On our last PlayListed, we showed you music to kick off your love month. If you’re the type of romantic who likes making mixtapes to express their love, some of those tracks might have come in handy. Each time I asked my couple friends about their Valentine’s Day plans, they either tell me they’ve already gone out or they’re waiting for the weekend for a belated celebration. Which brings me to think that it seems a lot of people preferred not to deal with Valentine’s Day rush and traffic. And while Valentine’s Day is over, that doesn’t mean your date night needs to come to a halt.
For this week’s PlayListed, we’ve got you covered with sensuous tracks to soundtrack your night:
SPANISH SAHARA – FOALS
If you’re a fan of British sci-fi series, Misfits, you might be familiar with this track as the music when he reveals his true identity to her at his lair. Or if you’re just a huge indie/alternative junkie, this has to be the most after hours-apt song on Total Life Forever. The bridge also has to be the most powerful verses we’ve heard in the indie-alt scene.
OVERSTIMULATED – JHENÈ AIKO
Wanderland 2018 headliner, Jhené Aiko’s new album is basically like a zen psychedelic trip. Compared to her past albums, she takes on a more beat-heavy, sexy sound this time around. “Trip” is like a soundtrack about young love in a whole haze, which makes it a great addition to this list.
I WANNA BE YOURS – ARCTIC MONKEYS
Arctic Monkeys might be that one band that’s everyone’s go-to for heavy-hitting rock jams but their current record, AM actually has a lot of beautifully-written love ballads. So while we wait for that new album and Alex Turner’s latest poetic lyrics, listen to him croon about longing for love in this slow track.
CAVALIER – JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW
Irish crooner, James Vincent McMorrow has to have one of the smoothest voices in the music industry today. His album for this single, Post Tropical is influenced by the soul records of Donny Hathaway and D’Angelo and we certainly can hear it in the record. The 1975’s producer, George Daniel also made a remix of this song with his own ambient electro take that’s just as good as the original.
U – MAJID JORDAN
Signed to Drake’s record label, October’s Very Own, Majid Jordan are a powerful duo you shouldn’t sleep on. Back in 2014, these gents put out an EP called “A Place Like This” which we think is still one of the best R&B EPs we’ve heard and definitely worthy of a listen.
HALLUCINATIONS – DVSN
Another duo signed to October’s Very Own, DVSN has only been in the music industry for 3 years but they’ve already made waves across the board for their soothing voices and R&B bops. Their debut studio album, “Sept. 5th” is one record you’d want to have in your mix.
K – CIGARETTES AFTER SEX
Echoey guitars and soft washes of vocals rule the sound of Cigarettes After Sex. If you’re somebody who loves Slowdive and Echo and the Bunnymen, CAS have a similar vibe as far as noir dreampop is concerned.
Frequently Asked Questions
The playlist features seven tracks: Spanish Sahara by Foals, Overstimulated by Jhené Aiko, I Wanna Be Yours by Arctic Monkeys, Cavalier by James Vincent McMorrow, U by Majid Jordan, Hallucinations by dvsn, and K by Cigarettes After Sex, chosen as sensuous tracks to soundtrack a date night.
The R&B picks are Overstimulated by Jhené Aiko, U by Majid Jordan and Hallucinations by dvsn. Majid Jordan and dvsn are both signed to Drake’s label, October’s Very Own, and Aiko’s album Trip is described as a zen psychedelic trip with a more beat-heavy, sexy sound.
The indie and rock picks are Spanish Sahara by Foals, from Total Life Forever; I Wanna Be Yours by Arctic Monkeys, from AM; and K by Cigarettes After Sex, which offers echoey guitars and noir dreampop. James Vincent McMorrow’s Cavalier adds a soul-influenced sound.
Spanish Sahara by Foals appears in the British sci-fi series Misfits, where it plays as the music in a scene in which a character reveals his true identity to another at his lair. The track is also from the band’s album Total Life Forever.
James Vincent McMorrow is an Irish singer whose album Post Tropical, which includes Cavalier, is influenced by the soul records of Donny Hathaway and D’Angelo. The 1975’s George Daniel also made an ambient electro remix of the song with his own take.
