And Here We Go... Again! š„
And Here We Go... Again! š„
Shuffle Sundays #53 ā¢ The Weeknd, Muse, Adele, Wordle, OlliOlli, Encanto, James Vincent McMorrow, Tom Hegen, & more!
Hello and Happy 2022!
It feels good to be back to my newsletter routine after some much-needed time off. Hope youāre having a great start to the year, as much as possible, and thanks for sticking around. Iām very excited for this second year of publishing Shuffle Sundays for many reasons. You may have already noticed a light new coat of paint around here, and Iām also playing with the idea of introducing a second issue per week sometime down the road.
Also, I know some of you miss the days when I used to recommend other types of content besides music, so starting today, Iāll be casually reintroducing some of that in a new section called āRandon Bitsā. It wonāt be as extensive as before, but it gives me the chance to mention some other cool things Iāve been consuming lately.
Hope you like the small changes and, as always, feel free to comment or reply to this issue with your comments and thoughts. Weāre just getting startedā¦ again!
š§Ā Soundtrack: Tame Impala - Currents
š½ Ā» The Weeknd - Dawn FM
pop, r&b, soul ā¢ 16 songs ā¢ 52 minutes
Itās strange to look back and think that the first time I listened to Take My Breath, the first official single of The Weekndās new era, it didnāt really get me all that excited for a new album, although After Hours was one of my favorite albums of 2020.
At the same time, Iām glad I was able to manage my expectations so well, as Dawn FM was an incredible ride on the first play and continues to grow on me at each new hearing. On a surface level, it feels like a simple continuation of his discography, but at the same time, itās amazing to notice how he kept all the same aesthetic and influences from the previous record but took everything to the next level. Itās another trip down the 70s/80s road, but with even more coherence and identity.
For me, itās pretty remarkable how heās able to go so deep into the past while continuing to deliver music that still sounds so fresh and contemporary. And yes: Jim Carey is the most unusual feature that you never knew you needed so badly!
Listen on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
šŗ Ā»Ā Muse - Wonāt Stand Down
After an almost disastrous sequence of albums, sounds like Muse is finally finding their special sauce again. Wonāt Stand Down is being considered one of the heaviest tracks the trio has put out in many years, and Iām loving the light metalcore influences towards the end of the track. Hopefully, this first single is just a taste for something even better coming down the road!
Watch the video on YouTube
šŗ Ā» Adele - Oh My God
I confess that I didnāt care all that much for Adeleās latest album 30, which came out last year. But I still think sheās an amazing artist and the music video for her new single Oh My God is super classy and well done. Worth the play!
Watch the video on YouTube
š§© Ā» Random Bits
š¬ Ā» Are you also addicted to the phenomenon word-game Wordle? It became part of my morning routine since Austin Kleon recommended in his newsletter;
š¹ Ā» Speaking of games, the skate videogame series OlliOlli has been my current obsession these past few weeks. Iām close to beating the second installment, just in time for the third entry OlliOlli World thatās coming out next month and looks extremely promising;
š Ā» Although I didnāt care much for the music, Disneyās new animation Encanto is a real eye-candy with incredible and colorful visuals paired with an also great story;
š¶ Ā» Loving this version of Wicked Game by Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow, recommended by reader Tanja Boness in her newsletter.
ā”ļø Ā» Visual Inspiration
Tom Hegen is a German photographer whose focus is on aerial photography projects documenting the traces we leave on the earth's surface. Check out his website or InstagramĀ for more. Here are some favorites:
š¶ Ā» New Music
Some albums from these first few weeks I'm particularly interested in checking out:
Also, new singles from Placebo, Emicida, Korn, Joywave, King Princess, Hippo Campus, Bearās Den, Terno Rei, Big Thief, and many more. If youāre curious to hear some of these songs and more, make sure to followĀ my 2022 playlist on Spotify, updated weekly with new releases: