Music can become engrained in your memories as the soundtrack to a certain moment or time in your life. With most of the world still ordered to quarantine, music has been the soundtrack to our new at-home lifestyle. In this week’s Sound Bite we chose a few songs that coincidentally narrate how most of us are feeling while isolated. A little weird, uncertain, and alone. “Weird” from Yungblud” and “If I Want To” by Goody Grace will undoubtedly be relatable tracks during quarantine, but surprisingly, were both written before any shelter-in-place orders were put in place.
Other songs we’re loving include a fast-paced banger from Charli XCX‘s band Nasty Cherry, a sultry track from the newly brunette Njomza, and an uplifting song from indie-pop band MisterWives
See below for all five songs we are loving right now.
1. “Weird” by Yungblud
The latest single from punk rocker Yungblud is a lyrical maze of emotions and super poignant thoughts about life in general, with a youthful candor the singer is known for. Yungblud revealed that “Weird” was written before the shelter-in-place orders were put in place but the song feels unbelievably relatable during these uncertain times. “Weird” offers a cathartic chorus that encourages listeners to seriously let go.
2. “If I Want To” by Goody Grace
The 22-year-old singer Goody Grace is coming off the high of his latest collaboration with Blink-182, “Scumbag,” and fittingly, his most recent single is an ode to, well, getting high. The Canadian artist sampled Lesley Gore’s 1963 hit “It’s My Party” in his new song, with his own lyrics: It’s my party, I’ll get high if I want. The song is hypnotic with a catchy hook and a slight nod to be quarantined with lyrics like, Leave me alone. I want to be on my own.
3. “Shoulda Known Better” by Nasty Cherry
The band dreamt up by Charli XCX is a dreamy head banging pop sensation. Nasty Cherry’s latest single, “Shoulda Known Better,” is a crescendo of sounds, building up to a twirly chorus that makes you want to get up and jump. With a fast tempo and exciting vibe, we are here for these badass ladies.
4. “Bite” by NJOMZA
Singer-songwriter Njomza earned songwriting credits on her BFF Ariana Grande’s album thank u, next in 2019 and right before the world was quarantined, had been teasing her studio sessions with Grande. With the release of her latest single, “Bite,” we see a soulfully sultry sound reminiscent of Grande’s “7 Rings,” but with with an authentic groove that can only come fro Njomza. The song is the first of several Njomza plans to release over the coming months.
5. “Rock Bottom” by MisterWives
New York City-based indie-pop band MisterWives released a new single, “Rock Bottom,” that is glittery, pulsating, and super freeing and motivating. The band’s front woman Mandy Lee says of the new song, “’Rock bottom’ is where I’ve spent most of my time these last couple of years, but this song is about getting up and out that dark and painful place and knowing you never want to get to that lowest low again. Breaking down to break through is the backbone of this song along with a real fun dance groove to make you move and feel as free as I did when I wrote it.”
