Hey everybody!
I’m back, with another ‘round of Beats n’ Stuff playlists for you all to enjoy and uncover your as-of-yet undiscovered new favorite artists. For those unfamiliar, Beats n’ Stuff is a bi-weekly playlist and blog around a central theme, with a typically-five-song-long SoundCloud playlist residing by its side. I switched up the logo for the new semester, opting for a Vib-Ribbon-inspired getup. Anyways, this week’s theme is pretty obvious: Valentine’s Day.
For my Valentine’s playlist ♡ heart-shaped box ♡, I’ve curated a six-track playlist with songs about being in love. Be it frolicking through Golden Gate Park with your significant other, or curling up with a sitcom that’s been with you during the toughest of times. Being in love isn’t strictly romantic, in my opinion, so I hope this playlist isn’t a downer for those without partners to call their own.
My plans for Valentine’s Day involve hanging out with my boyfriend, ordering pizza, and probably playing a bunch of Towerfall Ascension. For everyone else’s plans, good luck braving restaurants, couple-y activities, or avoiding such things.
Alas, Happy Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or Me-entine’s everybody! Enjoy the playlist~
1.) “Give Love” by Akdong Musician (AKMU)
I’ve featured YG Entertainment’s Akdong Musician in the past, but their music is impossible to ignore whenever a theme calls to it. Arguably the cutest K-Pop duo in the world, AKMU’s sunny springtime sound is perfect for the sunniness that is Valentine’s Day.
Recommended if you like: Insanely talented 15-year-olds
2.) “Prom Night feat. Bianca Raquel” by Anamanaguchi
Anamanaguchi were once-upon-a-time a chiptune band, but have since evolved into so much more. Now more of an electro-pop outfit, Anamanaguchi’s updated remix of their own track “Prom Night,” from 2013’s successfully Kickstarted full-length Endless Fantasy. “Prom Night” is a love letter to teenage love for 20-somethings, and is damn fun to sing along to. The remix is just as delightful as the original track.
Recommended if you like: Chiptune-esque pop
3.) “First Love” by Uffie
Uffie is probably the coolest girl in electronic music, even four years past her only album, an indefinite hiatus, and two kids later. The Ed Banger records’ muse has collaborated with virtually every artist on the French label, before culminating her own record, Sex Dreams and Denim Dreams. Cheeky references to Myspace (yes, it was that long ago) and playing saxophone plague her debut album, but one of my personal favorite tracks is “First Love,” a momentarily quiet track on the record produced by Mr. Oizo.
Recommended if you like: Myspace profile songs
4.) “Under Your Spell” by Desire
Did you watch Drive? Yeah? That soundtrack sure was somethin’, huh?
Recommended if you like: Drive
5.) “Something About Us” by Daft Punk
“Something About Us” and “Digital Love” are two of the greatest love songs ever made, and they both exist thanks to legendary French electronic music duo Daft Punk. Okay, maybe “the greatest” is too high of a compliment, but at the very least, Daft Punk’s Discovery is in all actuality the greatest electronic album of all-time, which counts for something. “Something About Us” is sweet and mellow, contrasting some of the heavy dance-y House tracks on the album, but somehow not messing up the flow of Discovery whatsoever.
Recommended if you like: Songs that you could probably dance to at your wedding
6.) “Bound 2” by Kanye West
Kanye’s ode to Kim Kardashian is a shockingly sweet and genuine one, given the anger that resonates through the rest of Yeezus, and the media’s perception of the two celebrities. “Bound 2” is a middle finger to everyone that’s accused Kanye of only superficially loving Kim, and vice versa, and I think as an end to an album filled with anger and grievance, it shows that through love, Kanye sees a light at the end of the tunnel. If that’s not good tracklist construction, then I don’t know what is.
Recommended if you like: Kanye, Kim, and their adorable child
