For the first time ever, this week I’m bringing you a song recommended to me by my son.
This makes me feel a few things. First, I feel my age. When I started this blog, he was negative 5 years old (he was born in week 244).
Also, I feel out of touch with music. This is hard to believe given the amount of digging I do, but the fact that this song flew under my radar for five years while amassing a billion streams on Spotify…well, I guess no matter how firmly I keep my ear to the ground, I’m bound to miss things as the ground shifts.
But more than anything I feel happy. No- bittersweet. No, wait, nostalgic.
Maybe the sheer volume of emotions this song can spark gives a hint of why it’s been so successful.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. The core sample – a lyric from Beabadoobee’s “Coffee” – is a looped guitar and vocal about caring for someone who’s tired. The diminished fifths on the guitar add to the lyrical sweetness.
2. Powfu’s own lyrics were written from the POV of a person on their death bed, expressing regret that they won’t be able to fulfill their partner’s dreams. It’s heartbreaking, but most heartbreaking of all is the hint of acceptance in the doomed person’s voice.
3. The “lofi beats over a folk sample” aesthetic is the perfect cure for a specific type of sadness- see week 459 for details.
Recommended listening activity:
Making two cups of coffee even if you have nobody to share them with.