My Favorite Albums of 2024 so far...

My god, it’s August already. I don’t know about y’all, but I feel a shift happening. Maybe it’s because, I’m actually working on the goals, that I set at the start of the year? I’m making time to learn new things, — Spanish and longboarding? I’m reading more difficult and different books…but that’s beside the point. Music.

Like many people, I love music. Music is just so awesome. It transports us to different worlds and maybe even allows us to escape into the fantasy that we desire. Funny enough, a lot of break-up songs that Taylor Swift wrote, made me understand at least from her perspective, what it really feels like to separate from someone.

I wanted to take you through some albums that I’ve had on repeat so far this year. I grew up in the millennial era, where I cherished albums. Where I couldn’t wait to go to the music store (Musica — in South Africa), or (HMV — perhaps in North America), and spent petty cash on CD’s I desperately wanted, and could download on my computer.

I love a body of music. A story.

So here is it: Feel free to share any of your favorites, or hopefully it would make you also reflect on why you enjoy a particular genre or artist:

1. COWBOY CARTER: Beyonce

Oh yes, the sequel to RENNAISSE. It’s truly a body of work. The entire album in acoustics? Collaborations I didn’t know could exist, or how soothing Beyonce’s voice sounds over acoustic guitar, surrounding a campfire?

She displays her truth of motherhood. Of being in this industry for such a long time. Her roots, her lineage. That’s all I will say. OF course, it’s highly subjective, and that’s okay:)

It was a pivotal moment for me. My sister had moved to a different city, 4 hours away. It was heartbreaking but at the same time so freeing for her. We had grown up together, in the same city for 27 years. Sure, we went to different universities, but we always came back to the same house. Until I moved out, but I was still 20 minutes away. It didn't feel far.

4 hours feels far, with also a 2 hour time difference.

The song on the album titled “BLACKBIIRD”, which yes, is an excellent original by The Beetles, portrayed my sister’s journey so perfectly. It makes me emotional because she had been through a lot over the 27-year journey together. She is my twin — my identical twin. It was a truly bittersweet moment. It’s also very rainy today, so when the clouds cry, I don’t mind releasing too.

So the whole album to me pretty much represents; freedom, fun, and maybe flight.

2. EVERYTHING I THOUGHT IT WAS — Justin Timberlake

OMG. I have been a longtime fan of JT. I’ve followed his music journey, since the mid-2000’s, “SexyBack” era to “20/20”, to even seeing him live in 2018 on his “Man of the Woods world tour”. Which 3 years later, on a zoom call, I met a dancer who danced professionally for him and other artists, and was on that tour. That’s another story for another article (Stay tuned). The universe is funny sometimes. Pay attention.

But all that to say, this album is such a fun exploration of sound. It makes me dance, which I love. Especially the songs, “No Angels”, and “My Favorite drug”. I call those my “Getting ready for work songs, especially Fridays”…

It's also, from what I gather, about honesty. About himself, and who he is now. A father of two now, a husband. Probably his most inner thoughts that no one knows, and dropping it over, a solemn beat.

And the fact that Nsync re-united for a while, also makes the album.

Take a listen when you can.

3. “This is me…Now” — Jennifer Lopez

Okayyy. I have a whole essay planned for this, but I will try to shorten it. First of all, I watched only the music movie portrayal/musical whatever you want to call it in February 2024. In it, she has her music, and it's like a musical documenting why she keeps falling in love and wanting to be in a relationship all the time. In the end, she finds what she’s searching for, and it ends with a nice bow.

The album, I really enjoyed. Some songs remind me of “Jenny From the block”, with her hoop earrings and baggy jeans, and slick choreography era.

There’s something so raw about the Song “Broken like me”, admitting that maybe she’s the problem, maybe there’s something that needs fixing. The choreography slaps for all these songs, if you ever to get see the musical.

The thing is, she did a lot of promotion for this album and documentaries, and then cancelled her tour (again, I don’t know how much of it is true), and called it off with Ben, after putting in so much work to portray or document, that she found love again? I understand we go through it. I love J-LO, and I'm just relaying what I am seeing here. Aside from this, the album takes me back to 2000’s era.

I hope she finds what she’s looking for.

I hope we all find we are searching for, and receive what we desire :)

Thank you for reading:)