And just like that, fall break is upon us.
Whether you’re headed home, on a trip with your friends or planning on staying at school and exploring Nashville, new music is a tried and true way to pass travel time. If you haven’t checked out the Billboard Top 200 recent No. 1 albums, Lil Wayne’s highly anticipated Tha Carter V or Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born (hey, different strokes for different folks), give those a listen for the first leg of the trip.
If you’re already on trend and don’t need to play catch up, Ella Mai, singer of the Stevie Wonder endorsed hit “Boo’d Up” came out with her first LP just last week. It’s a great mix of R&B throwback feels and new, vibrant beats that command a head nod and several replays. Veteran big names in the game, John Legend and Chris Brown, are featured on the album, as well as the rising star, H.E.R., who performed at Vanderbilt last year.
Another option is also just putting Masego’s Lady, Lady on repeat if you find yourself in the market for an album full of sultry sonic pinks and red wine lullaby hues. It came out in early September and deserves a shout out now not only because it’s a knockout, but because it’s the perfect way to prep for Masego’s upcoming show at Nashville’s Exit/In on Oct. 30. Seriously, get tickets if you can—they’re $20 each plus fees and can be bought here. We’re lucky he’s coming back so soon after opening for Leon Bridges at Ascend Amphitheater just a couple weeks ago.
If the indie-scene is more your speed, Kurt Vile’s out with Bottle It In. And City and Colour, the go to apple-cider-crackling-fire-autumn-mood singer, just released Guide Me Back Home (Live) on Oct. 5, which includes 20 live recordings of some of his greatest lyrically poignant hits.
Peruse the playlist below for some standouts so far this semester you might have missed; it’s available on Spotify here.
“Cheap Shot,” Ella Mai
“Queen Tings,” Masego and Tiffany Gouché
“Lover Come Back–Live in Cornerbrook, NL May 15, 2017,” City & Colour
“Loading Zones,” Kurt Vile
“Beauty & Essex (feat. Daniel Caesar & Unknown Mortal Orchestra),” Free Nationals
“NunWrong,” Leven Kali
“Another,” Iman Omari
“Put You On,” Amber Mark & DRAM
“– Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York,” Arctic Monkeys
“Shrike,” Hozier
