Notes to touch bass (base) for the next meeting

Vol. 45 | Corporately appropriate tracks for your next weekly

Author

Valerie S.
August 13, 2025

Good day all,

I trust this email finds you well and thriving amidst Q3 deliverables and a growing backlog of cold emails seeking your attention regarding outstanding auditory assets pending review and approval.

Please find attached below this week’s highly-curated sonic selections for your kind perusal and formal endorsement. This playlist has been strategically compiled with primary stakeholders in mind, and is projected to significantly influence our key performance indicator of the quarter — the vibes.

As per my last email, we are currently on track towards meeting our target of 100,000 minutes of new music listens, and I strongly encourage all team members to proactively contribute and bring their A-game to ensure we not only hit, but exceed this milestone.

Should you have any feedback, commentary, or strong inclination towards certain tempos or lyrical depth, please do not hesitate to reach out via Teams, Slack, or during our coffee breaks at the pantry.

Thank you and I look forward to your valuable input and continued collaboration.

Best Regards from your Music Executive,

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:

🏢 Office Tunes

Corporate-speak aside, quieter days at the office are usually when I catch up on new music. I also tend to explore new tracks when I’m doing routine work that doesn’t require much thinking. Here, I let my brain unwire the melodies and lyrics and let the vibes sing for itself.

Here are my personal indie faves to listen to recently:

💿 Album of the Week: Analog Love by Dabeull

Of all the genres, I’d say modern funk is still something I’m warming up to. Maybe it’s because I grew up listening to other genres instead, but I used to think of it as such an exclusive kind of music, something my ears could only reserve for beach clubs, hotels, and corporate ballrooms, and not exactly for daily easy listening.

But hey, who said it can’t be for coffee runs and meetings too? This week, I’m sharing a truly delightful modern funk album that gets that feeling.

Created by French singer Dabeull, this album exudes whimsical elegance — charmingly quirky without being overly playful, sensual without being over-erotic. Think Daft Punk meets Bruno Mars, with a splash of French Riviera crystal-clear water and silky smooth bedsheets.

Funk itself has a distinct melody-beat progression, but what I found interesting is how each song on the album interprets it differently, so it still feels fresh from track to track. It’s like flipping through CDs of ‘80s funk, then ‘10s funk, ‘70s disco, and ‘90s romantic funk one after another. It’s quite a fun exercise, and my brain is tickled in the most satisfying way.

If you’re looking to add some extra pizzazz to your 9-to-5, this album is a perfect fit for the modern office, a co-working space, or any chill spot where you can work nomadically on the groove.

My faves:

  • Sweet Baby: I didn’t know I was sampling a funk album until 20 seconds into this first track. It’s a wonderful opener to kick off the vibes ✨

  • In My Mind: I’d say recreating a sensual sound without a saxophone is quite impressive, but of course, the sax outro was the highlight.

  • Look In The Mirror: A strong Abba contender. I’m ready to dance in Mykonos (at least in my head while I’m sending emails to clients) 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

🍷 Gala Vibes

Of course, what’s corporate culture without the annual company dinner or the occasional gala invite? You can throw in a themed event with games and lucky draws, but the real allure comes from immersing yourself in the black-tie atmosphere of a nicely perfumed hotel ballroom, listening to cocktail dinner music while sipping on champagne.

Here are some songs that capture that gala-like feeling:

💡 This Week’s Disc-Coveries

Check out this punk rock cover of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain by a Girish and The Chronicles, who auditioned for America’s Got Talent a while back. The vibes really hit different with their unique spin on a beloved ballad.

@agt

Girish and the Chronicles are bringing the party with their rockin' rendition of "Set Fire To the Rain" by Adele. #AGT | @NBC and @Peacock

Now, let’s move to a different stage, where a female choir sings their rendition of Simon Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, which sounds like a cross between an outro from a Disney movie and a Wicked The Musical solo. I got goosebumps at the ending notes.

@masvocal

FULL OFFICIAL VIDEO OUT NOW ON YOUTUBE!! Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel - arr. @Jacob Collier LIVE at National ACDA 2025... See more

Wrapping up this week’s cool music finds, here’s a Lana Del Rey cover sung in German, and it’s a beautiful ethereal pair. Midsommar has never sounded this schön und traurig.

@lyza.mp3

Summertime sadness 🇩🇪 #fyp #summertimesadness

🎶 New Music This Week

Back in the Saddle by Luke Combs: This cowboy means business in his latest single. The vocals and pacing are the kind that’s sure to get you locked in to your tasks for the first day of the week.

Midnight Sun by Zara Larsson: You’ve never seen a singer so dedicated to her craft that she literally filmed a music video under the midnight sun, just to perform a song of the same name. Complete with insane powerhouse vocals. This is a girlboss who clearly loves her job. 🌟

Inspired by this week’s music picks?

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