New Year, New Tunes

Juliet Romano-Olsen | Guide Collective Intern

Happy New Year! The New Year is often when we try a new hobby, get into a new habit, or set goals for the spin around the sun. So why not get into some new music too?

The tunes in this collection are not necessarily newly released. Crossing lines of time, languages, and genre, together these make a great playlist for the year—twelve songs for twelve months of 2022.

1. “Rookie Dreaming” | Courtney Marie Andrews

Courtney Marie Andrews
Image | Justin Higuchi, Wikimedia Commons

In “Rookie Dreaming,” American singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews describes a shift from being a passive observer to being present and active in her own story upon the realization that things can be harder than she once thought. The song leaves us with a sense of hope for what is yet to come.

2. “Kinfolk” | Mereba

Azeb album cover
Image | courtesy of Mereba, Twitter

Mereba is not only an American singer and songwriter, she is also a rapper and producer. Her song “Kinfolk” is about the importance of loved ones and community. After pandemic years of not always being able to gather with people we care about, I hope that in 2022 gatherings large and small will be possible. Mereba’s Tiny Desk Concert hosted by National Public Radio features the recommended song.

3. “Uno Resuena” | Lunacruza

Lulacruza
Image | Lulacruza

“Uno Resuena” by Argentinian and Colombian band Lulacruza is about the deep, almost otherworldly connection that can happen between humans. The lyrics also invoke connection with nature, animals, and ancestral knowledge over a heartbeat rhythm created by drums and folk instruments blended with electronically-produced ethereal sounds.

4. “Made of Gold” | Ibeyi

Ibeyi
Image | Maya Dagnino, Wikimedia Commons

Ibeyi’s latest release, called “Made of Gold” and made in collaboration with British rapper Pa Salieu, is also about connecting to and embodying traditional knowledge and ancestral power. The French-Cuban duo will have an album coming out this year. You can listen to this recent interview with performances onNPR’s World Cafe , including a remarkable song inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.

5. “Mi Revolución” | Cuatro Pesos de Propina

Cuatro Pesos de Propina
Image | Montecruz Foto, Flickr

The playlist picks up with “Mi Revolución” by Uruguayan band Cuatro Pesos de Propina. These triumphant lyrics are about self-love and forgiveness, and the New Year is a perfect time to reflect on not only our relationships with others, but with ourselves.

6. “Moonlight” | TootArd

TootArd
Image | Raya Sharbain, Wikimedia Commons

After you’ve decided that it’s time for your own personal revolución, it’s time to let loose and get pumped up for a “New Year, New You.” “Moonlight” is the first track on TootArd’s third album, Migrant Birds, released in 2020. Inspired by the Arabic pop of the 1980s, the Syrian Arabic band from the Golan Heights uses synths and poppy melodies in this feel-good, hopeful record.

7. “Giant Peach” | Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice performing in Seattle
Image | Juliet Romano-Olsen

Sometimes, despite our efforts to grow, we can feel stifled or stuck. British rock band Wolf Alice captures this feeling perfectly in “Giant Peach.” Vocalist Ellie Rowsell describes a love-hate relationship with her hometown and gives the listener an opportunity to release those feelings of stagnation.

Once you’re done being stuck, you might want a renewed sense of purpose, and the next two songs in the playlist will help with just that.

8. “Alles Was Ich Hab” | Fynn Kliemann

Fynn Kliemann at Webvideopreises Deutschland 2017
Image | Webvideopreises Deutschland

German singer, musician, web designer, and author Fynn Kliemann sings “give all that I have / for all that I want in “Alles Was Ich Hab.” He encourages taking risks and trying again after a failure.

9. “Creo en Ti” | Ana Tijoux

Ana Tijoux
Image | Andrés Ibarra, Wikimedia Commons

Chilean-French rapper Ana Tijoux takes a collective approach to the same idea in “Creo en Ti.” From individual actions to collective effort, there are many ways to challenge the power structures that exist and create a better, more equitable society, through hope and dedication, even if it seems impossible.

10. “Rafiki” | Zap Mama and Black Thought

Zap Mama in Seattle • Black Thought
Images | Bruce C Moore and Crillmatic, Wikimedia Commons

If you’re familiar with the Disney movie The Lion King or the contemporary film Rafiki by Wanuri Kahiu, you may know that the Swahili word Rafiki means “friend.” Belgian artist Zap Mama and American rapper Black Thought from The Roots sing about the support of a community of friends in a song of the same name.

11. “Esperanza” | Hermanos Gutierrez

Hermanos Gutiérrez
Image | Maria Grazie di Francesco

Hermanos Gutiérrez, a brother duo of guitarists with Ecuadorian and Swiss ancestry, create wistful, touching melodies inspired by Latin and Western music that tug at one’s heartstrings, and “Esperanza” is no exception. Let yourself get lost in the music for a few minutes.

12. “Be Still” | Los Lobos

Los Lobos from the “In Performance at the White House: Fiesta Latina” concert, 2009
Image | Pete Souza, Wikimedia Commons

The playlist finishes with “Be Still” by East L.A. rock band Los Lobos. Using a traditional Mexican huapango rhythm, the lilting mariachi-style violin, and gentle lyrics, we can enter this New Year full of peace.

Keep an eye out for these artists and so many more in upcoming Sonic Sundays articles this year!