A new way to spin the latest musings

Hey everyone! 🌱

Hope you’ve been enjoying Music Musings as much as I have! We’re inching toward our one-year anniversary next week, and I’ve got exciting songs lined up to celebrate our first birthday — stay tuned as I uncover my latest picks 🎧

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how this space began, and it’s about time I share more of how it came to be. I started Music Musings during a period when I started to pick up the pieces from my old life and rebuild my life again. It was a blank slate — I reconnected with myself, went down rabbit holes toward my own interests, and embraced a job that gave me the time and headspace to reignite my creative side.

A lot has changed since then. Life’s gotten fuller, I’ve stepped into a bigger role in my career, and my schedule is once again stacked with new pursuits and responsibilities. I’ve been putting out deep dives and weekly tracklists weekly, but recently I’ve come to appreciate that, in both music and life, quality beats quantity. After all, it’s about the listening experience, not just the number of tracks.

So starting this week, I’m launching a new, lighter series called Free & Easy. No big themes, no more than 7 songs — just the vibes I genuinely feel are worth your ears. I’m keeping the longer reads and deeper themes on alternate weeks to start this new cadence.

This doesn’t mean I’m losing time for Music Musings. In fact, as life gets more well-rounded (which is truly a blessing), I’m adapting how I write to make space for this collective I hold dear.

What matters is staying consistent and showing up, whether it’s with one song or five. As long as I keep this space alive and evolving. And of course, I want to try a more natural, present-moment approach in sharing songs, wherein it comes more from in-the-moment finds over my usual intentional explorations.

I’m also experimenting with new formats too — quick song drops, more reflective musings, or the next few iterations might even be completely spontaneous. I’m still working it out, but in the meantime, let’s see how this new chapter goes.

As always, thanks for being here, and you’re more than welcome to let me know what style or format you enjoy most! 🎶💌

Your lead music muser,

Val ♫

(P.S If you are reading this in your email, please click “Read Online” at the top-right corner next to the date for a better reading experience!)

In this week's setlist:

• 🚈 The Subway Songs

• 🤙 Throwback Hits with a Twist

• 🎶 New Music This Week

🚈 The Subway Songs

Not to be confused with Chappell Roan’s new song (that is also another great song and a league of its own). In this artist’s music, she channels trip-pop influences and a kind of nostalgia real millennials would remember.

It’s where 2000s glittery pop synth predates what’s now called 2020s hyperpop, paired with iconic beats from that era’s most famous movies. If you’re picturing an Amanda Bynes or Lindsay Lohan teen movie, then you’ve hit the vibe jackpot.

Let these songs transport you onto a light rail train, as it glide through echoey tunnels and traverse the most spectacular city views you’ve ever seen:

• 300 dreams by After

• Deep Diving by After

🤙 Throwback Hits with a Twist

Sometimes the old songs we listened to as teenagers are already perfect as they are. So it takes a one-of-a-kind musician to turn a golden hit into a completely different soundscape, and still make it slap.

Take an old Jesse McCartney hit and a dance trend that went super-viral in 2016. I’m having way too much fun vibing to these remixes:

• All 2 U by KiLLOWEN

• Pretty Face by Hoodie Allen

🎶 New Music This Week

manhid by Aira: And just like that, I’m transported to an ‘80s-inspired, luxury silk-sheet penthouse vibe. The title translates to ‘numb’ in English, but the energy is anything but.

muddy by dkj: Well, the only thing that ain’t muddy is this sick beat. Whether you’re at a day rave or catching up with friends at a boujee cafe, this track has a place in your schedule, and your ears.

Inspired by this week’s music picks?

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