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Hey Hey!
I’m back with my final Mixtape of the year. Sorry I’m late (as always!) – life’s been busy.
A short but sweet one from me for November, therefore there’s no ‘Essential 5’ in this post. Lots of songs on repeat but these were my standouts.
I’ll be posting music still but have something different planned for December… (watch this space!)
As always, I really appreciate every visit and read so thanks for being here, and let’s dive in!
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Brilliant psychadelic pop track from Prince’s 1985 ‘Around The World in a Day’ album. Live instruments such as sweeping strings, acoustic guitar strums and Middle Eastern Cymbals form the backdrop whilst Prince’s almost-spoken vocals perform the narrative. Beck’s live cover is included below due to Prince’s copyright associates re-emerging to make his music impossible to find online once again.
Psychaedlic, funky pop track, also from 1985’s ‘Around The World in a Day’. Eeerie, detuned synthesisers howl over a tinny piano sound, fierce percussion and a tight bass line.
Schmalzty, soulful and superb; Prince at his best. Written for then girlfriend (and future wife) Mayte Garcia, this was to amazingly be his only UK Number One single. His vocals are flawless throughout, mainly performed in a stable falsetto but occasionally drifting into a rich baritone.
Prince’s impeccable falsetto vocals drift over futuristic synthesisers, a saxophone and twinkling pianos on this gorgeous slow-jam-influenced jazz ballad. Prince always possessed the ability to straddle various genres of music and this is a reminder of his impeccable ability to do so successfully.
Absolutely stunning ballad which closes his 1986 ‘Parade’ album perfectly. Performed in just one take, it’s beautifully raw – you can hear the squeak of the piano stool, the odd vocal imperfection and the organic sound of a live acoustic guitar and piano. The song has become all the more poignant since his death and is now largely considered by many fans as a eulogy written by the man himself thirty years too early. Lyrically, it covers the death of Christopher Tracey, the main character from Prince’s film ‘Under the Cherry Moon’ and with lyrics such as ‘I used to cry for Tracey cos he was my only friend, those kinda cars don’t pass you everyday’, it truly is beautiful.
One of Prince’s signature tracks, the fantastically rousing ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ is the opening track to Prince’s 1984 album and film of the same name ‘Purple Rain’. Growling guitars and signature 80’s synthesiser shimmers drive this piece of pop heaven.
Seemingly an attempt to mirror the success of earlier guitar-heavy tracks such as ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, ‘Guitar’ is one of Prince’s more underrated album tracks. Taken from 2007’s ‘Planet Earth’, it features an incredible guitar riff which is prominent most of the way through the track.
Widely criticised by many fans and critics alike, many overlook how clever and ahead of its time this song was. Lyrically documenting a loner browsing online for company, it’s somewhat sad yet its funky R&B track and glitchy computer sounds lifts its spirits. Also features the incredible Kate Bush on backing vocals.
Prince always had the ability to make the best slow jams. This is one of his most underrated from 1995’s ‘Emancipation’. Released in the midst of great media interest relating to his battle with his record label, his name change and relationship with Mayte, ‘Somebody’s Somebody’ got somewhat lost as a track in Prince’s discography. Despite this, it’s one of his best; a moody R&B ballad which encapsulates the loneliness of 2am perfectly.
Sometimes there is no need for polished production, excessive instruments, multiple chord changes or multi-layered vocals and this track emphasises this. An absolutely stunning ballad from Prince’s self-titled second album, this track utilises only two chords, created by gentle acoustic guitar strums and twinkling pianos. By its finale, eerie synthesiser sounds creep in to make it way ahead of its time, something else Prince always managed to do in his career.
Not to be taken too seriously, this quirky but brilliantly catchy piano pop track was featured on critically acclaimed “Sign O’ The Times” before being featured in an episode of The Muppets. Simple, sweet and happy.
Clearly proud of this song upon its release, Prince hailed it as the next ‘Purple Rain’. It did not achieve status as one of Prince’s best known but fared relatively well on the charts. It’s a great Pop track with meaningful lyrics and a catchy refrain.
Whilst never appearing on a Prince album (except for a Greatest Hits compilation), ‘She’s Always in My Hair’ became one of Prince’s best-loved songs. A fierce rock and roll track complete with guitars, staccato organs and a great beat.
Another track from both the film and accompanying soundtrack ‘Purple Rain’, this is Prince at his best. Unsettled percussion and multi-layered synthesisers perform its backing track whilst Prince delivers an energetic vocal delivery.
Infectiously catchy disco-stomper; the epitome of 70’s disco music. Taken from second album ‘For You’, it is one of the first Prince tracks to showcase his brilliant falsetto vocals, a trait which would be featured in many of his latest works.
Perhaps Prince’s most underrated song, this gentle pop-rock/country-influenced track was the only single from 1996’s ‘Chaos and Disorder’. The album was released simply to fulfil Prince’s contractual obligations with Warner Brothers in the midst of their infamous feud, yet it contains a strong collection of Prince tracks. The track’s instrumentation is gentle and sweet yet upon closer inspection, the lyrics have a darker and more sexualised tone.
Another brilliant track from the ‘Parade’ album. An introduction of wailing guitars and impatient percussion evolve into a catchy funk-rock track which is based around a piano chord sequence.
A joyful and spiritual single from ‘Lovesexy’. In-keeping with the album’s uplifting, religious tones, ‘I Wish U Heaven’ features elements of rock, pop, dance and gospel. Quirky production elements and Prince’s gorgeous falsetto vocals make this one of his best, yet most underrated works.
Uplifting rock ballad which features New Power Generation member Rosie Gaines sharing vocals with Prince. Unlike a lot of Prince’s work which focussed on lust and sex, this ballad instead refreshingly explores love itself.
Of course, this playlist would not be complete without Prince’s signature track. And what a song this is. It’s easy to classify songs as huge as this as ‘overrated’ but this gorgeous Rock ballad lives up to its reputation as one of the best ballads of all time. Recorded live at a benefit concert, it was later added to in the studio and became the track loved by all today. It was to become a staple of Prince’s live shows, perhaps its most notable moment was at the Super Bowl XLI’s half time show when it was performed during a downpour.
Prince once explained the meaning of “Purple Rain” is as follows: “When there’s blood in the sky – red and blue= purple… purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.”
You may have noticed we are taking a little hiatus here at The Music Box. This is due to work commitments and it is hugely difficult to run a blog alone! Bear with us and we’ll have more content up as soon as we have some time to prepare it!
We just wanted to break our silence to express our shock and sadness over the death of Prince. He was nothing short of a musical genius – blurring boundaries between all genres of music, being one of the most underrated guitarists and vocalists of all time. He was a global icon, incredible songwriter and a true artist; one we will never again see in our lifetime. Similarly to Michael Jackson, he was one of a kind whose career spanned over thirty years, hopping from genre to genre and reinvented himself multiple times, remaining ever-relevant.
We plan to upload much more Prince-themed content when we get a moment but we just wanted to respond at the appropriate time.
Sometimes it Snows in April.
RIP Prince.
Thank you for sharing your gift with us and for being the soundtrack to millions of lives all over the world.
Every so often, an album springs from nowhere to challenge the public’s preconceptions of Pop music. Back in 2014, Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ obliterated existing Pop music and marked the arrival of 80’s influenced electropop with Carly Rae Jepsen successfully following a similar formula a year later. Troye Sivan’s ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is the latest album to do just that.
Whilst still unfamiliar to many, to those he is known by, Troye Sivan is adored. He is certainly a man of many talents. As an actor, he played young James Howlett in X-Men Origins: Wolverine in addition to starring in the Spud film trilogy. He is also a popular YouTuber with over 3.6 million subscribers. He has now turned his attention to singing and songwriting to become the latest music sensation.
‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is a fierce album abundant with squeaky synthesisers, delicate piano chords, intoxicating drops and spectral electro samples. Lyrically, it’s an album of adolescence, heartbreak and affirmation with an emphasis on sexuality.
Lead single ‘Wild’ is a bold album opener with an irresistibly catchy hook performed by a children’s choir. It’s a dramatic dream-pop influenced track which documents infatuation perfectly. The rest of the album follows in similar fashion: eerie vocal clips reverberating infinitely, Sivan’s vulnerable vocals and jittery percussion all forming a perfect electronic sound-scape well-balanced in both heartache and fun.
It’s often an album of contradictions: the solemn lyrical content the antithesis of the fuzzy electro tracks, Sivan’s pensive lyrics at odds with his age and lyrics such as ‘I’m just a lost boy, not ready to be found’ on ‘Lost Boy’. This forms part of the album’s success, however. It’s compelling from start to finish, with the right levels of rise and fall.
Many of its tracks are deceptive in nature, opening as tender piano ballads before evolving into jittery synthpop tracks. ‘Fools’ is a prime example, on which Sivan’s bruised vocals smother gentle piano chords before an electronic hook launches in. ‘Talk Me Down’ also begins softly before transforming into a reverberating and eerie ballad on which the lyrics address homophobia.
‘DKLA’ (Don’t Keep Love Around) opens with stunning eerie strings but evolves into a dark R&B/Trap-influenced track on which Sivan pines that he no longer ‘keeps love around’. It’s far more mature than the rest of the album and one of the highlights on ‘Blue Neighbourbood’.
‘For Him.’ is a more care-free, light-hearted addition to the album featuring staccato piano chords, kicking drum machines and funky guitar riffs. It breaks up the album nicely. Likewise, ‘Cool’ is a buoyant affair with dreamy 80’s-influenced synths, and a catchy, chilled-out Chorus.
One of the album’s stand out moments is ‘Youth’, a bouncy track, which at times is reminiscent of Lorde, with an electrifying hook formed of broken pitch-increased vocal samples. “My youth is yours”, Sivan offers, once again conforming to the naivety present in the rest of the album.
‘Suburbia’ is a fitting finale to the album, a symphonic and fluttery conclusion which, similarly to the album title, addresses compact neighbourhoods and adolescence.
Never has an album captured contemporary Pop so perfectly. It’s emotive and enthralling throughout; a perfect pop album.
‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is available now on EMI/Capitol records.
I was feeling all reflective and thinking about my friendship with somebody and so I decided to write this brief little reflection about this song.
It’s funny how times and feelings change. This song is incredibly personal and it means a lot to me. When I uploaded it, I received some of my best feedback for any of my songs which I am entirely grateful for. I wrote this at around Easter last year, a few months after me and a person I was really close with fell apart. As a sense of closure I wrote this song to deal with the gaping hole that person left.
Our relationship was an odd one. We weren’t a couple or anything but we were two people who were polar opposites and a bit lost for a while who found each other. Being opposite was a small part of what made us so ‘toxic’ and whilst we were in one sense a great comfort to each other, in another we messed each other up a lot. It was a weird time for both of us and despite the way things turned out at the time, I am eternally grateful for that closeness we shared.
When we fell apart I felt both optimistic and lost at the same time. I felt optimistic because as things had become more and more difficult towards the end, I knew now we could be free without each other. But then I felt lost because I’d lost someone I talked to every single day and someone who meant the world to me. In the end I think it was for the best. We needed time out and that was that. The song kinda reflects that – I think musically it’s pretty bright despite it being mid-tempo but the lyrics are darker.
I can’t actually remember the ins and outs of how I wrote this song but I believe it was one that wrote itself in my head if I can remember correctly. Lyrically, I think it’s probably one of my favourites and the song pretty much explains everything.
Earlier this year, in a bizarre turn of events, we both tracked each other down again, both realising we missed each other. Things move on in a year and lots had happened but slowly, we’ve rebuilt all of that friendship we once destructed. I don’t regret what I said through this song but I certainly look at things a different way now, especially after talking to each other about things. It makes me happy knowing things have moved on from this song.
It just goes to show how different everything can look in a year.
1) Kaiser Chiefs – Coming Home
I’ve always respected the Kaisers even if I haven’t been a big fan of their music, though obviously ‘I predict a riot’ and ‘Oh my god’ are classics. I was checking out their latest stuff through being impressed with Ricky Wilson on The Voice UK. This is their latest single and I love it. Really love the melody to the verses. Video’s awesome too.
2) Beverley Knight – After You
I’ve neglected Bev for a while despite her being one of my favourite artists. She’s one of the most underrated singers in the UK by far. Love this track – so catchy and so summery.
3) The 1975 – You
Been obsessed with this on and off since January. I’d always enjoyed this track but the first time I really took notice was hearing it live. I got completely lost in the track which has never happened live before. It’s probably one of the most underrated tracks ever – the sweeping guitars, Matt Healy’s echoing voice and the way it builds up into a heavy ending. It’s so honest and so emotive. I’ve included my favourite live version instead of the studio one because I think it captures more emotion live.
4) Kylie Minogue – Sexy Love
All right, I’m cheating a little as I’ve only heard this for the first time today! But this is catchy as fuck. Reminds me so much of ‘Wow’ – another of my favourite Kylie songs. Awesome track, loving that our princess of pop is back ❤
5) John Mayer – Queen of California
Really, really summery. Perfect for when the sun is out.
6) Kylie Minogue – Into the blue
Great track.
7) Scissor Sisters – Mary
A song largely forgotten about but an incredibly beautiful track. Many compare this to something Elton John would do and that doesn’t discredit the song in the slightest. Apparently Jake Shears wrote this for a friend who had a tough time about her weight. Knowing the meaning makes the song even more meaningful. Love the piano and saxophone on this.
8) George Michael – You’ve changed
The original is a classic of course but I love George’s version which appeared on his 1999 cover album ‘Songs from the last century’. I particularly love the last few seconds where he sings “I miss you” – really gets me!
9) Lenny Kravitz – California
Lenny Kravitz is a musical genius and this is my favourite by him. So damn catchy and I love those harmonies. I’d love to write a song like this!
10) Lawson – Love locked out
Again, SO catchy. Really different to Lawson’s usual stuff but I love the groove to this song.
1) The Blue Nile – The Downtown lights
I’ve loved this song for a while after discovering Annie Lennox’s cover. I love both versions equally and it’s an incredible song. Reminds me of an evening road trip. Very underrated track
2) Keane – She has no time
Been listening to a lot of Keane again recently. Tom Chaplin’s voice is absolutely gorgeous, as is this song. Very beautiful
3) Coldplay – We never change
I’m really addicted to this. I checked out the Parachutes album for the first time last week and have fallen in love with it. This song is just stunning. I really love the lyrics
4) Coldplay – Everything’s not lost
Another gorgeous track off Parachutes.
5) Coldplay – Trouble
Just gorgeous.
6) John Mayer – Speak for me
The melody for the verses is perhaps one of the best I have ever heard. It’s just such a sing-song melody. The gorgeous weather always makes me want to listen to John’s ‘Born and Raised’ and ‘Paradise Valley’ albums as they’re just so chilled out and happy.
7) John Mayer – A face to call home
This begins as another chilled-out country themed track like the rest of the Born & Raised album but in the last minute or so, it turns into a very Coldplay-inspired track. Love the lyrics to this.
8) Disclosure – F for you
Love Disclosure so much. Add a bit of Mary J Blige and a masterpiece is created. Awesome track.
9) The 1975 – What makes you beautiful
I’m a big fan of the original too but The 1975 completely turned the track on its head and created something very beautiful.
10) Prince – Wherever u go, whatever u do
Very generic for a Prince song, I’ve seen these chords in many other pop tracks but I just think it’s a really sweet song.
*Can’t link this because it’s not on YouTube*
I’m proud to share with you all my first Christmas song I’ve ever written! I’ve been trying to write one for the last five years but with no success. This year I decided to go about it a different way. I read Slade wrote ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ using random melodies and chords they’d not been able to use previously. So I took two basic song ideas I’d saved in my phone (some dating back to almost two years ago) and created this song. It’s untitled because I don’t quite know what to call it yet 🙂
I don’t have any decent means of recording anymore so please excuse the quality. My voice is also terrible – it’s bad enough normally but I currently have a cold so it’s a little croaky and stuff. I’m not a singer though! I hope you enjoy and let me know if you like it :’)
LISTEN HERE: http://yourlisten.com/MarcyB0y/christmas
LYRICS:
All festive spirit’s up, all bad feeling must come down
And forgiveness and love are feelings that are found
This once a year where dizzy highs lift us off the ground
In this festive season when the sleigh bells sound
Look around
CHORUS (la, la, la, la, la, la) What is your resistance for? (la, la, la, la, la, la) Make love not war (la, la, la, la, la, la) What else is Christmas for?
Stars are shining bright, all spirits light the night
When love illuminates, the world’s a pretty sight
A time for loving and living, a season for giving
A time to make amends, to make two wrongs a right
CHORUS
(la, la, la, la, la, la) What is your resistance for? (la, la, la, la, la, la) Make love not war (la, la, la, la, la, la) What else is Christmas for?
MIDDLE EIGHT
Shine your Christmas light
Peace on earth, time to unite
The room’s full of smiles and worry’s free from our minds
It’s a chance to leave this year behind
CHORUS (la, la, la, la, la, la) What is your resistance for? (la, la, la, la, la, la) Make love not war (la, la, la, la, la, la) What else is Christmas for?
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