Music
Admit it, you have a playlist for everything. You have a playlist for when you're in your car, and driving on the way to a bar. You have a playlist for when you're in the shower, or when you have to relax for an hour. You have a playlist for getting ready for bed, a playlist for when you want to get some-- you have a playlist for everything. Almost everything, that is. Chances are, you've probably overlooked one of the autumn season's most crucial musical collections: the cuffing season playlist.
Though in your defense how were you to know? The season falls awkwardly between the summer and the holidays, so it is sometimes utterly forgotten until lighthearted romances need to be explained and cuddling becomes essential (cue "Big Boy" by SZA).
Fear not, however, as I have created a playlist for you that is designed to ring in the new season in the classiest manner possible. You'll have a soundtrack this season to help you remember all of the good, and sometimes bad, times for when the trees begin to thaw out and the buds have started to bloom. Here are your top ten songs to add to your cuffing season playlist.
"Banana Clip" - Miguel
Try singing this song without smiling, I dare you.
What a beautifully written song that portrays the joy that a romantic journey may provide and the necessity one feels to protect that exuberance. The R&B hit "Banana Clip" feels like happiness, passion, and a little bit of fairy dust. It wonderfully portrays the tingling, fluttering emotions you get when you have a crush and/or are perhaps falling in love. Miguel paints an image of someone who has at last found the person they can rely on, be open, grow, and fly to new heights with.
Using several allusions to weapons, missiles, and other multiple military motifs throughout the song, the R&B musician explores the lengths he will go to protect the love he has finally found. The song produces a more captivating embrace than its allusions do and due to its exquisite harmonies, finely layered vocal arrangement, and funky tempo, this melodic embrace is perfect for falling in love with.
"Hello Love" - Jessie Ware
The opening of "Hello Love" has a summery vibe about it. It reminds me of a period of time when people felt too hot to continue in monogamous relationships, so they ended them in a roaring fire and went back to their old ways. However, by the time the bridge appears, it feels like the steadiness of fall, and the lovers have returned to one another a bit battered and bruised, but with brand-new insights that can only be discovered after they have been burnt a few times too many during their period of singledom.
Jessie Ware's sweet song "Hello Love" is like a breath of fresh air when one realizes something that has been so evident. It feels as though one has finally found the love that one can only experience upon coming home after a long, laborious journey abroad.
"Waste My Time" - Ari Lennox
Stream Ari Lennox's new album 'age/sex/location': http://AriLennox.lnk.to/ASL Follow Ari Lennox: ...
Ari Lennox - Waste My Time (Official Music Video)Ari Lennox's song "Waste My Time" is ideal for the cuffing season, as the song urges her lover to back up their words while squandering her time. In contrast to songs written in the past, "Waste My Time" aggressively requires Ari Lennox to realize the probable outcomes of her request and to be ready for any inevitable adversarial impacts that may follow.
She understands that there can be a satisfying reward to allowing herself to make judgments that don't always bring the best results. Nevertheless, the benefits of this arrangement outweigh any potential negative outcome that is destined to happen when the season finally concludes.
"Come to My Room" - Jesse Boykins III
Even though it might be nice to have someone flirt with you all night, there comes a time when you wish they would stop and express their true desires. This song exemplifies just that. "Come to My Room," is audacious, assured, slick, and sickeningly endearing. With an invitation to his bedroom, Boykins invites his love to see things she has never seen before. Embodying a seducer with his smoky, featherlight, and lulling vocals, he offers to show his love the stars, the universe, and so much more.
Expertly, he strikes a balance between being demanding and beguiling, as he sings over an acoustic guitar and enticing backup vocals. Concluding by promising a pleasurable evening that is full of unending happiness and tenderness, "Come to My Room" makes for the perfect opening number of the soundtrack to your cuffing season.
"P*$$Y Fairy (OTW)" - Jhené Aiko
Another song about an intimate relationship is Jhené's sensual and seductive song "PU$$Y Fairy (OTW)." Throughout the tune, she arouses the desire, pleasure, and physical tension that both people feel and experience during a sexual encounter. The sensual jam, in which Jhené flirts sexily with a lover, is perfect for the season and captivating your new suitor.
This song, like "Come to My Room," succeeds because of its assurance and capacity to convince the listener's crush that complying with their demands and suggestions. Although both songs are specific, they both have unwavering faith in their capacity to suggest meaningful, private times with one another.
"Rocket" - Beyoncé
We don't speak about this song nearly as often as we should. We loved it when it originally came out, but lately we've forgotten how stunning this Beyoncé masterpiece with backing vocals from Miguel and Justin Timberlake is. From Beyoncé's self-titled album, "Rocket," a six-minute slow R&B ballad, is a sex jam that begins with the singer doing a lap dance and progresses into a night of sexual puns on the terms "rock" and "rocket" as she sings about having sex.
This D'Angelo-inspired song brilliantly captures the passion experienced by two people when romance is in full flow. In addition to exploring female sexuality, this song creates a sensuous ballad that would be comforting in any atmosphere on these chilly winter nights.
"After Last Night (w/ Thundercat & Bootsy Collins)" - Silk Sonic
Lately, I've grown uninterested when people recommend Bruno Mars' music. It is unclear where he stands in terms of appropriation and appreciation, and occasionally his romantic gestures come out as a little cheesy. However, the song "After Last Night," performed by Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars as the pair Silk Sonic, demonstrates exactly how great they both are. The guys sing in this ballad about having a passionate, earth-shattering night with their loves and then falling in love with them.
The lyrics of this song, which croon and yell as if pleading for the woman's return, ask when they will be able to see her once more. The song is amusing and beautifully expresses how you feel when the person you intended to see for one night ends up staying for much longer. This song strikes the ideal balance between romantic musings and lighthearted conversation, making it deserving of a spot on your cuffing season playlist.
"Coastin'" - Victoria Monét
"Feels like a Thursday how I'm throwing it back."
Even if it seems a little bit like summer, "Coastin'" is the perfect song for the season since it is, in three words, sweet, delightful, and witty. The tune's '70s-inspired sound perfectly captures the laid-back mood, creating an incredibly assured track to glide in the direction of one's affection. There is a sun-like aspect to this song. It mirrors the sensation of having a crush, but without the anxiety that might accompany it. Instead, it has the lovely familiarity you have when you think you've known your love for ages. You are totally in a trance when you finally feel understood.
"Will I See You Again?" - Thee Sacred Souls
Everybody is questioning their lovers, "Will I See You Again?" during this time of connection and hibernation. In this song, it is often asked whether the sweethearts would return to one another after they have spent time apart. Although not in a demanding manner, the song questions if the two are truly in love or just infatuated superficially.
As the song progresses, the singers grow fonder of their lover and plead for a hardline to be inserted into the relationship while simultaneously wooing their loves by demonstrating how really "good" they can be. The song is endearing and a great complement to a season when many people are looking to settle down, but not just with anybody.
"In the Morning" - Marzz
There are times when I'm listening to this song and I don't pay attention to the message it's trying to convey. Why? I'm preoccupied, I guess. It could be the chorus and bridge's Erykah Badu-like coo. It could be the way Marzz layers her voice to give them a beseeching and longing sensual feeling. It may even be the second verse's sudden finish and rapid progression shift.
Regardless, Marzz's song "In the Morning" explores the largest and most evident danger associated with participating in this season of cuffing: falling in love and having that love rejected. Be sure of where you stand before participating in the seasonal games. Otherwise, you'll be left wondering why the season didn't go on forever and what to do when you wake up in the morning after it's over.
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