Welcome to Volume I of my Weekly Flow recap!
A little bit about me… I’ve become more of a ‘full album listener’ over the past year or so, whereas before I would happen to come across one or two songs and never investigate further. And prior to this week, I’ve been in a bit of a music drought. Nothing was really speaking to me. I was tired of listening to pretty much everything. But, this week was a good week. Something about discovering new music is so fulfilling and seriously makes life worth living again. Thankfully, I gave many albums a listen, and lots of new music has blessed my ears. So let’s get started!
ALBUMS
ORQUÍDEAS
Although this album came out at the start of 2024, I just now listened to it this month. Another fantastic project from Miss Uchis. From the first song on the first listen, I knew this was going to be in my rotation. It is in Spanish, which I don’t mind at all and actually enjoy, but the beats on this album are so dynamic. Kali does great on a house beat, which was definitely infused on some songs here, but I also appreciated the more “traditional” Latin and Spanish vibes that were integrated on some of the later songs, like ‘Muñekita” and ‘Dame Beso // Muévete’. 9/10 album for me. Her last album, Red Moon in Venus, was in my Top 5 most listened last year and is a no-skip album for me, so it is difficult to top that!
5 songs from this album landed on my Weekly Flow this week,
1. ¿Cómo Así?
2. Me Pongo Loca
3. Diosa
4. Muñekita
5. Dame Beso // Muévete
FOUNTAIN BABY
I stumbled upon Amaarae while giving some of Spotify’s Recommended Songs a listen, and listennn – I’m glad I did. Fountain Baby is everything that I needed last summer and more. If I had known about this upon its launch in June 2023, I would have been unstoppable. Such a fun-house-vibey-for-the-girls album. I didn’t even realize that she was behind the legendary ‘SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY’!! I hope to see her grow and become more popular. I would love to hear her and Kaytranada on a track together in the future too.
3 songs from this album made it on my Flow this week:
1. ‘Sex, Violence, Suicide’
Immediately caught my attention. The first 2 minutes of the song are giving chill vibes, nice guitar, and then the last minute goes offff. It gives punk, angsty teen vibes. I imagine this song being in a coming of age movie. So good, need to hear this at the club this summer. And someone get this on a movie or TV show soundtrack!
2. ‘Co-Star’
Again, beautiful beat and musicality on this song. I’m not a huge lyrics-listener when I listen to music, so I’m usually attracted to songs that are dynamic, but the lyrics here actually caught my attention too. It’s kind of giving a tranquil afro-beats type beat. And then on top of that, it’s a fun little song about astrology and the signs which is really on brand for me. Fun music for the girls, gays and theys!!
3. ‘Princess Going Digital’
This was the song that I first heard, and that essentially, put me on to this album. Again, I was really feeling some vibey-afro-beat influence on this track. I knew there was potential here and I was intrigued by the beat. I frequently find myself humming this song, even though I don’t really know or pay close attention to what she is saying, other than wanting to be taken out the streets! Real.
Overall, 10/10 album for me. There are some other songs on this album that I really enjoy, but didn’t want to flood my entire playlist this week with the entire album. Tons of influences from other genres of music on this project, which I am a fan of and felt were very well done.
FINE HO STAY
I’ve been a Flo Milli fan since the beginning, so I tend to give her new projects at least one listen. I don’t listen to hip-hop/rap nearly as often as alternative R&B, so… keep that in mind. Two songs stuck out to me enough to make it on my Flow this week. I also gave the ‘Never Lose Me‘ remix with SZA and Cardi B a listen.. Let’s just say, I wish Cardi weren’t on it and SZA had more/longer verses.
1. ‘Understand’
There’s something about the first track on an album that really sticks out to me… From the jump the tone was set, and I was really enjoying the energy. A good addition to my getting ready playlist.
2. ‘Neva (feat. Monaleo)’
I fw the beat on this one and I really enjoy Monaleo’s flow on songs, so I was immediately impressed by this on first listen. A good ‘feel good’ song for getting ready, or pregaming. But that’s about it.
LARGER THAN LIFE
When I first gave this a listen in 2023 I was NOT fw it at all. No shade to Coco Jones, but I was so turned off by her feature on ‘Moment of Your Life‘ that it tainted the rest of the album for me. And the skits between the songs? Pass. But that’s ok! Listen to music, especially new projects, when you feel like it and when you’re in a space to receive it. Hence me revisiting it this year 😀
1. ‘Forever Yours’
I like the beat on this one… I want to hear this in the car, in the summer, with the windows down, while the sun is setting. Those are the vibes I’m getting, and prefer to get out of the music I listen to.
2. ‘Best Time’
Same as the previous song for this one. Great beat on this. Oh, and, “all the pretty girls want to be gay” — I laughed at that lyric lol.
SINGLES
OXFORD CIRCUS
S/O to the Recommended Songs section for this one as we’re throwing it all the way back to 2022. This song is new to me, and gives very chill, low-fi vibes. I enjoy music that is very mellow to my ears in a soft-pop, chill R&B style. The majority of my most listened to music tends to be on the same note as this. Great song for background music, while you’re working, at a coffee shop, chatting with a date. Very multi-purpose music. I’ve never heard of Frex prior to this song, and I can’t necessarily say that I will be investigating to hear other songs by this artist at the moment. I’ve been drawn to London creatives across style and media, and now unintentionally vibing with this song too.. maybe it’s a sign.
VALENTINA
Ok. WHO is Valentina and where can I learn more about this person? lol. This is the second song about a ‘Valentina’, re: Daniel Caesar’s song, and I find it an odd convenience. I have never even met one Valentina in my lifetime, and I don’t find it to be a common name… need to know more about this. Maybe I need to find some Valentina’s to add to my life the way these people are singing about her! Anyways, this song is so beautiful. The airy vocals, the instrumentals. So soft and gentle yet I still could listen to this at full volume, just to really take it all in. My only gripe, is the single artwork…. go girl give us nothing!
Definitely check out @dreamerisioma on Instagram. They are from Chicago and have the new-wave-alt POC movement style. Their aesthetic is refreshingly different, creative, and expressive.
HELL N BACK (FEAT. SUMMER WALKER)
I really enjoyed this song when it first came out, sans Summer Walker. I didn’t actually know it was sang by a Black man, until this version came out. I was pleasantly surprised! I was also not expecting Summer Walker to hop on this, but when I came across it I knewwww it was going to be fire. Summer Walker sounds so good on this, while almost influencing a bit of some folk vibes in her voice. It felt a bit different for her, yet also taps into her prime of R&B, like back in her ‘CLEAR‘ era. Love to see (and hear) it.
THE GLADE
Not to be repetitive, but this song is also… beautiful. Daniel Caesar has a feature on this and it is nothing short of angelic. I know Daniel Caesar was cancelled by the general public after some anti-black comments in 2019, but he has really been producing some of his best music recently, imo. This is going to have to be an instance where I separate the artist from the music and keep it pushing – let’s normalize that!
Anyway, as soon as I heard the first few seconds of this song it was an immediate add. Right up my alley, plus some neo-soul vibes in this song as well. Very well done. I love when artists and musicians are able to produce music, not just lyrics, that actually sound expressive and of immense feeling. Turns out this song was a single from Sean Leon’s album ‘IN LOVING MEMORY‘, which I have not yet heard, but I am very interested in giving it a listen after hearing this. Just might see that album appear next week!
Stay tuned for next week’s flow! Happy listening ❤
THE IDENTITY CRISIS 