The Keys To My Heart Part 2

10 More Of My Favorite Artists

Welcome to another installment of the Keys To My Heart Series. The first one was a resounding success, so I thought it was time for a Part Two. Enjoy the additional keys under the front door mat to my heart. As I mentioned before, I’m going to share the following about each artist:

• Who they are
• Why they’re loved by me
• How I discovered them
• Some of my favorite songs by them.

Please note that there is no rank order to this list. These artists mean just as much to me as the ones in Part 1. Like keys, they all just open different, yet equally important, doors to my heart.

Enjoy!

Jhené Aiko

Jhené Aiko is a neo-R&B artist from Los Angeles, known for her whispery vocals and meditative soundscapes. Starting in the early 2000’s a young Aiko didn’t take her music career incredibly seriously until the 2010’s following the birth of her daughter. Since then, she’s been a heavily influential R&B artist, inspiring vocalists to tap into their spirituality and sing on more hip-hop inspired beats.

Every time I listen to Aiko I return to serenity. I feel divinely at peace with myself and recognize the things that matter in the world. Aiko’s music is beautifully humbling and helps pull you from a miserable funk to your best self.

I first fell in love with Aiko’s music in 2011 thanks to her Sailing Souls mixtape. It was getting a decent amount of traction online, and with credited Drake and Ye features, I was immediately curious. Giving it a listen, I was immediately drawn to her soothing vocals and unique perspective.

Some of my favorite Aiko songs include the following: “While We’re Young”, “Spotless Mind”, “Everything Must Go”, “Wasted Love Freestyle”, “Summer 2020 — interlude”.

Kendrick Lamar

One of the most widely recognized and coveted hip-hop musicians of the last 10 years, Kendrick Lamar is a gem of an artist. Proudly from Compton, Lamar is a socially conscious rapper who searches through and unpacks our understandings of trauma, urban living, and race relations in the United States. His music is incredibly deep rooted and filled with questioning. He’s an artist to lean into when you want to find glimpses of the truth about the world around us.

I listen to Lamar’s music for understanding and commentary. I love to hear his takes on the world around us and his humility for members of society on the margins. When Kendrick raps from other perspectives I’m instantly gripped by his superb songwriting and strong sense of pure sympathy. It’s humility drenched in song.

My introduction into Lamar was casual and unsuspecting. I was talking music with one of my friend in drivers ed. It was 2010 and I was in 10th grade. My friend really wanted me to listen to this song he was obsessed with lately. He said the song was called “Look Out For Detox” and the artist was this young California rapper named Kendrick Lamar. Trusting of my friends musical opinions, I put on the head phones and played the song in class (we clearly had little interest in driving or the rules of the road) to immediate surprise. Not only was his bars insanely impressive but his music contained this intelligence and precision that was rare to grasp in such a young artist. I’ve been an enormous fan ever since.

On my list of top Kendrick Lamar songs are the following masterpieces: “Sing About Me/Dying Of Thirst”, “Untitled 05”, “The Heart Pt. 3”, “Ronald Reagan Era”, and “P & P (original version)”.

Courtney Barnett

From the great Aussie city of Sydney, Courtney Barnett has been a staple in the singer-songwriter genre since 2012. Her wordy approach to indie rock colors her songs with dense ideas about dealing with life’s stresses, handling relationships as you age, and finding true happiness. Apart from serious topics and her business ventures Barnett also has time to insert comedic and witty lines throughout her music too, finding the silver lining in a lot of life’s toughest situations.

I listen to Barnett’s music when I need significant grounding and a relaxing laugh. The breadth of her discography also provides me with a ton of music to work my way through if I ever want a Barnett day to kick back and enjoy some of my favorites from her. She’s also quite talented on the guitar and brings a strong guitar presence to her lyric-driven music, drawing great dynamism out of her unique brand of indie rock.

When “Avant Gardener” dropped in 2013 in support of her EP, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, I was an instant fan. I never heard indie rock sound that close to folk and work so well. It was a miraculous song that was compelling to hear and even more enjoyable to replay. From then on, I would keep a close eye on any new Barnett releases, always sure to listen that first week, to catch up on her insights into life.

The list could take up the rest of this piece, but my big favorites from Barnett are the following: “Avant Gardener”, “Let It Go”, “Charity”, “Untitled (Play It On Repeat)”, and “Sunfair Sundown”.

Childish Gambino

The modern day renaissance man. Donald Glover, a.k.a, Childish Gambino is an entertainment mogul with more talents than there is space in this piece. Starting out in the Tisch School at NYU Gambino hit the ground running following graduation, stepping into sketch comedy, standup, acting, and music nearly simultaneously. His growth in both directing, acting, and music is one of the most inspiring stories of the entertainment industry in the 21st century. All the things he rapped about accomplishing, he brought into existence.

Gambino’s music, for me, represents the spoils of hard work. From the grinding New York scene that he endured to his chapters with women, Gambino never tired from unashamed introspection. His reflections on success and perseverance to achieve ones goals was largely a soundtrack to my life in my late teens and early 20’s. Seeing him get to the zenith of several fields by his mid 30’s showed many of us that, if we keep our head down, stay determined, and grind it out, we can achieve similar heights.

I ran into Gambino’s music unexpectedly of course. At a Key Club conference in 2010 there was a presentation where students were convincing us to host the following year’s conference. During these series of presentations one group wrote a theme song based off of Gambino’s smash at the time, “Freaks and Geeks”. The way the crowd immediately recognized the flow and lyrical borrowing from the original Gambino song surprised me and my friend. We started looking around as the audience was up, rapping, and dancing along. Stunned, we started asking around about the origins of this song and the replies consistently brought up this young rapper named Chidish Gambino. We found Gambino music’s by accident running into his fanbase. After that conference, I looked up “Freaks and Geeks” and found out he had a mixtape coming, called Culdesac. The deep dive into his released music and anticipation for the new project began.

When I think about Childish Gambino these songs immediately come up as highlights: “Shoulda Known”, “Not Going Back”, “35.31”, “Pop Thieves (Make It Feel Good)”, and “Centipede”.

HAIM

Haim is a soft rock band from the sunny San Fernando Valley. Playing music together since they were kids, the sister group rose through the ranks by supporting larger acts and building connections within the industry. Not before long, their original music and own presence was garnering attention across the nation as a rock band who wasn’t afraid to integrate pop, funk, and soul elements into their music.

I look to HAIM’s music when I want to bring a smile to my face. Their music is an instant mood changer and hardly ever feels old. They barely follow contemporary music trends in their releases and instead build off of their own musical growth. This creates a wide breadth of music to select from as a fan, and I try to dig into all of it.

As odd as this sounds, I think the first time I heard HAIM was on a Kid Cudi song. At the very least, it’s the earliest strong impression I got from their music. The song was “Red Eye” and it was an instant album highlight from the artist’s Indicud album. On the trippy pop tune, Haim beautifully harmonize with Cudi, and pump youthful energy into his fusion and alternative approach to hip-hop. I didn’t exactly know what I was listening to, but I wanted more of it. I chased this craving soon after the release of Indicud and found myself enamored by the funk and soft rock blending of genres in their upbeat and summery music.

On my Mount Rushmore of HAIM songs are the following: “Little Of Your Love”, “Gasoline”, “The Steps”, “Honey & I”, and “You Never Knew”

James Blake

From the start of Blake’s career the British singer’s sound was singular. His soulful approach to electronic music helped open the flood gates to more artists utilizing the synthesizers to stir up dreary and upsetting emotions. Blake’s story began in the United Kingdom, but his impact spanned the globe. Very quickly, the young musician became a huge commodity in the mainstream music industry.

I reserve Blake’s music for those late nocturnal hours. The music he makes seeps into the mind like a dream, trapped by the worst sides of your imagination. Fortunately, over time, Blake’s music expanded past the dreadful depths of doomed love and now he looks to relationships as a net positive to preserve, rather than waste. His unbelievably dreamy and atmospheric production mixed with his heart-filled vocals are a direct portal into the inner working of the soul.

It was hard not to hear James Blake when Overgrown was hitting the world by storm. Blake’s music was irresistibly sinister but unmistakably human. His voice was magnetic. When I listened to those early recordings I felt like I was transported to another dimension, far darker than ours, and less troubled with facades or impressions. Everything here was raw, real, and unabashedly transparent. I tried not to stay in Blake’s world for too long, but when I did, I felt unbelievably alive.

There’s a large amount of Blake songs that touch my soul, but these picks are at the top of my list: “You’re Too Precious”, “Don’t Miss It”, “Say What You Will”, “Retrograde”, “I Need A Forest Fire” and “Do You Ever”

Lana Del Rey

As one of the most prolific alternative pop and singer-songwriters of her generation, Lana Del Rey made a unique lane for herself. Her music reminds us of a simpler time in America, a more docile time. Her period-piece music videos and striking looks set the perfect background for her yawning vocals and thought-provoking lyricism.

I spend a lot of time with Lana Del Rey’s music. Her music conjures up feelings of deep romantic sadness and sends reminders about our shortcomings as lovers and companions. Nevertheless, she’s a hopeless romantic, as am I, so we keep trying. While her world view gorgeously unfolds into this honest and very real descriptive land, her voice soothes you like a dying wave at sundown.

I was sitting down in the theaters with my friend getting ready to watch Captain America when Lana Del Rey came up. We were talking about college we were looking at, and complaining about some seemingly important high school topic when the topic of music came up. My friend recommended that I check out this new pop singer. He said she had some cool hip-hop-influenced production and was quite deep. Intrigued, I promised to listen to her when I got back home. Those early viewings of the “Video Games” music video and hearing “Born To Die” for the first time changed everything. Her music felt so monumental, so precious, so present. I didn’t realize at the time how much of fan I would become, but I knew I was on to something special.

My most beloved Lana Del Rey songs include the following: “Video Games”, “Coachella — Woodstock In My Mind”, “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”, “Venice Bitch”, “Looking For America”, and “Blue Banisters”.

Say Sue Me

Say Sue Me is a surf rock band from island city of Busan. Forming in a tea shop in 2012, the Korean band grew and improved their craft locally for years. By the year 2018 they had gained an international audience and made their largest impact yet with their sophomore album, When We Were Together, commemorating their friend who experienced a serious head injury. Since then, they have been one of the most globally recognized and praised surf rock and shoe-gaze bands in the last 5 years.

I listen to Say Sue Me for relaxing and nostalgic rock music. The band never fails to calm me down and put me in a deep introspective space. Their projects are great for car rides and late nights with my thoughts. For the longest time they only had two albums, so I played those albums to death. Fortunately, in 2022, they dropped TWO new albums, so now I have some great variety to play with.

It all started with When We Were Together. This heartfelt and euphoric surf rock album meant a lot to me in 2018. I found it on some music blog one day and gave it a listen during my commute into the city. At the time I was working for a Bloomberg nonprofit and the cafeterias were downstairs and massive. This is important because I remember writing my review for that album in that cafeteria and, at the moment, really soaking in just how much I emotionally connected with it.

When it comes to the great South Korean band, these tunes are my favorite: “So Tender”, “Season of the shark (cover)”, “Old Town”, “Coming To The End”, and “Sorry That I’m Drunk”

Tinashe

The California native has maintained a unique and personal neo R&B sound for a solid decade. Breaking onto to the scene with the hit smash “2 On” the avant garde artist/dancer/actor came in with a strong fanbase due to her mixtape series. The budding singer was well equipped for superstardom and has put out consistently great projects year after year to growing critical acclaim.

Tinashe makes music for most situations and emotional places. At this point, the singer’s music feels like a close conversation with a good friend. It’s nice to pick an era and dive into it, reminiscing about the place I was when it first dropped. Overall, Tinashe’s music is mainly focused on self control and working through the troubles related to love as you climb to the top of your field.

My introduction to Tinashe was actually through an unsanctioned Drake version of her hit song, “2 On”. To his credit, Drake not only took the song to the next level but he would have her perform live with him sometimes to combine their songs. Once I heard her original I was immediately swept away and dove into her discography. I remember being quite impressed by its depth and musicality. She clearly paid attention to the mixing and production of these mixtapes, because they were industry-level projects. With this much love and care for her music, I was excited to be a core fan of hers at that moment and have stuck by her side ever since.

These Tinashe songs resonate with me the most: “Let Me Love You”, “Wanderer”, “Another Me”, and “Like I Used To”.

Sufjan Stevens

One of the most enigmatic artists of the last 20 years, Sufjan Stevens has grown to legendary status on his own terms. Raised in northern Michigan the singer-songwriter cut his teeth in bands growing up and eventually made serious old music as a New School student living in New York City. Writing lot of scripts for short films and novels, Stevens used a lot of those narrative-writing qualities into his music. 20+ years later and he’s still releasing music regularly and contributing to the music world with significant contributions.

There can be a library of Stevens’ music, and it would be on brand (he used to work in the children’s book division at Time Warner). When I get ready to play Stevens’ music I really just sit back and admire the songwriting. Sitting there, I happily observe, question, and analyze the big existential themes floating throughout the songs.

Coincidentally, a Childish Gambino song led me to Stevens’ music. On the album highlight “Fire Fly” Gambino raps about having a hard time finding sponsors as the “only black kid at a Sufjan concert”. Of course, my follow up question was “Sufjan who? Who’s Sufjan??”. The rest is history. Once I figured out who he was I started scrubbing through YouTube (this is before streaming services really took off) and started to really like what I was hearing. My love affair with Stevens’ music would start there and continue to this day, more passionate about the songwriter’s vision and talent there ever before.

When I go down the Sufjan Stevens rabbit hole I look desperately for these gems: “Should Have Known Better”, “Video Game”, “The Runaround”, and “Chicago”.

Writer Recommendation Corner: Please explore the following artists’ pages for great new finds! Harold De Gauche Loren Kantor Darren Weir

If you enjoyed this piece, please feel free to subscribe to my page for email notifications each time I upload a new piece! You will also receive exclusive content through IEYL’s Substack Newsletter. :)

You can support my writing further by joining Medium here. You’ll get access to my full archive of articles and all of the other splendid writers on Medium. :D