The Cigar’s playlist of January 2021 must-listen music. Photo by Kayla Laguerre-Lewis.
The new year opened with some super impressive music releases, so here are some of my favorites from the past month.
The newly-acclaimed teenage artist Olivia Rodrigo stunned the globe with her single “drivers license,” reaching No.1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Rodrigo originally made her claim to fame via Disney’s reboot series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Her single, allegedly suggesting an unsuccessful romance with co-star Joshua Bassett, is lyrically and musically extraordinary. While listening to “drivers license,” you truly feel the heartache that Rodrigo writes about. The subtle beats and complex harmonies throughout the track adds even more emotion to the song’s intimate storyline. Rodrigo is turning into this year’s most praised musician thanks to the support of her TikTok stans and notable celebrities including Taylor Swift. I’m definitely hopeful for an album release by Rodrigo in the coming months.
Indie-pop band Beach Bunny released their EP “Blame Game” on January 15, making it their fifth mini-album. I had never heard of Beach Bunny before their popular song “Prom Queen” hit the internet in 2019, but ever since then, I’ve been a huge fan of their music. “Blame Game” embodies their lively sound and gives new meaning to powerful femininity. Lyricist and lead singer Lili Trifilio opens up about the misogyny faced by female artists in the title track and hypes up women everywhere with her independent attitude. All four tracks have addicting guitar leads and show an appreciation for the rock genre that is hard to find among mainstream pop groups. I would have to choose “Love Sick” as my favorite song from this EP; it’s that kind of tune where you can’t help but say “Alexa, turn it up” when it comes on, but that goes for all of them. “Love Sick” has a hooking drum line with just enough background vocals to fill the higher harmonies. I can see Beach Bunny becoming my default car ride artist for quite some time.
Pinegrove’s newest soundtrack “Amperland, NY” is made up of 21 re-recorded songs to accompany their debut feature length film under the same title. Although this album does not feature any new songs, the revamped arrangements create a distinct work of art. Each track is entirely redesigned from the original recordings, and I can’t get enough of it. Vocalist Evan Stephens Hall has compelling articulation through and through. His tone is so unique and compliments the added twang on each track. Hearing the altered versions of each song made me find new messages in each lyric, so this collection is a very unique listening experience.
It’s so difficult for me to choose just one favorite from this album, but I’ll have to pick “Peeling Off the Bark (Amperland, NY).” Compared to the original, it’s more of an acoustic take, yet they still maintain intriguing harmonies and instrumentation. I love how this song builds from beginning to end and adds to the album’s riveting storyline.
Australian singer and songwriter Jarryd James released his second studio album entitled “P.M.” later in the month. The execution of this album deserves all the praise. James’ beats, vocals and accompaniment are polished to near perfection. His R&B influence reminds me of Frank Ocean’s seductive and captivating style. Somehow, this album is uptempo and downtempo all at once. You could use “P.M.” as an addition to your chill playlists, or dance around the kitchen to each song, and feel equally as satisfied. I’m a particular fan of track six, “Different Language,” which features several octaves of layered vocals and a funk-inspired chord progression. The bass line takes the crown in this song, especially with the feature towards the bridge.
Check out some more of my favorite January releases over at The Good Five Cent Cigar Spotify account, Our Five Cents along with the podcast of the same name.