Our personal anthems

There are times (going into battle or, ahem, cleaning the house) when I really need music to help rally my resources, and in these moments of need, I turn to the anthems of my youth – songs that lift my spirit, fill my lungs, and are belt-able; songs I still know the lyrics to (ish).

I’m sure you know the type: a song from when you and your friends felt invincible; when the world was at your feet and you had the tiger by the tail, to use some well-worn expressions. Like some of you, I too rapturously watched coming-of-age cinematic wonders such as Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, and the ballad producing Breakfast Club and Risky Business – we sung Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds and Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band at the top of our lungs anytime they came on the radio. Yes, the radio.

I can’t think of a better time than during a pandemic to revisit one’s personal anthems. I’ve found myself reaching further back than college and high school, tuning in to my inner child, the age at which I started to discover music. Over the weekend, two songs that particularly resonated with me were Sitting on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding and Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles. Not necessarily sing from the top-of-your-lungs melodies, but definitely soul-lifting for this child of the 60s.

Let us know what you’re listening to these days.  - Erika

Scroll down for more Koné Team playlist recommendations…

Alicia: My first quarantine 2020 playlist song - Blondie’s Call Me from her 1980 album. Excellent for dancing in your living room - especially with memories of dancing with my friends Kelly and Jamie during summer break 1981 when I was 10 years old. Blondie was a bad girl icon for my friends and me. #empoweredwomen

Another great one to dance to alone in your kitchen... flash forward a few years in my adolescence to 1984 and as a HS freshman I got invited to ride with Debbi, the cool senior cheerleader, to see the Violent Femmes play their hit Blister in the Sun in concert at a Howard Johnson’s ballroom in Sioux Falls, SD. It was an amazing show with an audience of about 20 people. Thanks to Debbi we partied with the band after the concert at some college house near Augustana. Amazing night - to be 14 again - and see the faces of the band mates (Gordon Brian, Blaise, and John) when they learned my age!

Christina: In my former life (i.e. my early 20s) I was the manager of a music store on Capitol Hill in Seattle. For those of you not from the area, Capitol Hill was THE happening place in the early 90s. It was a mecca for “outsiders” at the time, full of indie stores, hip eateries, a place where gay couples and drag queens felt safe to walk, live, and just be exactly who they were. It was a magical time in my life that I look back on with deep fondness and gratitude. It was the first time in my life when I didn’t feel like I was the only one like me in the world.

So, this assignment, to choose two of my favorite songs for a “personal anthem playlist,” was extremely challenging. So challenging, I couldn’t do it. Here’s as close as I can get:

When the world around me seems crazy and I need a few minutes of meditation, I like to listen to: Delibes: Lakmé - Duo des fleurs (Flower Duet) performed by Sabine Devieilhe & Marianne Crebassa or Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 (Prelude) in G Major performed by Yo Yo Ma 

If I want to jam out, dance and/or play air drums, my current favorite song is: Tsunami (Original Mix) by DVBBS & Borgeous.

When I want to be taken back to more carefree times, anything by ABBA, Erasure, the Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran or Depeche Mode does the trick.

Music can be healing, and I encourage you to plug in and listen to something that takes you back to fond memories as we’re getting through this difficult time. Enjoy!

Isaac: I found a song called Dragonball Durag by Thundercat that is super funky. Thundercat is coolest bass player ever with fingers that move so fast it’s like they can utilize the fourth dimension. He is the epitome of having a good time no matter the situation. My second song is called Colorado by Kota the Friend. The beat in this puts me in a trance and I feel like I’m in the jungle but also, I am the jungle. His vocals make my head lazily bounce left and right. If I put it on repeat and just sit, close my eyes and listen, time passes by so fast it’s like I am time travelling.

Karin: I listened to a lot of Prince in honor of the fourth anniversary of his death in April.  Let’s Go Crazy has remained on my playlist for the uplifting dance beat and a lyrical reminder - “we are [physically distanced] gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”  I have also been streaming DJ D-Nice on Instagram (@dnice) - enjoying throwbacks in “Club Quarantine” for solo living room dance parties. D-Nice’s insights, anecdotes, and shout-outs offers the illusion of human connection more so than just listening to a playlist.

Kat: Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of lo-fi beat playlists while I am working or studying. Lofi music usually consists of looped samples over a beat and makes perfect study music because it’s usually non-lyrical and makes for easy background music.  City Girl and Angry Apple Lofi are currently at the top of my lofi artist rotation.

Zoumana: My two songs are Phone Won’t Charge and Guest List Etiquette both by Ivan Ave. The rhythm draws heavily from traditional jazz, with the drummer setting a tempo on the high hat. The vocals are a mix of spoken-word style rhyming, accompanied by a background singer which helps emphasize the melody.

In these songs, the keyboard plays an essential role in establishing the melody and adds some structure to the songs as a whole. This style of R&B is a blend of different genres of music and is somewhat unorthodox or unprecedented at first listen. Much like the times we are currently going through - unorthodox and unprecedented.