we haven’t done one of these in a while…
i am a huge,
no gigantic,
music junkie.
i’m starting to think music is my addiction.
when i’m going through it,
i run to good music.
you’ll know i’m sad or stressed if i’m playing this…
this song that has gotten more than a few repeats:
i found this artist by accident.
my friend,
at the time,
brought the album in my car.
we were going to a dinner party and i was already in a bad place in life.
i don’t know if it was the heavy rain or what,
but i damn near had her album hostage for weeks.
i had to buy her a new copy lol
music has a way of getting us through issues.
they say music soothes the savage beast.
sometimes you need to get a glass of wine,
some weed,
sit on ya bed or couch,
and just listen.
it could be anything.
some albums touch your soul more than others.
some you just relate to what the artist is sharing with the listener.
no judgements here.
so i had to ask:
What album(s) do you listen to when you are going THROUGH IT?
Bittersweet by Fantasia and Jill Scott’s My Love are helping me weather my current breakup.Anything by Erykah Badu works the bill too. For a pick me up old school rap or go go.
I’ll pop in some compilation cd (they’re always on sale everywhere) and won’t look at the tracklist. I just go by the genre and when a random song I haven’t heard in a while comes on, I get up and start twerkin for Jesus.
That usually gets me out of a funk
I literally have so many songs on my iPod that I really have not listen to a album all the way through in years. I have different songs that help me through different moods. When someone dies and Im feeling sad, I take the old school route and have to listen to the classic gospel recording of all time-Ms. Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace, especially a song called Mary Dont You Weep, that song can always comfort me. Also I listen to Mary J. Blige “Missing You and Tracy Chapman song call “The Promise” and when Im missing my parents, Jaheim has this song called “Back Together Again” man that song makes me cry and smile at the same time. I dont like many new school artist, but I can listen to Jaheim day and night, this dude has me like a little school girl with a crush, I absolutely love him and his voice. Erykah Badu song “Orange Moon is one of my absolutely favorite songs of all time and can put me in a calm mood whenever I hear it and helps me to de-stress. Anything by Queen of Soul Aretha, or the First Lady of Song Ella Fitzgerald can help me through rough patches. Fantasia, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross, Tamia,Syleena Johnson,Faith Evans,Mary J,Isaac Hayes,Shirley Brown,John Legend,Brandy,Gospel Singers Lecretia Campbell,Karen Clark,Vanessa Bell-Armstrong,Donald Lawrence are all in heavy rotation on my Ipod as well as many others to help me through the storms and trials of life. I could not even imagine getting through this life without my music.
when I’m sad or angry, I only listen to gospel.
I’m not hyper-religious, but it’s the only thing that takes me out of the negative space.
Then I watch a porno, beat off, and sleep the bad energy away.
Brandy’s Never Say Never and Full Moon anytime I feel down I play those 2 on repeat. Also Toni Braxton’s Secrets help out alot. Never Say Never helped me get over my first love which was very traumatic.
I have a question for you guys. Why do y’all listen to sad music when you are sad? I don’t get it. Doesn’t it make matters worse?
^this is actually a good question.
i can’t speak for anyone else,
but when I’m sad I want to listen to something to help me process my thoughts better.
r&b albums has a habit of taking you through different emotions.
when im are miserable,
i want to listen to something that will keep me company in my sadness.
someone who is also in pain.
hiphop gets me too aggressive so I listen to that when I’m stressed or need a “take over the world” attitude.
Dag….That’s a very good question, sir! And, sadly, I have no answer to it (lol) but just a few thoughts. Well, for me at least, sad songs are some sort of therapy that acknowledges pain is real and that others have gone through similar situations (as corny as that may sound).
On the one hand, I think the depressing music can make you more sad if you get consumed by it. On the other hand, it’s something about hearing a person sing/talk openly about an experience you can relate to.that provides me with some sort of comfort. Plus, you don’t have to talk back to the music….the song/person just sings to you.
^!!!!!
good breakdown.
honorable mention: the waiting to exhale soundtrack.
why come i put on “hurts like hell” from aretha and cried through that entire song the other day LOL
i was like well damn LOL
music is powerful when you are going through a trial.
x the waiting to exhale soundtrack
damnnnnn….yea, i forgot about that soundtrack. I mean, you had no choice but to feel Aretha on that song!
While Aretha wins the heart ache crown for that soundtrack, Patti Labelle wins with the love crown on this sound track. That jam “My Love, Sweet Love” makes me wanna get in a relationship hahaha.
Mariah Carey’s entire ‘Butterfly’ album, best tracks, “the roof” “breakdown” “butterfly” and “my all”
Mariah’s entire emancipation of Mimi, fab track, “stay the night”
Janet’s “the velvet rope” tracks “what about” “I get lonely”
Marvin & Tammy’s duets
Mary’s first six albums lol
Many Mary J Blige. albums, but her My Life album is a masterpiece. I remember having My Life on repeat when I was going through it.
Micheal and Janet Jackson. I’m a huge Janet and Micheal Jackson fan.
Beyoncè’s albums, Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black”, Adele’s 21, Frank Ocean’s “Channel Orange & Nostaligia”, Miles Davis, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Jonelle Monae, The Roots, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Bebe & Cece Winans….just to name a few. (I can so this all day. lol)
Trey Songz, Chris Brown, Sade, Anita Baker, Tank, Ginuwine, Tyrese, Jodeci, Boyz II Men, Shai….put me in the mood for sex/freak session or just to chill out and vibe. (I can go on and on with this list also. lol)
I’m also I GIGANTIC music junkie so music is my safe haven. I don’t know where I’ll be without it honestly.
When I’m going through it, I always go to my trusty Mary J. Blige My Life album…. There’s so many emotional connections that I have to that album…. I’m also known to go to the b-side of my Amy winehouse Frank and Back to Black albums
Mariah Carey Emancipation of Mimi…Circles when I’m feel blah, Say Something, Shake it off, I wish you knew, and Fly like a bird to get me through that rough spot…for my chill night of wine and dinner and maybe a movie, ms. badu, before window seat, and jill scott, so gone is a really hot track…so many others and of course Beyonce’ before this 4 album mess…
^when that album came out,
i was really finding myself.
i was getting use to this idea of dealing with wolves plus y insecurities.
i must have listened to that album every day that the mp3 must be scratched..
i have every unreleased track and remix from that album.
that erykah album with window seat is perfection.
lately,
i been listening to xscape’s “traces of my lipstick”.
that is a well put together r&b album.
^you guys gotta check out anita bakers albums too.
eminem’s last album,
recovery,
helped me deal with my last job and after I got fired.
I’m like McDonald’s ba da da daaaaa lovin’ it. Beautiful albums. All I need is clean chiseled and a disease free wolf…sigh
Beyonce makes me feel like a true bad ass that I am really am. Same with Tina Turner. Beyonce reminds me of her.
Michael/Janet Jackson does it for me.
Destiny’s Child ‘Survivor’ is my song…it reminds me how far I have come and that I survived and I am surviving.
Anything by Sade or Stacy Barthe gets me through the blues..
I listen to a lot of Gospel music when I need to connect with God. The Clark Sisters, Mary Mary, Yolanda Clark, Judith Mcallister , Beverly Crawford, Kim Burrell just to name a few..
Dawn Richard’s last album is REALLY good.
Some bad ass Rihanna gets me through it too…
Too much to name..
^mary mary has a song called “yesterday” that has been my “get myself together” repeat only track.
kirk franklin’s “hello fear” album is absolutely amazing.
everyone should check that out for your gospel collection!
Def feel you on the music part, Jamari! Whatever song I seem to play dictates my mood or reflects my current position in life. I can even listen to a song and it brings up memories.Here are my three:
Lauryn Hill’s Unplugged CD. Especially, the track, “I gotta find peace of mind.” Yea, really crazy song that has pulled me through.
On a completely different note, Jay-Z’s “Regrets” on ‘Reasonable Doubt’ has helped me out a great deal.
“I miss you.” The Frank Ocean live version and not the Beyonce version. Yea….crazy songs
^regrets!!!!
def bust out the jay when im feeling stressed.
i love reasonable doubt.
my all time favorite album from him.
Your not the man by Sade
Yesssssss!!!!!!!
I know this will probably have the foxhole laugh at me but Oops I Did It Again by Britney Spears cheers me up. I didn’t like Britney before but I stumbled on that album and I really liked it. I would never admit this in public loooooooooool
She has a track on that album called Where Are You Now yo that song is smooth and helped me get over this nigga that played me.
^listen there is nothin wrong with britney.
I’m laughing at you dude. 😛 I’m joking. it ain’t nothing to be embarrassed about. I listen to a lot of Beyonce so you know..