Our soundtrack for the month of August
Wonder Fresh brings you a curated list of our top tunes every month. A year ago, even singer Keiko Necesario hopped on and shared her own playlist, creating a soundtrack to her life. This August 2021, we’ll be cruising through the seasons like it’s a long but welcome road trip. We’ve got anthems that spell hot girl summer all year long and slower, calmer tunes we’d play when we’re watching the sunset and digging a little deeper. So scroll along for this month’s recommendations.
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Kicking off the playlist is the killer collaboration of the month: Rumors. Here, Lizzo’s killer pipes harmonize perfectly with Cardi B’s punchy flows over addictive funk beats. Their attitudes flow out of the track and scream, “It’s still hot girl summer if Leo season is concerned!” Continuing the upbeat, badass energy is Lesha with SUN MOON RISING. It’s the anthem for anyone (Astro junkie or not), shutting down those who can’t seem to match their energy. Up next is Bella Poarch’s Inferno featuring Sub Urban. It’s a bouncy pop song that matches Bella’s airy vocals and SUB URBAN’s lazy drawling, a stark contrast to the darker visual (and significant history) it provides.
Winding down from the fiery energy is Honey by Poodle—commonly known as Nasty Cherry’s bassist Georgia Somary—an upbeat dream-pop song perfect for easy listening in the afternoon. Let the cheeky tune coupled with Poodle’s vocals hypnotize you to sing and dance along in your room. Next up is James Reid, who gives us a peek into finding little pockets of fun in quarantine with Hello. The funky and upbeat track that’s reminiscent of Daft Punk is one fantastic pick-me-up. Looking for sunshine in a track? Coast on a wave with NIKI’s Every Summertime, a laid-back song that brings forth a feeling of welcome nostalgia. (Did we also mention that it’s one of the official singles from the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings soundtrack?)
Dropping into the more somber territory is Manila-based DIY artist and retro-futurist singer tome with not a love song. It talks about the struggles and pains of self-discovery and growth, both that we are all too familiar with as we spend more days in quarantine. It’s a stark contrast to the dreamy indie-pop sound and psychedelic visuals served in the music video that you’ll find yourself playing and watching it again and again. Stay tuned for the release of tome’s mixtape this coming September.
Following right after that is Jackson Wang’s Drive You Home. Slow R&B beats over electric guitar riffs perfectly accompany the painful lyrics he croons, a complete 180 from his earlier, happy-go-lucky release called Leave Me Loving You. Finally, closing the playlist is 5SOS’s frontman Luke Hemmings with Starting Line. In the single, he reflects on the career he started as a young teen and the rest of the years that sped by him. Perhaps Starting Line and the rest of his debut album called When Facing the Things We Turn Away From could fuel your introspection often reserved for quiet trips in the back seat.
Lizzo, Rumors feat. Cardi B
Lesha, SUN MOON RISING
Bella Poarch and Sub Urban, Inferno
Poodle, Honey
James Reid, Hello
NIKI, Every Summertime
tome., not a love song
Jackson Wang, Drive You Home
Luke Hemmings, Starting Line
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Did we miss any tunes for August's Wonder Fresh? Let us know below!
Art Matthew Ian Fetalver
