The Next Move is a collection of songs that I’ve recently enjoyed. The playlist’s title comes from Ange Postecoglou, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, who advised the Coys to always think of their next move during preseason.
Listen to the playlist here.
Recently, a man I know passed away. His favourite group was Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, is also my mother’s favourite artist – or at least in her top 5. I’ve listened to a decent amount of his stuff, with Nebraska being his standout album for me. However, “The Promised Land,” from Darkness on the Edge of Town, showcases Springsteen’s poetic songwriting. It also maintains a hearty rhythm with lots of E Street Band staples like a saxophone solo from Clarence Clemons and backing vocals from Steven Van Zandt.
Chappell Roan is a new artist and a bit of an “it” girl, along with women like Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. She released an album last year, which was ignored by some critics, but, lately, that album has begun to pick up traction. “Good Luck, Babe!,” her latest single from 2024, reminds me of ’80s pop artists like Cyndi Lauper and Cher, but with tight, modern production.
I find so much new music through social media. Along with TikToks, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts came the feature of syncing songs to videos. This caused app users to include their inspiring song of the moment in their latest video. Old songs have benefited, as people have really dug some gems out of the crates. Recently discovered was a song from my childhood, “Pump Up the Jam.” Listening to this song makes me feel like I’m about to go play shooting guard for the ’96 Bulls. Meanwhile, rediscovered songs like “Eyes Without a Face” and “Murder on the Dance Floor” satisfy my passion for ’80s synthesizer. Even modern musicians, like Mitski and Tommy Richman, are finding extra popularity due to this relatively new development on social media. Indeed, Mr. Richman might not have a career without it.
Eminem has returned, as should not be too surprising, considering he’s more consistent with releasing music than he may give himself credit for. “Brand New Dance,” from his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) is a song that he originally wrote during the Encore sessions in 2004. This is unsurprising, when lyrics seem noticeably changed, as Kim Jong and Saddam are interchangeable when it comes to who is “screaming he gonna drop the bomb.” The song has a Slick Rick-inspired flow and revolves around a new dance craze inspired by Christopher Reeve, the actor who played Superman but was later paralyzed after falling off a horse. In a video for Complex, Eminem interviews his Slim Shady persona and the two discuss the hilarity of Mr. Reeve’s situation. Somewhat surprisingly, yesterday, I saw a trailer for a coming-soon documentary: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
For those that stay until the end, the playlist is capped off by two heavy metal songs. I’m relatively new to The Downward Spiral, the famous Nine Inch Nails album, but “Heresy” is a standout track for me. I’m not sure if it’s the glitchy beat, the distorted vocals or the tortured tone, but I find the song palatable and rhythmic. Slayer’s “Angel of Death” is considered the “heaviest” song of all time, so I thought I’d share it with you – so you know just how heavy it can get. It is pure adrenaline and brutally terrifying. Vocalist Tom Araya sounds like he is on the verge of combusting into flames as he screams about the horrors of the Holocaust.
And that’s the playlist. I hope you enjoy it and find some new songs or artists that you’ve never heard before. I hope all is well and I wish you all the best.
Listen to the playlist here.