating with me right now?

I remember several experiences in my life when I felt so out of place because I wasn’t into the same things as my peers. Not that I was better than them, they were probably a lot happier than me, but I was in a complex, emotional world on the inside.

This is for the moments that don’t sit right, and there’s a stirring inside of you that tells you that there are bigger and better spaces for the person you’re becoming.

It’s okay to change.