I Listened To: October Music Roundup

Last week, I talked about Rina Sawayama’s 2022 album, Hold The Girl. So today, I wanted to devote a post to all the other music that kept me entertained in October. I have two to talk about: Dirt Femme by Tove Lo and Midnights by Taylor Swift.

--Dirt Femme by Tove Lo (Release Date: October 14, 2022)--

I’ve enjoyed Tove Lo’s work since the Queen of the Cloud (2014) days, and I was pretty excited when I heard she was coming out with new music in 2022. Sunshine Kitty (2019) was one of my favorites the year it released, and that influenced the expectations I had going into Dirt Femme. Tove Lo has always done pop with a grungy edge. Dirt Femme felt a little lighter, and was sold as dance/pop by the four singles that proceeded its release—How Long, No One Dies from Love, True Romance, and 2 Die 4—but the usual lyric and vocal complexity was present. Even the tracks where the production was scaled down and Tove Lo’s vocals were the focal point (I’m To Blame and True Romance) were songs I had on repeat so I could catch the full meaning of the lyrics. The album was telling a story, and I was along for the ride. Dirt Femme is another great one from Tove Lo!

--Midnights by Taylor Swift (Release date: October 21, 2022)--

I’m not a consistent follower of Taylor Swift, but, over the years, I’ve amassed a list of favorite songs anyway. There’s been a plenty of good music released this year, so when I heard about her latest album, Midnights, I was interested in it too. This is probably my favorite Taylor Swift album to date, and I enjoyed pretty much everything about it. I have to give a special nod towards the production—which was consistent across-the-board—as well as the lyrics, for how poetic it was. There are so many examples I could give, but then I’d have to list the whole track list. Like I said above, it was consistent in its quality. All around, Midnights was an excellent album!  

Music Monday (220): Tove Lo, Rihanna, and Anthony Hamilton

   

 Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I'm listening to Tove Lo's new album, Dirt Femme. One of my favorite songs is Lo's collaboration with SG Lewis called Call On Me. 

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Lift Me Up by Rihanna and Charlene by Anthony Hamilton. I hope everyone has an amazing week! 

What are you listening to this week?

I listened to Hold The Girl by Rina Sawayama

One of my most anticipated albums of the year is Rina Sawayama’s sophomore album, Hold The Girl. Released on September 16, 2022, its two years since Sawayama’s self-titled debut. Since then, there have been a number of features, notably a duet with Elton John (Chosen Family) and Charli XCX’s Beg For You (Crash; 2022). However, I was more than ready to see what she would bring to the table with another solo studio album.

Hold The Girl is Pop, but it has a wide diversity of sound. Leading with the single, This Hell (one of my top favorites from the album), each track offered a different listening experience. There was a little bit of country, a little bit of R&B and rock with an early 2000s feel (It’s something she’s done before—for example STFU! from her debut album.) The songs here were bridged together by Sawayama’s vocals, lyric themes, and a smart arrangement.

Hold The Girl achieved an easy flow from one track to the next, and I was quickly immersed by the album. It was a lot of fun. And as far as sophomore albums go, this is a good one.

Happy Halloween! + #Peachtober22

Happy Halloween! I hope everyone has a fun (and safe) day. Now, onto the blog post. This year, I wanted to do more of the #Peachtober prompts. Adri is also joining me with a handful of her own illustrations. So, here’s everything we did for #peachtober.

Adri’s Comments: Unlike Breana, I didn't have a complete clear idea. I just wanted to go ahead and do it. I did get my colors together since I was using watercolor gouache. Plus it has been a minute since I've painted. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I just need to draw something for the empty squares (which would be separate from this).

Prompts: Bow, Potion, Boulder, Boot, Plant, Sleepy

You can find more individual images on my blog or art Instagram, and on my blog.

Breana’s Comments: My idea for this year was mainly to keep it simple, but I also wanted to experiment with my color choices. I chose colored pencils as my medium, particularly because I upgraded my Prismacolor set from twenty-four to seventy-two.

Page 1 prompts: Trunk, Lantern, Snow & Globe, Trees, Sprout, Potion, Field, and Cave (I didn't end up posting it to Instagram, because it didn't fit with the rest).

Page 2 prompts: Bun, Boot & Plant, and Dandelion.

Page 3 prompts: Sleepy & Spaceship, Land & Sea, Bow, and Mask.

**Note: for a closer look at each illustration, visit my Instagram page HERE**

The Friday 56 (224) & Book Beginnings: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Obsessed with creating life itself, Victor Frankenstein plunders graveyards for the material to fashion a new being, which he shocks into life with electricity. But his botched creature, rejected by Frankenstein and denied human companionship, sets out to destroy his maker and all that he holds dear. Mary Shelley's chilling Gothic tale was conceived when she was only eighteen, living with her lover Percy Shelley near Byron's villa on Lake Geneva. It would become the world's most famous work of horror fiction, and remains a devastating exploration of the limits of human creativity.

Beginning: "You will rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings."

56: "Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance."

Comments: I'm glad to have this classic off my TBR list. Frankenstein was just as good as I thought it would be. What are you reading this week?