Pandemic Playlist: Five under-the-radar infectious songs you have probably never heard of but need right now
There is an endless list of choices in modern music these days with an ever-increasing spectrum of genres that expands every day and it can often be taxing to sift out that special number, that song that just gets you vibing, no matter what mood you in.
What is commercial and what is not is becoming less and definable, but there are those epic few that go under the radar more than others. In today's Pandemic Playlist, we list out five highly infectious songs that need your attentive ears.
Bomba Estéreo: 'Soy Yo'
This hot Spanish number is addictive right from the get-go but is best listened to with the official music video. As cocky as the music sounds, the video does well to translate its spirit.
We see an 11-year-old pigtailed kid leaving the barber's to get up to mischief, by playing an indigenous flute in the face of mini preppies, stealing a public basketball court from a group of local players and more.
According to NPR, Simon Mejia of the Colombian band Bomba Estéreo said, "It's a very beautiful piece with this Danish director [Torben Kjelstrup]. He came with this very, very special idea about this girl that goes to the parlor thing and does her hair and everything and goes into the street. And [she] is being free — and being free about what she feels she is about, her individuality."
Tiggs Da Author: 'Run' (ft Lady Leshurr)
An artiste who certainly deserves a lot of credit for his infectious songs, Tiggs Da Author is a Tanzanian-born, London-based hip-hop/rap artiste who makes music that is hard to put down.
With songs like 'Georgia', 'Work It Out' and 'Swear Down' (featuring Yungen), his 2015 track 'Run' is no exception. The music video is shot in South Africa where we see the insane South African township trend "spinning".
Locals perform stunts like standing on the roof of a car or hanging backward out the windows while the vehicle is spinning. British rapper Lady Leshurr features in the song and video and delivers a few bars of some catchy rapping.
K Flay: 'Blood In The Cut'
'Blood In The Cut' gets a funky picked bassline at the opening groove, leading to a powerfully booming chorus as K Flay sings the infectious lyrics "I need noise. I need the buzz of a sub. Need the crack of a whip. Need some blood in the cut."
In an interview with Colorado Springs Independent, K Flay said, "So what's cool for me with this song is that the verses, and the spirit of those sections, is really vulnerable and weak and bleeding something."
"And then as the song kind of breaks into the chorus, there is that feeling of self-awareness and power. And that was really like a true reflection of how the song came to fruition. So I like that those two spirits can exist side by side."
Battles: 'Atlas'
It may be difficult to pair what is bizarre and what is catchy together in music, but American experimental rock band Battles seem to have the art down just fine.
A combination of bending vocals, distorted buzzes, pulsating bass and bouncy drums, it can be challenging to find a melody in there somewhere, but Battles' messing about comes together as an explosively good piece of music that will likely get you giving to its undeniably epic style.
Jain: 'Makeba'
A French singer, producing dance-pop over an African rhythm is the quickest way to describe this infectious number. The song is named after and references the South African singer Miriam Makeba and Jain uses a sound deck to provide the song's bassy and funky groove.
The video features consistent illusions, mainly between colors of black and white, and artsy creativity. You may want to make space in the room you are sitting in before hitting play on this one because it is likely to get you bopping.