One of the most prominent and influential sounds in American music has been soul. It’s been a mainstay in the hearts of listeners for decades now. Soul has a place in most people’s daily listening, whether it’s classic ballads from the Motown era, 80s R&B from Prince or Michael Jackson, or more contemporary soul with modern hip-hop/R&B styling from Frank Ocean or Silk Sonic. Even if you don’t consider yourself someone who listens to very much soul, it’s a style that’s influenced everything in terms of how musicians lay out rhythms and melodies or how vocalists approach more (ahem) soulful singing styles.
This playlist from Imperfect Fifth is a well-curated collection of modern soul from about the past 15 years. It includes soothing soft ballads with light orchestrations, mid-tempo funk with some swinging rap-inspired grooves, or more emotional songs dripping with passion and sentimentality. A lot of it contains modern songs that try to capture the atmosphere and production that classic soul music has, while some of it tries to update it with more contemporary sounds.
Either way, they’re all quality tracks with something unique to offer, featuring songs from artists like Childish Gambino, Steve Lacy, and Leon Bridges. You can check out the playlist in the early morning as the sun is rising, a lazy Sunday while snuggled in bed, or just any moment you want to feel calm and carefree. It’s an easygoing listen of 30 songs that demand nothing but your purest content.
June is only a little over halfway done, which means it’s still pride month! And with pride comes a lot of dance music, though why wouldn’t it? The amount of queer history embedded in the development of disco, house, and techno has made countless members of the LGBT community into dance music legends. This includes gay performers like the Pet Shop Boys and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, influential producers like Larry Levan and Arthur Russell, and straight but strong allies like Madonna and Donna Summer. All of them, in one form or another, have songs on this playlist.
In a sense, this is a soundtrack that takes you through a chronologically ordered musical history lesson of 70s dancefloor diva disco, cult classic 80s Hi-NRG, and early 90s house tunes. It ranges from songs your middle-aged mother will belt out while doing the dishes or obscure euro-disco that no one else but me knows but I want to force in somewhere. (It’s all great, trust me.) With nu-disco such a prominent sound in 2020s pop music, it’s important to honor the marginalized community and queer icons that created the genre. All 35 of the songs in this decade-spanning playlist are still endlessly joyful and worth checking out.
Loveless invites us into a mesmerizing realm of music where genres blend and emotions soar. With harmonies that tug at heartstrings and lyrics that paint vivid stories, Loveless is a captivating musical journey we cannot miss.
“Drag Me Down,” Loveless’s latest single, takes us on a rollercoaster ride of aspirations and self-discovery, all set to a catchy and upbeat melody. Picture this: a wannabe movie star trying to strut their stuff, hoping to be the next big thing on the silver screen. They’re dreaming big, just like the heroes who always save the day, but they’re also facing some unexpected plot twists.
As the song plays on, our protagonist starts to realize that being a hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The chorus shouts out “Drag me down with you,” a battle cry against those pesky challenges that try to spoil the fun. It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, I won’t let life rain on my parade!”
And just when you think things are settling down, the song throws a curveball with lines like “The fear of dying alone / Doesn’t hurt half as much / As the feeling of letting it go / After one last touch.” It’s a mix of deep thoughts and lively beats, keeping us grooving while pondering life’s twists and turns.
So, kick back, imagine yourself in a movie montage, and let “Drag Me Down” be your anthem of resilience and the pursuit of dreams, all wrapped up in a toe-tapping, head-bobbing package.
LOVELESS WORLD TOUR DATES 8/17 Sydney, AUS Metro Theatre 8/18 Brisbane, AUS Triffid 8/20 Melbourne, Aus 170 Russell 9/16 Paris, FR Trabendo 9/18 Amsterdam, NL Melkweg OZ – SOLD OUT 9/20 Berlin, DE Columbia Theater – UPGRADED 9/21 Hamburg, DE Reeperbahn Festival 9/23 Brussels, BE AB Club – SOLD OUT 9/25 Cardiff, UK Tramshed – UPGRADED 9/26 London, UK Electric Ballroom 9/29 Birmingham, UK O2 Institute 2 – SOLD OUT 9/30 Manchester, UK Academy 2 – UPGRADED & SOLD OUT 10/1 Glasgow, UK Garage – UPGRADED 10/3 Dublin, IE Academy Green Room
It’s been a while since we released a soundtrack feature, especially one of our own curation. But life got in the way. Incredible opportunities career-wise for our contributors, big moves, personal setbacks, and more fed into the distance we felt growing between us and the music. But music is our source of wellness and joy. It inspires us. It gets us moving to a rhythm that sustains our productivity. And we thrive in its presence.
So we are BACK with a vengeance… and a bangin’ new June soundtrack feature, featuring all of the new tracks that bring us joy. New sounds are brought to you by artists like Amaara, The Japanese House, Zolita, and more. Check back all June long for new additions, and keep your eyes peeled for more movement and newness at ImperfectFifth.com!
…And you all thought we were going to get out of our SXSW 2022 coverage without a playlist featuring all of the artists we were excited to discover at the festival this year. Nope! We hit the pavement listening for incredible acts, and got a lot of international artists on our list for up-and-coming greatness. Check out our playlist below, and let us know what SXSW artists you’d like us to add in for some more listening pleasure!
Riley Owens just released his newest single, “Camino!” From the composition of the music to the lyrics of the song, every aspect of this single mixes perfectly together!
The guitar in the back of this track is amazing. It really adds something extra special to the already lyrically enriched song. Not only do the lyrics fit perfectly with the sound of the song, but his voice is the perfect match for all of the above. Overall, the quality of the song is amazing. It makes you feel like you are sitting on a beach somewhere. It has a relaxing and almost soothing sound, and I definitely believe that the guitar in the background adds to that feeling.
The song being about an abrupt end to a new relationship, but still giving it this rather soothing vibe, is actually brilliant and I really like that! The song is almost like a warm blanket that is making you feel better during a hard time, such as a breakup, instead of making you feel angry and riled up.
Everyone should definitely be keeping an eye out for Riley Owens and his upcoming music. From his voice to his lyricism, he is a force to be reckoned with on his music journey!
September is already halfway over. Don’t ask us how it happened, we feel like we blinked and the month is already gone. However, the level of talent in the music industry just. Doesn’t. Quit. With so many incredible project releases on the horizon toward the end of the year, we’re raking in the single releases like crazy. Here are a few of our favorites.
Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Chianne focuses on conscious pop music to uplift the listener’s soul. This mission is especially palpable in tracks like her new release, “Truly Free.” With a big, anthemic presence, the song itself feels like a big love ballad. And it is, as at the end of the day the song is about loving yourself, and coming into situations as you are, to be accepted fully in that way.
“I hope this song inspires you to always be true to yourself, truly free to be you and to freely express yourself, stay firm and committed, trust yourself and walk the path of your dreams, guided by your heart and intuition, despite what others may say or think of you,” implores Chianne.
For years now, we have been bringing you the best and most invigorating new music each month in a playlist of sorts. Our soundtrack features are perfect to pull from when your friends ask you for new music suggestions, or when you want to surprise and delight guests at functions you may be hosting or planning. Though the pandemic put a lot of gathering on pause – and continues to, as new shutdowns are announced with a round of variants – we found such strength in submissions this month. These songs are perfect to make you feel more connected to the world, no matter the circumstance.
We’ve got a range of tracks this month from artists like Charlie Parr, Young Mister, Zero Trust, Santana, CHVRCHES, and more. So dive in – like you’re cannonballing with wreckless abandon into warm waters. We’ve got you.
